Tilburg University | Tilburg Law School
is looking for a
Postdoctoral researcher in Competition Law & Digital Regulation
Department: Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society
On site: Tilburg
Contract size: 1.0 FTE (40 hours per week).
Full-time gross monthly salary: €4.728 - €6.433
Contract duration: 30 months in total
Intended start date: 01-01-2026
The Department of TILT (Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society) has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Competition Law & Digital Regulation. The selected candidate will contribute to research projects on the regulation of digital platforms and data.
Your position
The rise of digital platforms, data and AI is reshaping competitive dynamics in markets and challenging existing legal concepts. EU competition law is being complemented by other legislative instruments such as the Digital Markets Act and the Data Act, which aim to keep markets open and fair. Understanding how to balance the prospects and risks of digital platforms, data and AI is essential for effective regulation and enforcement in EU technology markets. We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a keen interest in doing cutting-edge research to help answer these questions.
The research involves two projects:
- An internally funded research project on the role of competition law in creative industries, focusing on music and gaming.
- An internally funded research project on governing data in shared regulatory space, including the implementation of the data-related obligations of the Digital Markets Act.
Within the context of these projects, there is room for the postdoctoral researcher to carve out areas of own interest.
The selected candidate will be contributing to the two projects and can also be involved in education activities of TILT for a maximum of 0.2 FTE. More specifically, the successful candidate will:
- independently and jointly pursue path-breaking research leading to excellent publications in double-blind peer-reviewed international journals;
- be an active member of the department by participating in and organising events and activities, presenting, and discussing research output within the department, and representing the department outside Tilburg University;
- co-supervise students in writing their Bachelor and/or Master thesis in law and reading and grading Bachelor and/or Master theses on a variety of topics;
- assist in courses at the Bachelor and/or Master programs that TILT is involved in, for instance by giving guest lectures.
Your profile
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 mostly through team effort in which each team member acts as a leader, connecting people. In view of our vision, 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.
- You have completed a PhD in the area of Competition Law and/or Digital Regulation (or at least a PhD manuscript approved by your supervisors);
- You show interest in the regulation of digital platforms (for instance the Digital Markets Act) and/or the regulation of data (for instance the Data Act), as evidenced by your research and activities. Work that combines several domains is preferred;
- You have an excellent written and spoken command of English, as demonstrated by publications and conference presentations in English;
- 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 have the ability to supervise students in writing their Bachelor and/or Master thesis in law and the ability to read and grade Bachelor and Master theses on a variety of topics;
- You are available to start working for Tilburg University in January 2026;
- You are prepared to be present at Tilburg University at least 2 days a week in line with TILT's hybrid working policy office hours and commit to integrate in the environment provided by TILT and Tilburg Law School.
To maintain a vibrant and active university community, it is important that we meet each other regularly and that the connection between us remains good. Therefore, the premise is that all staff members carry out their work in the Netherlands and that lecturing, when relevant, is done physically.
Our offer
Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:
- Employment of 1.0 fte (40 hours per week).
- Salary between €4.728 and €6.433 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Researcher, 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 30 months.
- Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
- Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
- Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
- Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
- Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
- Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
- Expat rule (‘30% rule’) for international employees (if applicable).
- Pension through ABP.
- Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
- Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
- A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.
For more information, please see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities.
Want to know more?
Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Inge Graef ([email protected]) and/or Friso Bostoen ([email protected]).
Want to apply?
We kindly invite you to apply before 28 September 2025 (23:59 CEST); this can only be done online.
Please attach the following documents to the application:
1) a cover letter, explaining your motivation for applying for this position;
1) a cover letter, explaining your motivation for applying for this position;
2) your CV, including publication list;
3) a research proposal of up to 1500 words, describing the research you would be interested in carrying out within the broader area described in this vacancy;
4) a recent example of your written work (for instance a journal article or PhD chapter);
5) contact information for two referees (including name, phone number, and e-mail address). We only approach referees for candidates who go to the second interview round.
The letter selection will take place in the first week of October. You will be notified as soon as possible thereafter. The first selection interviews will take place on Wednesday 8 October in the afternoon and potential second round interviews will take place later in October.
The selection committee consists of:
1. Dr. Inge Graef, Associate Professor Competition Law
2. Dr. Friso Bostoen, Assistant Professor Competition Law & Digital Regulation
You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on 1 January 2026.
This vacancy has been published simultaneously internally and externally. In case of equal suitability, our preference is for an internal candidate.
About 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
Tilburg Law School was founded in 1963 and has since grown into a leading faculty for law and public administration. Our education and research are distinctly innovative and interdisciplinary. We are driven by our mission to actively engage with pressing societal challenges such as new technologies, sustainability, and the position of vulnerable groups in the rule of law, from the perspective of legal and administrative sciences. We operate in response to local, regional, national, and international developments, and collaborate closely with other disciplines such as economics, behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, history, and digital sciences. The faculty is organized into five departments: Public Law & Governance, Private, Business and Labour Law, Criminal Law, the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology & Society, and Tax Law.
Our education
Tilburg Law School offers bachelor's programs in Dutch Law, Tax Law, Business Law, and the English-taught Global Law program. Of the nine legal master's programs, five are offered in hybrid formats and six are taught in English. The faculty also offers both a bachelor's and a master's program in Public Administration. Our education places particular emphasis on vulnerability and on those who are vulnerable in society. Through this, we aim to contribute to a just and sustainable society. Tilburg Law School is a frontrunner in educational innovation and values inclusive, accessible, and flexible education. We train our students to become knowledgeable, skilled, and critical academics who are equipped to navigate the complex challenges of the evolving digital society.
Our research
The five departments of Tilburg Law School collaborate closely in four distinctive research programs focusing on globalization and law, regulation of technology, vulnerability in criminal law, and sustainable private law relations. These research programs include both legal and public administration scholarship, as well as interdisciplinary approaches.
We strongly emphasize team science, encouraging researchers to work together, share knowledge, and strengthen one another in content and methodology.
Regulating Socio-Technical Change
This program brings together a broad range of legal and non-legal disciplines, perspectives, and methodologies to form a comprehensive understanding of socio-technical changes. It focuses on three core questions: What are the regulatory challenges? How should they be addressed? And who are—or should be—the actors involved?
About department TILT
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.
Recruitment code
Tilburg University applies the recruitmentcode of the Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organization Development (NVP).
Disclaimer
The text of this vacancy advertisement is copyright-protected property of Tilburg University. Use, distribution and further disclosure of the advertisement without express permission from Tilburg University is not allowed, and this applies explicitly to use by recruitment and selection agencies which do not act directly on the instructions of Tilburg University. Responses resulting from recruitment by non-contractors of Tilburg Universities will not be handled.
The text of this vacancy advertisement is copyright-protected property of Tilburg University. Use, distribution and further disclosure of the advertisement without express permission from Tilburg University is not allowed, and this applies explicitly to use by recruitment and selection agencies which do not act directly on the instructions of Tilburg University. Responses resulting from recruitment by non-contractors of Tilburg Universities will not be handled.
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