The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare is taking a Procurement Specialist on secondment in Strasbourg, with applications closing on 28 September 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the vacancy so you can see how wide the portfolio is and what the secondment route requires from your current employer.
Public procurement inside an international organisation is its own discipline, and this vacancy describes it in unusual detail rather than hiding behind the word "sourcing".
The Organisation You Would Buy For
The EDQM's mission is to contribute to public health protection by working with an international community of experts and stakeholders.
💊 It promotes access to safe medicines and healthcare by developing quality standards recognised as a scientific benchmark worldwide.
📕 Its standards for medicines and their ingredients are compiled in the European Pharmacopoeia, which is legally binding in 39 member states and the European Union.
🌍 Those standards are also used widely beyond Europe in both human and animal health.
🏢 Within the Resources Department, the Procurement Section acquires the goods, services and works the organisation needs to operate.
The Portfolio
You would be responsible for procurement portfolios covering works, supplies and services, along with other indirect categories.
🗺️ Helping define procurement strategies and monitoring their implementation, including procurement mapping, business intelligence and statistical analysis, then proposing ways to optimise and harmonise contracts and check the consistency of prices paid.
🧭 Advising internal departments on which purchasing procedure fits their projected budget.
📐 Helping prescribers define needs and draw up specifications, working from best value for money and total cost of ownership.
📄 Preparing and drafting the administrative documents for contracts and making sure the selection criteria are appropriate.
⚖️ Ensuring compliance with tendering and advertising procedures for each procurement, while proposing suitable service providers.
📊 Helping prescribers draw up analysis reports and awarding contracts by procedure type, including responses to unsuccessful tenderers.
🔁 Monitoring the administrative execution of contracts: price adjustments, deadlines, penalties, performance monitoring, dispute settlement and renewals.
The Market Facing Half
🔍 Carrying out continuous market analysis and supplier sourcing, staying current on sectors, providers, products and regulations, and anticipating changing needs.
🤝 Conducting the negotiations needed to obtain bids optimised against the targeted criteria.
📈 Putting performance indicators in place and monitoring them to improve procurement efficiency.
💻 Playing an active part in modernising procurement processes and rolling out dedicated tools such as e procurement, databases and statistical reporting.
🌐 Working with procurement departments in other international organisations to share best practice and compare performance.
📋 Developing and monitoring supplier performance management mechanisms across the contract lifecycle.
What You Need
🏛️ The support of a Council of Europe member State to second you.
🎓 At least a bachelor's degree in procurement, public contracts, purchasing, international trade or a related field.
💼 A minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in public or private sector procurement.
🗣️ Fluency in English and French, with a very good command of one and a good command of the other.
🛂 Citizenship of a Council of Europe member state.
The Secondment Framework
📜 The recruitment runs under Article 23 of Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2012)2, which is the legal basis for secondments to the organisation.
🏠 Relocation allowance and travel are mentioned among the conditions, which is more than most secondment notices state.
💶 The detailed financial conditions sit on the organisation's own conditions of employment page rather than in the vacancy, and no figure is published.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of this notice, the bilingual requirement is the practical filter here: procurement in Strasbourg runs in both working languages, and the notice asks for genuine command of both rather than one plus a certificate.
Timetable and How to Apply
📅 Posted on 7 September 2026, closing on 28 September 2026 at 23:59:59 CET or CEST.
⚡ The start is as soon as possible, subject to the seconding institution.
🖥️ Applications go through the organisation's recruitment portal against the vacancy number, with the motivation built around the listed competencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply directly as an individual?
No. The support of a Council of Europe member State to second you is a requirement.
What degree is needed?
At least a bachelor's in procurement, public contracts, purchasing, international trade or a related field.
How much experience?
A minimum of three years in procurement, in either the public or the private sector.
How good does my French need to be?
You need English and French with a very good command of one and a good command of the other.
What would I be buying?
Works, supplies and services, plus indirect categories needed to run the organisation.
Is relocation supported?
Relocation allowance and travel are mentioned in the conditions, with the detail published on the organisation's conditions of employment page.
Deadline
⏳ 28 September 2026
The cut off is 23:59:59 CET or CEST, and the secondment agreement with your own institution is the slow part of the process. Find more opportunities like this, explained in plain language, on Youth Works Hub.
