Software Quality Engineering Specialist

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Software Quality Engineering Specialist

Type of position:

Temporary agent

Job Type:

27 October 2026 at 23.59 CET

Job grade: AD 6

Internal job grade: AD06 and above

Type of position: Temporary agent

Selection procedure reference: EMA/AD/11579

Job title: Software Quality Engineering Specialist

Talent Pool: AD06 Enterprise Capabilities Management

Deadline for applications: 27 October 2026 at 23.59 CET

Monthly net salary: 5979.41 Euro (including local weighting) [1] plus benefits (see calculators on the right) (based on a fulltime contract (40hrs/week))

Location: Amsterdam; The Netherlands (relocation to take up duties is mandatory)

XX

About this role

The European Medicines Agency (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.

The Agency is looking for a Quality Engineering Specialist to 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.

Link the full role description of the Platform Lead outlining generic duties and responsibilities.

Apply if you meet these eligibility criteria

To be eligible for consideration for this position, you are required to meet the following general and specific eligibility conditions:

General Conditions

• Enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.

• Have a thorough knowledge of English (minimum C1 level) and a satisfactory knowledge of another official language of the European Union (minimum B2 level).

• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service.

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 the vacancy notice; and

• At least three years of professional experience acquired after obtaining the required qualification and by the closing date of the vacancy notice.

For general condition 1 and for specific conditions 1 and 2 you will be required to provide evidence in the application form and a proof at the interview stage. Failing to present these documents may result in the disqualification from the selection procedure. Only eligible candidates will be assessed by the Pre-selection Committee in accordance with the Assessment Criteria below.

You will need

Experience

• 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 and similar.

• Experience in and certified training in quality engineering practices, such as 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

• 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

• Understanding of software development lifecycle management.

• Ability to communicate complex technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Competencies you need to have

Role competencies Project and programme management Advanced IT service management and service acceptance Advanced

Sub-family competencies Quality management (please see specific expectations listed under “You will need section”) Advanced Emerging technology monitoring Intermediate Continuous improvement Intermediate Applied knowledge Intermediate

Grade competencies Adaptability and agility Intermediate Analysing and problem solving Intermediate Prioritising and organising Intermediate

Core competencies Ethics and integrity Intermediate Team collaboration Intermediate Customer centricity Intermediate Results orientation Intermediate Communication Intermediate Cross-cultural sensitivity Intermediate Continuous learning and self-development Intermediate

For more information about definitions of competencies and associated proficiency levels, please refer to the EMA Competency Framework.

These are considered as Nice to Have

Experience in: • Testing in the context of an AI Software Development Lifecycle. • Validation of regulated systems. • Testing of data-intensive, analytical or AI-enabled solutions. • Performance, security and accessibility testing. • Public sector or international organisation environments.

Selection procedure timelines

Deadline for applications

27 October 2026 at 23:59 CET

Preliminary Assessments

Third week of November 2026

Final assessments

Second week of December 2026

Decision expected

January 2027

Selection process

Only eligible candidates (see eligibility criteria) will be assessed by the selection committee.

Suitability and qualifications of eligible candidates will be assessed against the assessment criteria and competences in different steps of the selection procedure.

Note: Candidates who fail any assessment linked to any Need to Have requirement, Sub-family, grade specific competencies and Core Competencies at any stage of the process are disqualified, despite getting points on other criteria.

Before the start of the selection procedure, it is decided which criteria and competences will be assessed at each stage of the process. Certain criteria / competences will be assessed / scored only for shortlisted candidates during interviews (and/or tests). Please consult the Careers at EMA - Guidance on selection and recruitment (section 1.3. selection procedure) for an overview of the criteria and competences assessed at each stage of the process.

Shortlisting

In order to allow the selection committee to carry out an objective assessment of all candidates in a structured way, as part of their application, all candidates must answer the pre-defined set of questions based on Need to have criteria and sub-family competences.

The Selection Committee will therefore assess eligible candidates using the information provided in the responses to those questions and in their application. When answering a question, you should include all relevant information, even if it is already mentioned in other sections of your application form.

To carry out this assessment, each of your responses will be awarded points (0 to 10). The points are added up to identify those candidates whose profiles best match the duties to be performed as advertised in the vacancy notice.

Only the candidates with the highest total marks at the shortlisting stage will progress to the next stage. The Selection Committee will decide to limit the number of candidates invited to the next stages. Please consult the Careers at EMA - Guidance on selection and recruitment (table on section 1.3.6 Preliminary and final assessments) for an overview of the thresholds.

Assessments

Next steps of selection may include a preliminary assessment. Most assessments will be conducted remotely (i.e. Webex/Teams, remote test, etc.). All assessments are based on the assessment criteria listed in this vacancy notice.

