Trainee (Legal Department of EMA)

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

This traineeship opportunity is open until 30 September 2026 23:59 CEST, with an intake on 1 March 2027.

Traineeship in the Legal Department of EMA

About the traineeship programme

The Agency is looking for motivated, qualified recent graduates or students on an Erasmus+ or other similar programme or PhD students or Master's students, who are interested in gaining experience and contributing 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 Legal Department.

Specific objectives and projects

Involvement in a holistic approach to the activities of the Legal Department, supporting its three offices - Pharma Law and Support to Core Business Office, Litigation Office, General Affairs and Anti-Fraud Office - in delivering legal assistance to the Agency and to the relevant network.

The selected trainee will provide support on some of the currently ongoing projects relevant to their experience, which could range from the general pharmaceutical legislation (GPL) to the handling of requests for access to documents, while also providing operational support across different services, such as inquiries from the European Ombudsman and litigation activities.

For the entire length of the traineeship, the selected trainee will be assisting Legal Administrators in various forms, such as attending relevant meetings together, writing reports on legal matters, researching relevant case-law, etc.

Learning outcomes

The trainee is expected to:

• Increase knowledge of the legal framework and provision of legal advice relevant to the Agency, as well as research methodologies in areas of law applicable to its operations.
• Develop understanding of the Agency's procedures and internal stakeholder communication within EMA's areas of competence.
• Contribute to the Agency's objectives by sharing their academic expertise and unique perspective.

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 (minimum of three years or more) in law, that must have been obtained between 30 September 2025 and 30 September 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. Have a thorough knowledge of English (at least level C1) and good knowledge of another official EU language (at least B2) of the Common European Framework for Languages.

Additional skills

• Knowledge of EU law/EU pharmaceutical law obtained in the course of university studies, traineeship, or working experience.
• Skills in writing official documents in English.

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 March 2027 – 31 December 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 we offer

• Meaningful work contributing to protecting the health of every individual and animal in Europe within a multinational, multidisciplinary team
• Development opportunities such as mentoring, peer coaching, and career reflection programmes
• Work-life balance through flexible working arrangements, teleworking, and generous annual leave plus official holidays