Trainee (Healthcare professionals' involvement in referral procedures)

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 Referrals Office within the Human Medicines Division.

Specific objectives and projects

As a trainee in the Referrals office you will be involved in a project aiming at analysing healthcare professionals' involvement in referral procedures and their impact on the decision making. As part of the analysis, the consultation tools in place (public hearings, written consultation, experts’ consultation, Scientific Committees,…) will also be reviewed and areas of improvement identified to increase their promotion/development as well as the awareness of prescribers, pharmacists and other relevant healthcare professionals.

To manage this project, you will interact with the referrals office as well as other offices at EMA involved in stakeholder's engagement (eg. Patient and Stakeholder Engagement, Scientific Committee Secretariat).

This exercise will complement the work already done on the involvement of patients in the context of referral procedures, and inform further how external stakeholders (healthcare professionals) can support the decision-making process, understand it better, and facilitate the implementation of the regulatory decisions.

Learning outcomes

During this traineeship you will learn about:

• EU Regulatory affairs and procedural knowledge
• Stakeholders engagement in EMA activities

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 within the last 12 months (graduated between 20 May 2023 and 20 May 2024) 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

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 the disqualification from the procedure.

Additional skills

In addition to the eligibility criteria, you will have:

• Excellent verbal and writing communication skills with ability to compile, summarise and present information clearly and effectively
• Desired education in development or registration of medicines

Behavioural Competencies

You will demonstrate the following behavioural competencies:

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

Expected selection timelines

Conditions of traineeship

The traineeship is offered for 10 months (1 October 2024 – 31 July 2025) 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 €1,858.31 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.

The conditions of employment are stated in the Executive Decision on rules governing the traineeship programme at the EMA available here.