Tilburg University’s Public Law and Governance department is seeking a postdoctoral researcher with a specialization in public governance or public policy, with expertise in network analysis and qualitative comparative methods. This position is part of the “Feeding Connections: City Networks and the Pathways to Sustainable Food Governance” project, led by Dr. Giulia Bazzan, which aims to understand how city networks facilitate the diffusion of sustainable practices into local food policies. 

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the core research activities of the “Feeding Connections” project. You will focus on analyzing how city networks—such as the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and Eurocities—drive policy diffusion and learning, using network analysis and comparative methods. Additionally, you will work closely with an interdisciplinary team to visualize these networks through an interactive smart map and contribute to academic publications and policy reports.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on city networks, public governance, and food policy integration with a focus on sustainability.
• Utilize network analysis to map and understand key actors, relationships, and the structural dynamics of city food networks.
• Apply qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and other comparative methods to explore the conditions that foster successful food policy integration across cities.
• Conduct process-tracing in case studies to uncover the causal mechanisms of policy learning and diffusion across city networks.
• Contribute to the development of an interactive smart map for visualizing network structures and sustainability efforts.
• Engage in academic writing, including the preparation of journal articles and policy briefs.
• Present research findings at international conferences and workshops.

Your Profile:

• A PhD in Public Governance, Public Policy, Political Science, or a related field.
• Experience with network analysis and comparative methods, or willingness to learn, including qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and/or process-tracing.
• A strong interest in urban food policy, sustainability governance, policy integration, and transnational policy networks.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality academic publications.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with fluency in English (knowledge of Dutch or other languages is a plus).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a research team.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• A position based on 0.8 FTE (32 hours per week). 
• A salary of minimum of €4,492 and maximum €6,148 gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile Researcher 3 and salary scale 11. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience. 
• This is a vacancy as a Researcher: for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 under b of the CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 2 years (0.8 FTE).  
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave. 
• The opportunity to work partly on campus and partly from home with a home office allowance of €2 per day.
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transportation. 
• A monthly internet fee of €25.
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center. 
• A moving allowance (subject to conditions). 
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for the 30/20/10% tax facility.
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center. 
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities. 
• A vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport. 

For more information, see our website and the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities.

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

Tilburg Law School
Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe. Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission. 

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science. The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skill and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive. 

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Law and Security; 3) Connecting Organizations; and 4) Regulating Socio-Technical Change. 

The Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG) is a unique collaboration of researchers in the fields of Public Governance, International Law, European law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Legal Philosophy, Political Science, Legal History, and Jurisprudence. Collaboration within the Department is very much inspired by joint research interests.

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Giulia Bazzan at +31134664025 or G.Bazzan@tilburguniversity.edu. 

We cordially invite you to apply before 3 November 2024; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Giulia Bazzan and attach your CV.

In order to make a good selection, we also ask you to provide the following documents: 

• an official copy of your university degree
• a list of publications and one or two publications
• and contact information for two referees (We only approach referees for candidates invited to the second round of interviews).