Trainee (From Compliance to Practice: EU Data Protection at EMA)

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 Data Protection Office.

Specific objectives and projects

This traineeship takes place with EMA's Data Protection Officer. EMA must ensure robust compliance with the EUDPR, guidance and opinions issued by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). This project therefore focuses on developing a methodology for prioritizing data protection activities, improving risk assessments and reporting mechanisms, and raising awareness through effective communication and training. The trainee will play a key role in making compliance visible, actionable, and understood across EMA.

Establishing a prioritisation framework

• Monitor and assess current data protection activities (e.g., DPIAs, breach handling, training) and identify high-risk areas.
• Develop a prioritisation matrix based on risks, regulatory deadlines, and resource impact.
• Strengthen data protection risk assessments based on recent EDPS and EDPB guidance.
• Propose a workflow for escalating critical compliance tasks to the internal controller and maintaining EMA's risk register.

Reporting enhancement

• Improve templates for monthly and quarterly compliance reports.
• Capture and visualise key metrics (e.g., DPIA completions, data breaches, data subject requests, training coverage).
• Ensure reports align with EMA’s internal audit and EU regulatory requirements.

Communication and awareness raising

• Translate compliance requirements into clear, engaging content for staff and management.
• Develop infographics, newsletters, and intranet articles to highlight data protection priorities, processes and key risks.
• Organise awareness campaigns and short interactive learning sessions to promote a culture of data protection.
• Prepare presentations for senior management to communicate compliance achievements and upcoming actions.

Learning outcomes

• Strong understanding of EU data protection requirements
• Practical expertise in compliance risk assessment and prioritisation
• Experience in awareness campaign design and delivery
• Advanced communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience in working with multi-disciplinary (cross-functional) teams

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 Law, with specialisation in Data Protection, Privacy, or EU Law (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

Data Protection & Compliance Knowledge

• Familiarity with GDPR and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725
• Understanding of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and risk-based approaches

Analytical & Reporting Skills

• Ability to interpret compliance data and create dashboards (e.g. Excel)
• Strong attention to detail for monitoring and prioritisation

Technical Awareness

• Basic understanding of AI technologies, digital platforms, and data analytics
• Knowledge of information security principles

Communication & Awareness Raising

• Excellent writing skills for newsletters, intranet content, and reports
• Ability to design infographics and presentations for non-technical audiences
• Speaking or facilitation skills for awareness sessions

Digital Tools Proficiency

• MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• SharePoint and e-learning platforms (e.g., Articulate)

Soft Skills

• Organizational and prioritization skills
• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration
• Adaptability

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)