The Department of TILT (Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society) has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Researcher in European Data Spaces. The selected candidate will contribute to the development of legal research in this emerging area in collaboration with TILT’s experts in fundamental rights, economic regulation, and governance.

Your position 
The EU is putting in place a range of European Data Spaces to promote the sharing and reuse of data, while protecting European rules and values. The European Data Spaces involve a combination of legal and technical measures as well as governance frameworks and infrastructures to access and pool data. The development of the European Data Spaces raises many legal questions, for instance about how to promote data-driven innovation with respect for individual rights and about how new legislation fits into the existing EU regulatory framework. To strengthen its activities in the domain of European Data Spaces, TILT is looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a keen interest in doing cutting-edge legal research to help answer these and related questions.

The successful candidate will:

• independently and jointly pursue legal research in the domain of the European Data Spaces, to be submitted to peer-reviewed international journals;
• actively look for funding opportunities at the Dutch and EU level in the domain of the European Data Spaces, and coordinate relevant grant applications and studies for government bodies and other institutions;
• be an active member of TILT by participating in and organising events and activities, presenting, and discussing research output within and outside Tilburg University;
• have limited involvement in educational tasks of between 0,1 and 0,2 FTE, including by supervising and grading Bachelor/Master theses in law and by assisting in Bachelor/Master courses and/or executive training programs that TILT is involved in, for instance in the form of guest lectures.

Tilburg University believes that academic excellence is achieved through the combination of outstanding research and education in which social impact is made by sharing knowledge. In doing so, we recognize that excellence is not only achieved through individual performance but also through team effort. In view of our vision, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. 

We consider the following qualifications important for the position.

• You have completed a PhD in law or at least have your PhD manuscript in law approved by your supervisors at the time of applying (this is a strict requirement).
• You studied a domain of EU law in your PhD that is relevant to the European Data Spaces, such as data protection law, competition law, intellectual property law, or more recently adopted legislation such as the Digital Markets Act, Data Governance Act, or Data Act. We do not require that your PhD has been specifically focused on European Data Spaces.
• You have a keen interest in the regulation of the European Data Spaces, as evidenced by your motivation and/or earlier activities. The successful candidate is expected to work on the concept of data spaces generally and/or to focus on data spaces in sectors that are part of TILT’s research program, namely energy, finance, and health.
• You have an excellent written and spoken command of English, as demonstrated by publications and conference presentations in English. It is an advantage if you have a good command of the Dutch language, but it is not a strict requirement.
• You have experience or affinity with working in a multidisciplinary environment. 
• You feel comfortable working in a team and express this through collaboration, sharing knowledge and experiences, and contributing to an open and inclusive work environment.
• You are prepared to be present at Tilburg University at least 2 days a week in line with TILT's hybrid working policy and commit to integrate in the environment provided by TILT and Tilburg University. 

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• A position based on 1.0 fte (40 hours per week). 
• A salary of minimum €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 work experience. 
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 sub b CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 48 months.
• 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 transport. 
• A monthly internet allowance 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 abroad may be eligible for a tax-free allowance for extraterritorial expenses equal to 30% of taxable salary. 
• A pension with ABP; the largest 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 CLA 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.
 

About 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 Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT) is home to teaching and research on the effects of socio-technical change on the regulation and management of economic activities in an era when information technology is a key driver of innovation. TILT is one of the leading research groups in Europe at the intersection of law, technology, and society. It is based on multidisciplinary research on socio-technical change, aimed at understanding the interaction between technology and social and normative practices to clarify how to address the regulatory challenges of socio-technical change. 

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Inge Graef at i.graef@tilburguniversity.edu. 

We cordially invite you to apply on 26 January at the latest; this can only be done online. In order to make a good selection, we ask you to provide the following documents: 

• A cover letter, explaining your motivation for applying for this position; 
• Your CV, including publication list;
• A research statement of up to 1000 words, discussing the legal research you would be interested in carrying out within the domain of European data spaces as described in this vacancy;
• A recent example of your written work (for instance a journal article or PhD chapter)
• Contact details of two referees (including name, phone number, and e-mail address).
  We only approach referees for candidates invited to the second round of interviews.

The first selection interviews will take place on Tuesday afternoon 4 February 2025 online or in-person (at your choice), and a potential second selection round will take place later in February. This second selection round may consist of giving a presentation.