Job opportunity for a Postdoctoral Researching working on international legal theory and expertise in the department of Public Law and Governance (PLG). The position is attached to the Managers of Crisis Project headed by Dr Richard Clements and funded by a Dutch government Starter Grant. PLG is a large, diverse and interdisciplinary department, home to nearly 100 academic staff and a range of legal and social science disciplines. You will develop and grow in research and teaching, both individually and as part of a team of ambitious scholars.

Job Description 
Tilburg Law School is interested in hiring a Postdoctoral Researcher to collaborate on the Managers of Crisis Project led by Dr Richard Clements. The project focuses on mapping and analyzing the managerial turn in international law across three sites of legal work: global health, marine pollution and migration. The project combines doctrinal, discursive and critical methods to study how the uptake of management ideas and practices has changed the nature of international legal work as a practice of crisis management.

Candidates for this vacancy should have a proven track record of conducting critical or socio-legal research in one of the above (or related) areas. Scholars who have worked on theories of the international legal profession, expertise and legal performativity are also encouraged to apply even if their substantive expertise lies in adjacent fields.

As part of this position, you will be an indispensable part of the international and global law communities at Tilburg Law School, as well as the growing research on the nature of the global/international legal professional. This research community includes researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds – legal theory, environmental law, law and development and socio-legal studies – interested in questions around expert interpretation, legal mobilization and resistance, and transnational litigation.

This position consists predominantly of research with limited opportunities to be involved in teaching in the Global Law LLB, Rechtgeleerdheid LLB, and our various LLM programs in international and EU law.

What do we ask? 
Tilburg University is curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and to the team you will be part of. Therefore, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. Below you can find the qualifications we consider important for the position:

• Proficient in conducting research in the English language;
• A PhD degree in law or a related field (or very close to completion);
• Capable of conducting high-quality, critical legal research in international law and legal theory;
• Strong writing skills commensurate with career stage and with potential to publish in top academic journals;
• Ability to work collaboratively (on research activities) and autonomously (on logistical activities, e.g. planning and organizing an academic workshop, liaising with research network);
• Demonstrating excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrating scientific integrity; 
• Contributes to an open and inclusive organizational culture;
• Able to start working at Tilburg University on 15 January 2024;
• Able to commit to relocating to the Netherlands.

To maintain a vibrant and active university community, it is important that the successful candidate plays an active role in campus and departmental life. It is therefore required that they will carry out their work in the Netherlands and that any lecturing is done on campus.

• You demonstrate personal leadership: you take responsibility for your work and career and possess a good level of self-knowledge.  
• You have team spirit: you feel part of a team and express this through collaboration, sharing knowledge and experiences, and contributing to an open and inclusive work environment.

What do we offer?
Tilburg University offers excellent terms of employment with attention to flexibility and room for (personal) development. We recognize and reward our employees and encourage the use of talents and strengths.

Tilburg University is committed to an open and inclusive culture, embracing diversity, and encouraging the mutual integration of groups of staff and students. We create equal opportunities for all our staff and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community. 

We work in a vibrant and lively (work) environment on our beautiful campus, close to the forest and easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution to this. 

For this position, we offer:

• A position based on 1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week;
• It is a vacancy for 24 months;
• A salary of minimum €4,332 and maximum € 5,929 gross per month for full time employment, based on UFO profile Postdoctoral Researcher 3 and salary scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system for salary scaling that is based on relevant education and work experience;
• Vacation allowance (8%) and a year-end bonus (8.3%);
• Vacation days (41 days for a 40-hour work week);
• Full reimbursement of commuting expenses for sustainable travel: walking, biking and public transportation;
• Moving allowance;
• Options Model for benefits and reimbursement of expenses;
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable wages. We will apply for this reimbursement for you;
• You will be enrolled in the General Pension Fund for Public Employers (ABP) through us;
• Various training courses, for example in leadership skills, personal effectiveness, and career development;
• A wide range of amenities and facilities and various arrangements to create an optimal work-life balance.

Visit working at Tilburg University for more information on our terms of employment. 

This is a vacancy for which the work is (partly) temporarily externally funded by the Dutch government Starter Grant in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 7(a) of the CLA for Dutch Universities. You will be given a temporary employment contract for the duration of 24 months. Continuation of this position depends on the availability of financial resources.

Tilburg University

Tilburg University's motto is Understanding Society. Based on this vision, our almost 2,800 employees conduct research, inspire more than 19,000 students of 110 nationalities, and bring people from different disciplines and organizations together to learn from each other. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. In doing so, we work from the fields of economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, humanities and digital sciences, and theology. We seek the connection between the various disciplines to find solutions to the major issues we face as a society. Our students are educated to become responsible and entrepreneurial thinkers, driven by solidarity, a sense of responsibility, and empathy, who are able to influence and give direction to a rapidly changing society in an innovative way. Tilburg University has a culture of collaboration and co-creation, at local, regional, national, and international level.

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. 

Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG)

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