New Health
Scientific Project Officer and Call Coordinator
Deadline: 24 Jul 2026
Health Jobs
1 positions at EU institutions
Health roles inside the European Union institutions cover everything from running the EU medicines regulatory system at the [European Medicines Agency (EMA)](/institutions/ema/) in Amsterdam, to coordinating Europe's response to communicable disease threats at the [European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)](/institutions/ema/) in Stockholm, to managing the EU4Health programme at [HaDEA](/institutions/ec/), to drafting public-health and pharmaceutical legislation at [DG SANTE](/institutions/ec/). The COVID-19 pandemic transformed EU health policy: HERA (the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) was established, the EMA mandate was reinforced, the European Health Data Space took shape, and the pharmaceutical legislation has been undergoing its biggest overhaul in 20 years. If you're a public-health specialist, a regulatory scientist, an epidemiologist, a clinician, or a health-policy expert, the EU institutions offer one of Europe's largest public-sector health career paths.
1 position found
About Health careers at EU institutions
Typical roles in health
The largest hiring categories include scientific officers and regulatory assessors at the [European Medicines Agency (EMA)](/institutions/ema/) (clinical, pre-clinical, quality, pharmacovigilance, paediatrics, orphan medicines, advanced therapies, veterinary medicines), epidemiologists and disease specialists at the [European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)](/institutions/ema/) (ECDC's expert teams cover antimicrobial resistance, vaccine-preventable diseases, food- and waterborne diseases, respiratory viruses, HIV-STI-hepatitis, vector-borne diseases, healthcare-associated infections), policy officers at [DG SANTE](/institutions/ec/) (medicines, medical devices, public health, cancer plan, AMR, mental health), programme managers at [HaDEA](/institutions/ec/) running the EU4Health programme (€5.3 billion 2021 to 2027), HERA officers working on medical countermeasures preparedness, and health-data specialists at the European Health Data Space project. Specialised tracks include medical devices regulators, clinical trial specialists, health-technology assessment specialists, blood/tissue/organ safety specialists, and nutrition specialists at [EFSA](/institutions/efsa/).
Top hiring institutions for health
The [European Medicines Agency (EMA)](/institutions/ema/) in Amsterdam is the largest specialised health employer in the EU institutional family, with around 900 staff covering human and veterinary medicines regulation. The [European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)](/institutions/ema/) in Stockholm employs around 300 staff on communicable disease surveillance and outbreak response. [DG SANTE](/institutions/ec/) at the Commission has around 750 staff covering health, food safety, and animal/plant health. The Health and Digital Executive Agency [HaDEA](/institutions/ec/) manages EU4Health, the Digital Europe Programme, and other research/innovation funding. HERA (the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) operates inside the Commission as a service within DG HERA. [EFSA](/institutions/efsa/) in Parma covers food-chain risk assessment with nutrition implications. The [European Investment Bank](/institutions/eca/) finances health investments through dedicated lending teams. The [Joint Research Centre](/institutions/jrc/) runs the JRC Reference Materials and the European Cancer Information System. The European Parliament's ENVI Committee secretariat and Council's Health Working Party hire health-policy advisors.
Salary expectations for health
Standard EU staff scales apply at EMA, ECDC, DG SANTE, HaDEA, HERA, EFSA, and JRC. AD5 entry-level scientific officers and epidemiologists earn around €5,000 to 5,700 per month gross at step 1. AD7 senior scientific officers, senior assessors, and senior epidemiologists earn €7,400 to 8,500. AD9 principal scientists, senior regulatory specialists, and senior policy officers earn €9,500 to 10,500. AD12 heads of unit at EMA, ECDC, or DG SANTE reach €13,000 to 14,500. AD14 directors earn €15,500 to 17,500. Function Group IV (FG IV) Contract Agents in scientific support typically earn €4,200 to 6,800/month. Standard EU benefits (expatriation allowance (16%), household and education allowances, EU community tax) apply. Correction coefficients adjust pay: Amsterdam (EMA) and Stockholm (ECDC) apply coefficients above 100, reflecting higher cost of living. Senior medical doctors and specialists with recognised credentials can sometimes negotiate AD9 or AD12 entry on the basis of professional experience.