Shortlisted candidates will participate in personality assessments (e.g. SHL occupational personality questionnaire OPQ32) to assess their Core Competencies (pass score is 26 out of 100 points and above). In addition, selected Core Competencies may be assessed throughout the process.

Additional assessments, such as cognitive (e.g. deductive reasoning) assessments might also be foreseen as part of the selection process. Furthermore, motivation and overall fit for the job and knowledge of EU relevant to role may be assessed.

Please consult the Careers at EMA - Guidance on selection and recruitment (section 1.3.3 selection procedure) for an overview of the criteria and competences assessed at each stage of the process and the type of assessment tolls used.

Reserve list and/or job offers

The aim of this selection procedure is to create a reserve list of qualified and suitable candidates. Each candidate having reached the final step of the selection procedure will be notified via e-mail whether she/he has been placed on the reserve list, and relevant Talent Pool. Candidates should note that the placement on a reserve list and/or Talent Pool does not guarantee an employment offer.

We strongly encourage that candidates do not apply for the vacancies that are at the same grade and the same subfamily as the Talent Pool they have been placed on, as this will not improve their chances of being considered for a vacant post within the Agency.

When a vacancy becomes available, candidates on the reserve list may be contacted for an additional interview.

More information about selection and recruitment (including administrative complaint procedure) at the EMA is available at our careers website.

If Temporary Agent posts are not available, if justified in the interest of the service, candidates on the reserve list may be approached to provide written consent to be considered for Contract Agent positions. . These candidates will remain on the Temporary Agent reserve list and will be considered for a Temporary Agent post should a suitable post become available.

Contract Agent posts differ from Temporary Agent posts in terms of categories, function groups, grades and remuneration and career progression.X

Conditions of employment

In principle, the Agency offers a five-year renewable contract. Contracts of a shorter duration may be offered to the candidates.

The successful candidate will be required to relocate to the Netherlands to pick up duties.

[1] The local weighting adjusts salaries to the cost of living in the Netherlands compared to Brussels. The current weighting for the EMA's location in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is 114.6. Please consult the Eurostat and Commission websites for more information on weightings.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Domenico Scarlattilaan 6 - 1083 HS Amsterdam - The Netherlands

Telephone +31 (0)88 781 6000 - Email [email protected]

© European Medicines Agency, 2025. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Join us to work for every patient in Europe!

Who we are?

Serving a population of 500 million citizens, we promote and protect public 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.

What do we offer?

• Meaningful work contributing to protecting the health of every individual and animal in Europe within multinational, multidisciplinary team

• Development opportunities (e.g. internal mobility, mentoring, peer coaching, career reflection programme, etc.)

• Work-life balance (flexible working arrangements, teleworking, generous annual leave plus official holidays)

Benefits

(applicable only to Temporary Agent and Contract Agent vacancies)

• In principle, initial 5 year renewable contract with competitive monthly national tax-free salary and household & children’s allowances (where applicable).

• Privileges including expatriation (for expatriate staff) and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave.

• Relocation assistance.

• Excellent health insurance scheme and social benefits.

• Retirement Pension Plan.

Read more about Contracts and Salary

Useful links:

• Careers at EMA - Guidance on Recruitment

• How to apply - our recruitment process

• Estimate your salary (AST and AD jobs)

• Estimate your salary (FG jobs)

Job Segment: Testing, Cloud, Temporary, QA, Quality Assurance, Technology, Contract, Quality

Apply now »

Original source: European Medicines Agency (EMA) https://careers.ema.europa.eu/job/Software-Quality-Engineering-Specialist-1157/1444613633/

Original linked generic role description — Platform Lead — AD06 https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/role-description-platform-lead-ad06_en.pdf

--- Original page 1 --- Role description

Job title Platform Lead Job family Information Technology Management (ITM) Job sub-family Enterprise Capabilities Management Entry grade AD06 Role summary Responsible for the delivery, as committed and uphold agreed service levels in relation to the assigned IT solutions and platforms.

Standard role duties & responsibilities

Perform duties reserved only for the Temporary Agent contractual category.

Lead on planning and execution of work in the assigned Platform and/or lead the development of the platform architecture, ensuring consistency with specified requirements across multiple projects implemented on the platform;

Responsible for a team of contractors from the Agency’s suppliers, assigning work to platform resources, management of Platform-specific contracts;

Oversee the creation of sprints within each assignment and/or provide comprehensive guidance on the development, modifications and integration of platform components;

Estimate required capacity for delivery on Program Increment, allocate available Program Increment capacity and secure future capacity with vendors and/or provide estimates and work breakdown;

Review sprint outcomes for completeness and quality of the delivery and re-prioritise where needed and/or fulfil overall quality assurance for technical delivery;

Escalate to Platform Senior Lead and manage incident process including communication of major incidents;

Manage contractors and track vendor performance in line with established SQI’s. Role specific duties & responsibilities The specific tasks of an individual job holder, linked to this role description, are further detailed and referenced in: activities of the organisational entity within which the job holder carries out those tasks; the set of annual performance and development objectives, which are established together with the reporting officer; the requirement to comply with SOPs, WINs, confidentiality undertaking and other documentation relevant to the role and its scope. These will be agreed upon with the reporting officer upon assuming duties.

