Head of Department: Veterinary Evaluation and Innovation Department (V-EI)

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands; relocation to the Netherlands is mandatory.

Salary: €9,093.92 net per month, including local weighting, plus benefits.

Company

The European Medicines Agency promotes and protects public and animal health by ensuring that medicines available in the EU are safe, effective, and of high quality.

What you will do

• Provide scientific leadership for the Veterinary Evaluation and Innovation Department and contribute to veterinary regulatory science across the European Medicines Regulatory Network.
• Manage operations, staff, budgets, and overall resources across the pharmaceuticals and biologicals services.
• Set departmental strategy and translate Agency and Division priorities into concrete work programmes.
• Lead strategic initiatives, matrix activities, product teams, and ad hoc task forces.
• Coach and mentor Heads of Service, managers, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Oversee objectives, performance indicators, reporting, governance, and operational delivery.

Requirements

• Full citizenship rights in an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway are required.
• English at C1 level is required, together with satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language at B2 level.
• A university degree in life sciences and at least 12 years of relevant experience with a four-year degree, or 13 years with a three-year degree.
• At least 9 years of experience in veterinary or human medicines product development, lifecycle management, and regulatory affairs.
• At least 7 years of leadership and management experience in a complex scientific and regulatory environment.
• Experience in financial management, budgeting, and managing complex international stakeholder structures.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in life sciences or relevant specialist training.
• Knowledge of hirify.global governance, the European medicines regulatory network, and EU institutions.
• Experience in risk identification and mitigation or aligning IT initiatives with operational needs.
• Advanced MS Office skills and familiarity with hirify.global and EU veterinary regulatory tools.
• Management or leadership certification.

Culture & Benefits

• Five-year renewable contract in principle, with shorter contracts possible.
• Tax-free salary with household and children’s allowances where applicable.
• Relocation assistance, expatriation and education allowances, and additional home leave where applicable.
• Health insurance, social benefits, and a pension plan.
• Flexible working arrangements, teleworking, generous annual leave, and official holidays.
• Development opportunities including internal mobility, mentoring, and peer coaching.

Hiring process

• Shortlisting is based on eligibility, application responses, and assessment criteria.
• The process may include interviews, written, personality, cognitive, motivation, and knowledge assessments; most assessments are conducted remotely.
• Final candidates participate in an interview with senior hirify.global leadership and an Assessment Centre.