Trainee (International regulatory cooperation and global health)

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.

Traineeship: International regulatory cooperation and global health

We are looking for a trainee in the International Affairs Office.

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 possess a previous degree), 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.

Specific objectives and projects

The traineeship has two main focuses. The first is EMA’s collaboration with the US FDA, and the second is on our regulatory reliance and collaboration activities with regulators around the world. You will also get the chance to be involved with our other international regulatory initiatives.

The successful candidate will be part of a concrete project to analyse and report on the value added of having scientific advice carried out in parallel between EMA and US FDA, using a range of information available from pharmaceutical companies and medicines regulators. The expectation is for this to be written up for communication within the agencies as well as in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

During the traineeship, the trainee will gain insight into the work of the International Affairs Department and EMA’s collaborations with regulators worldwide, including the World Health Organization and the African Medicines Agency.

The second concrete project will be related to analysing the impact of the international regulatory reliance programmes led or supported by EMA for marketing authorisations and inspections.

You will also have an opportunity to be involved with the work of EMA committees and working parties in an international context, as well as initiatives aimed at improving internal and external communication on EMA’s international activities.

The trainee may also contribute to broader activities of the International Affairs team related to international regulatory cooperation.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the traineeship, you will:

• Develop a good understanding of EMA’s international regulatory cooperation, in particular the collaboration with the US FDA.
• Gain insight into how international regulators work together to support public and animal health through global regulatory initiatives.
• Learn about the tools and mechanisms used to support international regulatory engagement and cooperation.
• Gain experience of working within a large EU organisation and across the wider network of Member State national authorities and the European Commission.
• Interact with fellow trainees across EMA and build a professional network within the Agency.

Eligibility criteria

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

• Enjoy full rights as a citizen of a European Union Member State or Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.
• Possess a university degree (minimum of three years or more) in life sciences related to medicine; an international politics or international relations background may also be considered, 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.
• Have 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

• Excellent analytical and research skills
• A “can do” attitude and evidence of being a team player
• Communication experience
• Experience in or understanding of global public health issues
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment

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.