--- Original page 2 --- Managing resources Plan most daily work details within given priorities. May have a direct supervision of one or more people performing related work. Work may include a degree of planning and coordination, including small projects. Communication and professional contacts Required to regularly communicate (verbally and in writing) information, which requires careful explanation and interpretation, taking into account what to communicate and how best to convey the information. Writing and creating information that is specialist, sensitive, confidential, legal and/or regulatory in nature. Regular professional contacts with others inside and/or outside the Agency on functional matters. Solicits/gives information, provides advice/guidance and should use initiative. A likely requirement is to influence others’ thinking and negotiate with various parties within own job responsibilities. Normally connected to the Agency's core business or a project. In particular, a Platform Lead will: Partner with colleagues from the Customer Advocacy (I-CA) department, specifically the Customer Portfolio Senior Architect (to assess, optimise and map requirements to platform capabilities and develop consistent domain and platform architectures) and/or with the Portfolio Senior Lead (to analyse the demand pipeline and jointly plan Program Increments).

Essential requirements Education Experience Skills & knowledge Certificates Education

A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;

Field of study:

n/a

Experience

3 years from the time when a university degree was awarded on completion of a minimum of three years of study;

Professional experience in delivering enterprise software implementations in roles such as project manager, technical architect, technical lead and/or scrum master; Experience in and/or certified training in any agile software delivery; Prior experience of leading supplier teams and building successful working relationships with external delivery partners.

Skills & knowledge

n/a

Certificates

n/a

--- Original page 3 --- Nice to have Education Experience Skills & knowledge Certificates Education

n/a Experience

Professional experience of delivering software implementations in accordance with the Scaled agile framework (SAFe); Prior experience in the healthcare or regulatory sectors, preferably in an international working environment; Experience with and/or certification in cloud technologies, preferably Microsoft Azure.

Skills & knowledge

n/a

Certificates Certification in ITIL, particularly ITIL 4 for IT service management.

Category Competency Proficiency Level Role competencies Project and programme management Advanced IT service management and service acceptance Advanced Sub-family competencies Quality management Advanced Emerging technology monitoring Intermediate Continuous improvement Intermediate Applied knowledge management Intermediate Grade competencies Adaptability and agility Intermediate Analysing and problem solving Intermediate Prioritising and organising Intermediate Core competencies Ethics and integrity Intermediate Team collaboration Intermediate Customer centricity Intermediate Results orientation Intermediate Communication Intermediate Cross-cultural sensitivity Intermediate Continuous learning and self-development Intermediate

Original published links (application links are not fetched): https://careers.ema.europa.eu/talentcommunity/apply/1444613633/?locale=en_GB https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/role-description-platform-lead-ad06_en.pdf https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/ema-competency-framework_en.pdf https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/careers-european-medicines-agency-ema-guidance-selection-recruitment_en.pdf#page=7&zoom=100,80,641 https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/careers-european-medicines-agency-ema-guidance-selection-recruitment_en.pdf#page=12&zoom=100,80,776 https://careers.ema.europa.eu/content/Application-process-for-Temporary-Agents-and-Contract-Agents/?locale=en_GB http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/civil-servants-remuneration/correction-coefficients https://myintracomm.ec.testa.eu/hr_admin/en/pay/Pages/corr_coeff.aspx mailto:[email protected] https://careers.ema.europa.eu/content/Contracts-and-Salary/?locale=en_GB https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/careers-european-medicines-agency-ema-guidance-selection-recruitment_en.pdf https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/template-form/simplified-salary-calculator-temporary-agents_en.xlsx https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/template-form/simplified-salary-calculator-contract-agents_en.xlsx

Application calendar note: Printed deadlines and machine validThrough differ in time and time-zone interpretation. The displayed closing date follows the printed vacancy; no exact closing instant is inferred.

Original linked documents or media not yet fully reviewed: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/ema-competency-framework_en.pdf https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/recruitment/careers-european-medicines-agency-ema-guidance-selection-recruitment_en.pdf https://careers.ema.europa.eu/content/Application-process-for-Temporary-Agents-and-Contract-Agents/?locale=en_GB https://careers.ema.europa.eu/content/Contracts-and-Salary/?locale=en_GB https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/template-form/simplified-salary-calculator-temporary-agents_en.xlsx https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/template-form/simplified-salary-calculator-contract-agents_en.xlsx