Postdoc Law & AI Critical Infrastructure

Postdoc on Law & Responsible AI for Critical Infrastructure

Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading international research universities.

eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden Law School, is looking for a:

Postdoc on Law & Responsible AI for Critical Infrastructure 0,8 - 1,0 FTE

The postdoctoral researcher will focus on the responsible development and governance of AI for critical infrastructure, specifically within the wastewater management lifecycle, within the Horizon Europe project AI:

Liner(https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) for a period of up to 24 months.

Europe’s sewer networks, originally developed to combat cholera outbreaks, now face major challenges due to aging infrastructure, limited inspection capacity, and rehabilitation needs exceeding €40 billion annually. Low renewal rates and reliance on manual CCTV inspections hinder effective asset management, leading to costly emergency repairs and inefficient resource allocation. While digitalization and AI-driven solutions offer significant potential to improve resilience and efficiency, they also raise legal, ethical, and social concerns related to automation, workforce impacts, accountability, transparency, and trust.

Within AI:

Liner, the postdoctoral researcher will primarily contribute to project objectives related to workforce impacts of digitalization, AI governance and regulatory compliance (including the EU Artificial Intelligence Act), data governance, and the integration of ethical and legal requirements into AI-supported sewer asset management. The researcher will be part of the eLaw research team and collaborate closely with an interdisciplinary group, including a data scientist and a legal scholar.

Together, the team addresses the legal, technical, and governance dimensions of responsible AI for critical infrastructure.

The successful candidate will conduct legal and socio-technical research to support the responsible and trustworthy adoption of AI in sewer management. This includes analysing legal, ethical, and social risks and opportunities associated with AI and automation; mapping current practices; conducting expert interviews and stakeholder surveys; and contributing to the development of governance and compliance frameworks for trustworthy AI, including adapting assessment tools such as ALTAI.

In addition, the researcher will contribute legal and governance expertise to an online platform for assessing AI compliance, engage with policymakers and standard-makers on regulatory acceptability, and support the development of training materials (i.e., a MOOC) focused on AI governance, compliance, and workforce implications. The researcher will also contribute to broader project activities on the societal impacts of digitalization and to legal and policy recommendations.

As a researcher at eLaw, you will advance the knowledge of Responsible AI and Critical Infrastructure, particularly on sewer management. In concrete terms, you will:

• Contribute to the objectives of the research project by supporting the development of a data governance framework and strategies to ensure responsible AI adoption for sewer management.
• Conduct independent legal and socio-technical research on AI governance and critical infrastructure.
• Conduct qualitative research, including expert interviews and stakeholder perception surveys, to understand the impact of automation in sewer management.
• Analyze European and national legal frameworks (including the AI Act, data protection, and safety regulation) and contribute legal expertise to tools assessing AI compliance.
• Organise and contribute to stakeholder workshops, including policymakers and standard-makers, on AI governance and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team across EU countries and institutions.
• Publish high-quality research papers and contribute to public engagement efforts to communicate findings.
• Contribute to teaching activities at eLaw, including guest lectures or master thesis supervision.

Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575). The university permeates the local…