Trainee (New tools in Pharmacovigilance)

Type of position:  Trainee
Job Type:  06 May 2026 23:59 CET

Selection procedure reference: EMA/TR/11372 

Deadline for applications: 06 May 2026 23:59 CET 

 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU), located in Amsterdam. It began operating in 1995. It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU.

 

This traineeship opportunity is now open for applications until 06 May 2026 23:59 CET, with an intake on 1 October 2026.

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 Pharmacovigilance Office.

Specific objectives and projects

This traineeship offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of new pharmacovigilance tools and methods within the EU regulatory network. The trainee will join the Signal and Safety Analytics team and work on the implementation of new tools that support safety monitoring in clinical trials. The project focuses on integrating signal detection data and methods into a software as a service (SaaS) solution selected by the EMA. The trainee will gather business requirements and perform user acceptance testing against the technical specifications. This role will contribute to improving tools used for signal detection and safety assessment.
 
The role also includes opportunities to incorporate emerging research from the SMART Methods workplan—such as signal detection in vulnerable populations and the integration of real world data—into the tools under development.
 
This project directly supports the Agency’s strategic goals to innovate pharmacovigilance, improve analytical capabilities, and expand the use of real world evidence. By the end of the traineeship, the work will contribute to increased efficiency, consistency, and innovation across safety assessments within the EU regulatory environment.
 

Learning outcomes

By participating in this traineeship, the trainee will:
 
• Gain practical experience in Agile ways of working by contributing to the implementation of clinical trial monitoring tools within the Signal and Safety Analytics project.
 
• Collaborate with experts across the EU Regulatory Network, supporting interactions within the SMART Methods initiative and learning how new analytical methods and tools are assessed and introduced in a regulatory setting.
 
• Develop core skills in pharmacovigilance and regulatory science, including understanding safety monitoring processes, regulatory requirements, the EudraVigilance database, and the use of analytical tools for both post marketing and clinical trial safety data.
 
• Strengthen abilities in evidence based problem solving, contributing to discussions and assessments that inform scientific and regulatory decision making.

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 sciences (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

 

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

Familiar with pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting systems; Excellent command of English
Analytical and communication skills,
Experience in project management / organisational skills, good collaborative skills to foster partnerships and communication between different stakeholders; Proficient in using IT applications, with strong proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to support analysis, reporting, and presentation tasks; attention to detail to ensure accuracy and completeness in documentation and presentations.

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.

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

Expected selection timelines

Deadline for applications  06 May 2026 23:59 CET 
Assessments (remote) From mid-June 2026 to mid-July 2026
Decision and offers  By end of July 2026
Placement start  1 October 2026

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Domenico Scarlattilaan 6 - 1083 HS Amsterdam - The Netherlands

Telephone +31 (0)88 781 6000 - Email recruitment@ema.europa.eu

 

© European Medicines Agency, 2024. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Join us to work for every patient in Europe!

Who we are?

Serving a population of 500 million citizens, we promote and protect public 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 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)

Benefits

(applicable only to Temporary and Contract vacancies) 

  • Initial 5 year contract with competitive monthly tax-free salary and household & children’s allowances (where applicable)
  • Privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave
  • Relocation assistance
  • Excellent  health insurance scheme and social benefits
  • Retirement Pension Plan 

Read more about Contracts and Salary

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