Required qualifications and background
Health positions typically require a recognised health-related degree: medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, public health, epidemiology, or a related field. AD5 entry-level scientific roles require a 3-year bachelor's; AD7+ specialised positions typically require a master's, PhD, or specialist medical qualification plus several years of relevant experience. EMA regulatory assessor positions usually require prior experience at a national medicines regulator (MHRA, BfArM, AIFA, AEMPS, etc.) or major pharmaceutical company R&D function. ECDC epidemiologists usually have a master's in epidemiology or completion of EPIET (European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training) plus field-epidemiology experience. Specialised medical degrees recognised under the Professional Qualifications Directive are required for clinician-related positions. Working English is essential; French is helpful at DG SANTE; a third EU language is required for permanent statutory posts.
EU-specific context to be aware of
EU health policy operates through a layered framework. Health remains primarily a member-state competence under the Treaty, but the EU has substantial competence on pharmaceutical regulation, medical devices, blood/tissue/organs, communicable disease surveillance, and cross-border health threats. EMA operates the centralised authorisation procedure for medicines (mandatory for biotechnology, advanced therapies, oncology, HIV, neurodegenerative, autoimmune, and orphan medicines). ECDC produces flagship surveillance reports and supports member-state outbreak response. The European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation creates an EU-wide framework for secondary use of health data for research and public health. The pharmaceutical legislation revision (2023 proposal) is the biggest overhaul in 20 years. HERA was created in 2021 to ensure medical-countermeasure preparedness. EU4Health funds public-health programmes across member states. Cross-border health-threats coordination runs through the Health Security Committee, the Early Warning and Response System, and ECDC. Career mobility between EMA, ECDC, DG SANTE, HERA, and national health authorities is high.
Frequently asked questions
What qualifications are needed for health roles?
A recognised health-related degree (medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, public health, or epidemiology). AD7+ positions need a master's, PhD, or specialist medical qualification plus several years of experience. EMA regulatory assessors usually have prior national-regulator or pharma R&D experience. ECDC epidemiologists usually have EPIET training. Working English is essential; a third EU language is required for permanent posts.
Which EU institutions hire health professionals?
EMA in Amsterdam (around 900 staff) is the largest specialised health employer. ECDC in Stockholm (around 300 staff) handles communicable diseases. DG SANTE at the Commission has around 750 staff. HaDEA manages EU4Health. HERA handles medical-countermeasure preparedness. EFSA covers food-chain risk assessment. The JRC runs reference materials and cancer information systems. The EIB finances health investments.
What is the typical salary for health roles at EU institutions?
AD5 around €5,000 to 5,700/month gross at step 1, AD7 €7,400 to 8,500, AD9 €9,500 to 10,500, AD12 €13,000 to 14,500, AD14 directors €15,500 to 17,500. FG IV contract agents earn €4,200 to 6,800/month. Amsterdam and Stockholm apply correction coefficients above 100, reflecting cost of living. Senior clinicians can sometimes negotiate AD9 or AD12 entry.
Are health roles available across all duty stations?
Amsterdam hosts EMA. Stockholm hosts ECDC. Brussels and Luxembourg host DG SANTE, HaDEA, HERA, and the Commission's policy services. Parma hosts EFSA. The JRC runs health-related research in Ispra. The EIB is in Luxembourg. Most positions require relocation, with 2 to 3 days of telework per week typical after onboarding.
Can non-EU citizens apply for health positions?
Permanent statutory positions at EMA, ECDC, DG SANTE, HaDEA, HERA, EFSA, and JRC require EU citizenship. The EMA can sometimes recruit non-EU experts for highly specialised regulatory science roles. The EIB regularly hires non-EU citizens. The most realistic non-citizen paths involve consultancy work supporting EMA or ECDC, visiting-scientist arrangements at the JRC, or pursuing EU citizenship through residency.