Trainee (therapies for cardiovascular diseases)

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 Therapeutic Areas Department.

Specific objectives and projects

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a significant burden on both morbidity and mortality rates across the European Union, impacting healthcare systems substantially. In 2021, CVD was responsible for approximately 1.7 million deaths in the EU, accounting for 32.4% of all fatalities. In 2021, the total cost of CVD to the Union was estimated at €282 billion. Despite advancements, significant unmet needs persist in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, the selected trainee will be involved in the work of the office of Therapies for Endocrine and Cardiovascular Diseases to leverage current opportunities, foster innovation and development of new medicines and medical devices and facilitate its approval. Unifying both areas provides a unique opportunity to foster innovation and improve patient outcomes. 

You will take part on the following tasks:
- Support strategic analysis and mapping of topics in the cardiovascular space, contributing to the development of innovative proposals and strategies.
- Engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- Coordinate and facilitate meetings from start to finish, ensuring communication and collaboration between key stakeholders, including rapporteurs from scientific committees, assessors, and external stakeholders.
- Prepare key documents and reports, summarizing meeting outcomes, driving decision-making and shaping policy and regulatory approaches.

Learning outcomes

•    Gain an in-depth understanding of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) approach to approving medicinal products for cardiovascular diseases.
•    Become familiar with regulatory requirements, agency processes, and regulatory practices related to medicinal products.
•    Gain experience in multi-stakeholder communication, including liaising with scientific committees, rapporteurs, assessors, and external partners.

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 between 6 May 2024 and 6 May 2025 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

• Project Management Skills: Ability to manage and coordinate projects effectively, ensuring timely delivery of outcomes.
• Cross-Agency Collaboration: Strong collaborative skills to foster partnerships and communication between different stakeholders.
• Research and Analysis: Proficiency in conducting research
• Communication skills: Ability to prepare, present, and communicate clearly complex matters
• Regulatory Knowledge: basic understanding of the centralised procedure
• Attention to Detail: Keen 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

Expected selection timelines

Conditions of traineeship

The traineeship is offered for 10 months (1 October 2025 – 31 July 2026) 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 €1,942.19 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.