Jacques Tichelaar (born 2 January 1953) is a Dutch politician and former trade union leader and educator.

During the 2006–2007 Dutch cabinet formation, Tichelaar was secondant of Wouter Bos during the confidential negotiations.

He was unexpectedly chosen over MPs like Nebahat Albayrak, the PvdA's second candidate on the list, because of his experience with negotiations from his union years.

Evidence emerged that he had put forward the company of his sister in law, for a project in one of the province's buildings, pushing aside the already accepted proposition of a third party.

In 2013 he had interfered in favour of his brother in law, a hotel entrepreneur, who had a conflict with one of the municipalities in Drenthe.