Postdoctoral Researcher in Economics jointly with the Tilburg Law and Economics Center

Tilburg University | Tilburg School of Economics and Management

is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Economics jointly with the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Postdoctoral Researcher in Economics – Social, User aCCeptable, Economically Sustainable Systems for hydrogen (HySUCCESS)

Department: Economics

Location: Tilburg

Contract size: 0,8 – 1,0 FTE hours per week)

Job profile: Researcher 4

Full-time gross monthly salary: €3546 – €5538

Contract duration: 30 months/2.5 years

Desired starting date: between May 1 and September 1, 2026, and upon mutual agreement

Closing date vacancy: February 1, 2026

Your position

The Department of Economics, jointly with Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC), has a vacancy for a 30-month postdoctoral researcher in Economics.

We are looking for a researcher in industrial organization or energy economics with strong analytical and quantitative skills, and experience with economic modelling of markets or regulatory environments. The ideal candidate is motivated to conduct high-quality research that informs the design and functioning of emerging energy markets.

The researcher will contribute to the HySUCCESS project ), part of the national GroenvermogenNL initiative supporting the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy in the Netherlands. The work focuses on understanding how market structures, long-term contracting, and public policy interact to shape investment incentives, competition, and market outcomes in emerging hydrogen markets. The goal is to generate insights that support robust, efficient, and well-governed market designs for Europe's energy transition. The position offers strong opportunities for producing high-quality academic research with real-world policy relevance.

The researcher will collaborate closely with partners at TU Delft as well as colleagues from the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC), bringing together economic modelling, market design principles, and legal-institutional perspectives to inform the development of future hydrogen markets.

The researcher will be supervised by Dr. ir. Bert Willems and will be based at the Department of Economics at Tilburg University, which hosts a strong research community in environmental, energy, and industrial economics. The position offers a dynamic and supportive environment with close interactions across departments and institutions involved in the energy transition.

The position may include some teaching and/or thesis supervision, which will be consistent with the role of postdoctoral researcher. Preferences for teaching are discussed at the interview and can be part of a balanced job offer.

Your profile

Tilburg University believes that academic excellence is achieved through the combination of outstanding research and education, through which social impact is created by sharing knowledge. We recognize that excellence results from strong teamwork as well as individual expertise.

More specifically, we are looking for a candidate who has:

• Ambition to engage with project partners and contribute to impactful research within the HySUCCESS / GroenvermogenNL program.
• Strong analytical skills, demonstrated through coursework or research output.
• A solid foundation in economic theory, preferably in industrial organization, market design, energy economics, or related fields.
• Skills in quantitative modelling or economic simulation, with appreciation for interactions with engineering modelling or legal-institutional analyses.
• Interest in the design and regulation of energy markets, including how market rules and long-term contracts influence investment incentives in the energy transition.
• Background or familiarity with auction theory or contract theory is considered an advantage.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently when needed, while also collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary team (economics, engineering, and law).
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

Our offer

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• A position based on 0,8 – 1,0 FTE hours per week).
• A salary of minimum €3546 and maximum €5538 gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile Researcher 4. 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.
• 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.

Information and application

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Dr. ir. Bert Willems ) or Dr. Asel Doranova ).

We kindly invite you to apply before February 1, 2026; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Asel Doranova and attach your resume.

Letter selection is scheduled February 5; you will receive notification from us shortly thereafter. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis starting in early February (we invite the best candidates from the list of candidates applied up to that time).

The selection committee consists of:

• Dr. ir. Bert Willems (chair of the selection committee)
• Prof. Henk Akkermans
• Prof. Giorgio Monti
• Dr. Asel Doranova

You will ideally start working for Tilburg University between May 1 and September 1, 2026, upon mutual agreement with your supervisor.

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 School of Economics and Management

Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) is one of Europe's leading centers for research in business and economics, with research rankings consistently among's Europe's top 10 across various business domain. In addition to the strong research focus and collegial research climate, it offers a wide variety of educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, with about 7,000 students enrolled. The School is well-connected to both policy makers and industry in the region and internationally, providing ample opportunities for creating impact with research.

Tilburg School of Economics and Management

About the department of Economics

The Economics Department at Tilburg University is one of the largest and most successful economics departments in Europe. Our faculty members are internationally recognized for their research and committed to providing high-quality education programs for students. The department is organized into several research institutes and projects, TILEC being one of them. The department hosts a weekly seminar program with invited speakers from top international schools and a weekly internal workshop program that allows our faculty and PhD students to present their research to the department. For more information, click here.

Application Code

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