Trainee (Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiometabolic Therapies - Development and Innovation)

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) offers a traineeship placement in the Therapies for endocrine and cardiovascular diseases Service, focused on diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic therapies (Development and Innovation).

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU), located in Amsterdam. It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU.

About the traineeship programme

The Agency is looking for motivated, qualified recent graduates or students on an Erasmus+ or other programme, or PhD students or Master's students (who posses a previous degree), who are interested in gaining experience and contribute to the Agency’s work for every patient in Europe.

The purpose of a traineeship at the Agency is to perform tasks that are predominantly in the interest of the trainee’s training and principally serve to increase the trainee’s knowledge and to gain relevant experience.

Placement description

We are looking for a trainee in the Therapies for endocrine and cardiovascular diseases Service.

Specific objectives and projects

Diabetes and obesity are major public health challenges in the EU and key drivers of cardiovascular disease and long-term morbidity. In recent years, the therapeutic landscape in these areas has evolved rapidly, with several innovative medicines approved and many more in development. At the same time, these advances raise important regulatory, access, and evidence-generation challenges.

This traineeship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to strategic thinking and regulatory activities in a dynamic and high-impact therapeutic area, supporting innovation and improving patient outcomes. As part of this project, the trainee will:

• Contribute to the strategic analysis and mapping of topics in the diabetes, obesity and broader cardiometabolic space, contributing to the development of innovative proposals and strategies
• Contribute to stakeholder initiatives
• Contribute to the preparation and coordination of meetings, ensuring effective collaboration between assessors, rapporteurs and stakeholders
• Prepare briefing documents and reports supporting decision-making and regulatory approaches
• Contribute to the development of a scientific knowledge platform by analysing assessment documents and proposing improvements to its structure, accessibility and usability

Learning outcomes

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) approach to approving medicinal products in the diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular area
• Become familiar with regulatory requirements, agency processes, and regulatory practices related to medicinal products
• Gain experience in multi-stakeholder communication, including liaising with scientific committees, rapporteurs, assessors, and external partners
• Gain hands-on experience in analysis of regulatory documents and IT applications in a regulatory context

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for consideration for this placement, you are required to:

1. enjoy full rights as a citizen of a European Union Member State or Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway;
2. possess a university degree in Pharmacy, Medicine or Life Science (minimum of three years or more) that must have been obtained between 6 May 2025 and 6 May 2026 or be a university student on an Erasmus + or a similar programme or a PhD student or a Master's student with a previous fully finished degree in the areas mentioned before.
3. a thorough knowledge of English (at least level C1) and good knowledge of other official EU language (at least B2) of the Common European Framework for Languages

Additional skills

In addition to the eligibility criteria, you will have:

• Project Management Skills: Ability to manage and coordinate projects effectively, ensuring timely delivery of outcomes
• Cross-Agency Collaboration: Strong collaborative skills to foster partnerships and communication between different stakeholders
• Research and Analysis: Proficiency in conducting research
• Demonstrated interest in using IT applications, with strong proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to support analysis, reporting, and presentation tasks
• Communication skills: Ability to prepare, present, and communicate clearly complex matters
• Regulatory Knowledge: basic understanding of the centralised procedure
• Attention to Detail: Keen attention to detail to ensure accuracy and completeness in documentation and presentations

Behavioural Competencies

You will demonstrate the following behavioural competencies:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Working with others
• Adaptability
• Research and analytical skills
• Learning and development

Conditions of traineeship

The traineeship is offered for 10 months (1 October 2026 – 31 July 2027) and takes place at the Agency’s premises in Amsterdam with possibility for teleworking up to 40% of working time from The Netherlands and occasional teleworking from outside The Netherlands. Traineeships are offered for either full-time or part-time (80% or 50%) if combined with university studies.

The Agency pays a monthly stipend of €2,049.77 for a full-time traineeship (reduced accordingly for 80% or 50%) and a travel contribution upon joining the Agency.

Each trainee will have a mentor at the Agency who will guide the trainee through the programme.

What do we offer?

• Meaningful work contributing to protecting the health of every individual and animal in Europe within multinational, multidisciplinary team
• Development opportunities (e.g. internal mobility, mentoring, peer coaching, career reflection programme, etc.)
• Work-life balance (flexible working arrangements, teleworking, generous annual leave plus official holidays)

recruitment@ema.europa.eu