Software Quality Engineering Specialist

The European Medicines Agency is looking to recruit a Software Quality Engineering Specialist, who will lead and coordinate quality assurance activities across the software development lifecycle.

The successful candidate will contribute to the establishment and continuous improvement of testing methodologies, quality standards and validation practices, ensuring that software solutions meet business requirements, regulatory expectations and user needs. Working closely with business stakeholders, architects, business analysts, developers, suppliers and operations teams, the Quality Engineering Specialist will help ensure the successful delivery of high-quality digital solutions and services.

In this job you will:

• Define and promote software quality assurance strategies, methodologies, standards and best practices.
• Design, develop and oversee test plans, test cases and test execution activities.
• Coordinate functional, integration, system, regression, performance and user acceptance testing.
• Establish and maintain automated testing frameworks and quality metrics.
• Ensure traceability between business requirements, test scenarios and testing outcomes.
• Identify, analyse and manage software defects and quality risks.
• Oversee quality assurance activities delivered by external suppliers and service providers.
• Support validation and compliance activities for regulated systems where applicable.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, including DevOps and quality engineering practices.
• Provide advice on software quality, testing approaches and release readiness.
• Support audits, inspections and quality reviews related to information systems.

Eligibility criteria - general conditions

• Full rights as a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.
• Thorough knowledge of English (at least C1) and satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language (at least B2).
• Fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service.

Eligibility criteria - specific conditions

• A university degree of at least three years in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Engineering or another relevant scientific, technical or quantitative discipline, obtained by the closing date of this vacancy notice; and
• At least three years of professional experience acquired after obtaining the required qualification and by the closing date of this vacancy notice.

For general condition 1 and specific conditions 1 and 2, evidence must be provided in the application form and proof at interview stage; failing to present these documents may result in disqualification from the selection procedure.

Experience you need to have

• At least 3 years in the field of software quality assurance or engineering in complex IT environments.
• Professional experience in delivering enterprise software implementations in roles such as Test Manager, Quality Assurance Lead or similar.
• Experience in, and certified training in, quality engineering practices (e.g. ISTQB, Agile Testing, Quality Management, Automation, Performance and Security testing).
• Prior experience of leading supplier teams and building successful working relationships with external delivery partners.
• Experience of working within Agile, DevOps or hybrid software development environments.
• Competency in quality management, including: designing and executing functional and non-functional testing activities; test automation tools and frameworks; defect management and quality reporting; testing of web-based, cloud-based and integrated enterprise systems; risk-based testing methodologies and quality management practices.
• Knowledge of quality assurance frameworks and continuous improvement principles.
• Sound knowledge of software testing methodologies, tools and industry standards.

Skills and knowledge you need to have

• Understanding of software development lifecycle management.
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Competencies you need to have

• Role competencies (advanced): project and programme management; IT service management and service acceptance.
• Sub-family competencies (advanced): quality management (see the specific expectations under "Experience you need to have"). (Intermediate): emerging technology monitoring; continuous improvement; applied knowledge.
• Grade competencies (intermediate): adaptability and agility; analysing and problem solving; prioritising and organising.
• Core competencies (intermediate): ethics and integrity; team collaboration; customer centricity; results orientation; communication; cross-cultural sensitivity; continuous learning and self-development.

Nice to have

• Experience in testing in the context of an AI software development lifecycle.
• Experience in the validation of regulated systems.
• Experience in testing data-intensive, analytical or AI-enabled solutions.
• Experience in performance, security and accessibility testing.
• Experience in public sector or international organisation environments.

What we offer
EMA offers a specialist role at the heart of the European medicines regulatory system, ensuring that the digital products and information systems supporting the regulation of medicines are of high quality, reliable, secure and compliant.

Package and conditions

• Monthly net salary of EUR 5,979.41, including the local weighting for Amsterdam (currently 114.6), plus benefits. Based on a full-time contract of 40 hours per week.
• Grade AD 6, temporary agent.
• In principle, an initial five-year renewable contract with a competitive monthly national tax-free salary and household and children's allowances (where applicable). Contracts of a shorter duration may be offered.
• Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Relocation to the Netherlands to take up duties is mandatory.
• Privileges including expatriation (for expatriate staff) and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave.
• Relocation assistance, an excellent health insurance scheme and social benefits, and a retirement pension plan. Salary calculators are available on the EMA careers website.

Working environment

• Meaningful work contributing to protecting the health of every individual and animal in Europe, within a multinational, multidisciplinary team.
• Development opportunities (e.g. internal mobility, mentoring, peer coaching, career reflection programme).
• Work-life balance (flexible working arrangements, teleworking, generous annual leave plus official holidays).

Please note: if Temporary Agent posts are not available, candidates on the reserve list may, where justified in the interest of the service, be asked for written consent to be considered for Contract Agent positions, which differ in category, function group, grade, remuneration and career progression. These candidates remain on the Temporary Agent reserve list and will be considered should a suitable Temporary Agent post become available.

Company description
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Serving a population of 500 million citizens, we promote and protect public and 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.

Working in partnership with the European medicines regulatory network - the national competent authorities of the Member States and the European Commission - EMA helps make safe and effective medicines available to people and animals throughout Europe. Our work covers the full lifecycle of a medicine: scientific advice during development, evaluation of marketing authorisation applications, post-authorisation safety monitoring, and support for innovation.

Established in 1995 and based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, since 2019, EMA brings together a multinational and multidisciplinary workforce from across Europe. Our staff work in a genuinely international environment, on a mission with direct impact on public and animal health, supported by modern facilities, flexible working arrangements and continuous professional development.

EMA relies on a growing portfolio of digital products and information systems to support the regulation of medicines and protect public and animal health. Ensuring the quality, reliability, security and compliance of these systems is essential to delivering trusted services to stakeholders across the European Medicines Regulatory Network.