Trainee (Leveraging Administration for Automation, AI and Digitisation)

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.

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

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 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 Leveraging Administration for Automation, AI and Digitisation Office.

Specific objectives and projects

The traineeship position is part of the A-Division’s digitalisation working group, LEAAAD (Leveraging Administration for Automation, AI and Digitisation). The trainee will directly contribute to the development and implementation of an identified AI-driven solution (TBC) aimed at simplifying and optimising administrative workflows within the EMA’s Administration Division as per the digitalisation roadmap. This role offers hands-on experience in project delivery and exposure to practical applications of AI in a regulatory environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Contributing to the planning and coordination of the selected AI project, including design, testing, and rollout activities.
• Gathering and analysing business requirements to align the AI solution with operational needs and process improvement goals.
• Collaborating with LEAAAD members and divisional teams to ensure effective integration and adoption of the AI tool.
• Participating in data preparation, model evaluation, and performance monitoring tasks to ensure quality and accuracy.
• Documenting outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for future AI or automation initiatives within the division.

Learning outcomes

The trainee will benefit from the following learning outcomes:

• Understand how AI and automation can be applied to streamline administrative processes in an EU agency.
• Translate business needs into concrete AI solution requirements such as user stories, use cases, and basic acceptance criteria.
• Gain hands-on experience in the lifecycle of an AI project: problem definition, experimentation, testing, implementation, and iteration.
• Learn to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary stakeholders in a project setting.
• Develop practical skills in using AI tools or platforms relevant to the chosen initiative, such as bots, LLM-based assistants, and workflow automation tools.
• Build competencies in documenting AI project decisions, assumptions, limitations, and lessons learned for future reuse and governance.
• Strengthen communication skills by presenting AI project progress, outcomes, and benefits to non-technical audiences.

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 relevant university degree (minimum of three years or more) 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.
• 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.

For criteria 1 and 2, you will be required to provide proof in the application form and at the interview stage. Failing to present these documents may result in disqualification from the procedure.

Additional skills

In addition to the eligibility criteria, you will have:

• Knowledge of Python: data cleaning (Pandas, NumPy), data visualization (Plotly) and data validation (Pydantic/Regex).
• Knowledge of Power BI (desired).

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 the 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.

Who we are

Serving a population of 500 million citizens, EMA promotes and protects public and animal health in EU Member States, as well as the countries of the European Economic Area, by ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective and of high quality.

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