European Medicines Agency Jobs

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The European Medicines Agency (EMA), based in Amsterdam, is the EU's decentralised agency responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines across the Union. It employs scientific and regulatory specialists alongside project, IT and corporate staff, and works almost entirely in English. EMA recruits mainly as Temporary Agents and Contract Agents on the standard EU grades. The listings below cover current EMA vacancies. See /contract-types/temporary-agent/ for the main hiring category and /guide/language-requirements/ for the English-working reality at the agencies.

What EMA does and who it hires

EMA coordinates the scientific assessment of human and veterinary medicines for the EU market, monitors drug safety, and supports the network of national medicines regulators. Its recruitment is science-and-regulation heavy: scientific assessors and pharmacovigilance specialists, regulatory affairs officers, clinical and pharmaceutical experts, and the data, IT and project managers who run the assessment systems, plus legal and corporate functions. Because EMA relocated from London to Amsterdam in 2019, it operates in English as its working language across the board. As a decentralised agency, EMA runs its own selection procedures rather than EPSO competitions, publishing vacancy notices on its careers portal that are cross-posted to the EU Careers feed and here.

Grades, language and applying

EMA recruits mainly as Temporary Agents on the AD/AST grid and Contract Agents on the FG grid, so an AD5 post starts at €6,152.64 per month basic and an AD7 at €7,876.27, before the expatriation allowance, family allowances and the Dutch correction coefficient (109.9), which lifts real pay above the Brussels base. English is the working language throughout, so EMA is a strong option for English-first candidates, with a second EU language welcome but rarely a daily requirement. Selection typically involves eligibility screening against the scientific and regulatory criteria in the notice, a written or technical test, and competency-based interviews, producing a reserve list valid for a fixed period.

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From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →

Frequently asked questions

Where is the European Medicines Agency based?
EMA has been based in Amsterdam since 2019, having relocated from London following Brexit. It is the EU's decentralised agency for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of human and veterinary medicines across the Union.
What kind of jobs does EMA offer?
EMA recruits scientific assessors, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs specialists, clinical and pharmaceutical experts, and the data, IT and project managers who run its assessment systems, plus legal and corporate functions, mostly as Temporary Agents and Contract Agents.
Can I work at EMA with only English?
In practice, yes. EMA operates in English as its working language across the board, so it is a strong option for English-first candidates. A second EU language is welcome for the formal two-language rule but is rarely a daily requirement.
How do I apply for an EMA job?
EMA runs its own selection procedures rather than EPSO competitions, publishing vacancy notices on its careers portal, cross-posted here. Expect eligibility screening against the scientific criteria, a written or technical test, and competency-based interviews leading to a reserve list.
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