Tilburg University | Tilburg School of Economics and Management
is looking for a
Postdoctoral Researcher in Circular (Public) Procurement
Department: Information Systems and Operations Management
Contract size: 1 FTE
Full-time gross monthly salary: €3,546 - €5,538
Contract duration: 1 year
Intended start date: September 1, 2026, or shortly thereafter (upon mutual agreement)
Vacancy closing date: Open until filled
Introduction to the project
Tilburg University is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to study how Dutch municipalities can successfully implement and scale circular (public) procurement for construction-related activities.
Municipalities play a key role in driving circular construction because they purchase large volumes of infrastructure and construction projects. However, despite strong policy ambitions, the implementation of circular (public) procurement often still proves to be very challenging. Existing procurement processes are designed to minimize costs and manage risks, which means circular solutions often remain limited to pilot projects.
The project develops practical guidelines that help municipalities implement circular procurement on a larger scale in construction projects, and that promote more uniformity in circular construction within regional ecosystems, with the aim of establishing a future-proof and more strategic public procurement function that encourages collaboration, innovation, and circularity throughout construction supply chains.
Your position
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will play a leading role in developing and empirically validating practical guidelines that help municipalities implement and scale circular procurement for construction supply chains and promoting uniform circular construction within the regional ecosystems. You will work closely with Wendy van der Valk, and with other colleagues from the department of Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) (e.g., Vincent Peters, Xichen Sun), and with municipalities and their partners in the region of Brabant. Your activities will complement work performed for the ReMatch.D project (funded by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management under the TKI Dinalog program, and led by the University of Twente) involving tasks related to circular procurement and partners from region of Twente through new as well as replication studies.
You will contribute to both academic publications and practice-oriented tools and assist with overall coordination, project reporting, and event organization. There is no teaching obligation associated with this position, but we can offer teaching opportunities in various topics in operations and supply chain management and sustainability.
Your profile
We are looking for a candidate who:
- Holds a PhD in (public) procurement, supply (chain) management, industrial engineering, sustainability, or a related field.
- Has a solid background in qualitative research.
- Has excellent English-language academic writing skills, as well as good verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrates a strong interest in procurement for the circular economy, the public sector, and the construction industry.
- Is able to work independently as well as collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary teams.
- Has strong project management skills, and ideally has experience in research projects involving one or multiple industry or societal partners.
Our offer
Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:
- Employment of 1 FTE.
- Salary between €3,546 and €5,538 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Researcher 4, salary scale 10). 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 12 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 for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
- Options model for additional leave, pension, buying a bicycle, or personal training.
- 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
- Pension through ABP.
- Ample training offers: 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 Dr. Wendy van der Valk (
[email protected]).
Want to apply?
The only way to apply is online. Interested applicants should submit the following documents at your earliest convenience but before 15 July at the latest:
- Letter of motivation (highlighting your relevant skills for this project specifically)
- Curriculum vitae (incl. expected graduation date of your PhD)
- Official copy of your university degrees and grades (full transcripts for Master’s and PhD)
- Copies of at least two academic (working) papers
- Contact information of two references
We will start reviewing applications immediately upon submission. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis (we invite the best candidates from the list of applicants up to that point). The vacancy will remain open until filled.
You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on September 1, 2026, or shortly thereafter (upon mutual agreement).
About Tilburg University
Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainability, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge to meet the needs 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 place particular emphasis 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, ranking regularly among Europe's top five by research productivity (#4 in Europe, #42 worldwide for publications in UT Dallas Rankings 2022-2025). With respect to specific disciplines, it is ranked #44 worldwide in Business and Economics (Times Higher Education Ranking 2025), #48 in Economics & Business worldwide (US News ranking 2024), #52 worldwide in the area of Economics & Econometrics (QS World University subject rankings 2025) and top 75 in the world in the field of Business Administration (Shanghai ARWU 2024).
About the Department of Information Systems & Operations Management (ISOM)
The ISOM Department is a young and vibrant academic unit dedicated to advancing innovative applications of technology, data-driven decision-making, resilience, and operational efficiency across a wide range of industries. In addition to its bachelor’s programs, the department offers three master’s programs (MSc Supply Chain Management, MSc Information Management, and the International Master’s in Management of IT) and two PhD programs (PhD in Operations Management and PhD in Information Systems).
The department’s faculty are internationally recognized scholars in information systems and operations management. The research group has a strong publication and editorial presence in leading international journals—including FT50 and UTD24 outlets such as Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Operations Research, Production and Operations Management, and Journal of Operations Management—and maintains active collaborations with interdisciplinary research centers and industry partners. Together, the department is committed to delivering high-quality education and research that equip students to thrive in an increasingly data-driven and interconnected world.
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