Make your mark for patients

Join our Graduate Development Program:  (GDP) – Global Medical Affairs – Rheumatology Team

Kick-start your career in the exciting world of healthcare

Who we are

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in neurology and immunology. With 8,500 colleagues across more than 40 countries, we share one mission: to make a real difference in patients’ lives through science and innovation.
Want to learn more? Visit our website: Inspired by Patients. Driven by Science.

What is the Graduate Development Program (GDP)?

The GDP is a two-year rotational program designed to launch your career within our Patient Impact organization. Over four rotations, you’ll be part of real projects, collaborate with experts, and gain a 360° view of how medicines move from the laboratory to patients.

Patient Impact includes:

• Patient Engagement & Insights (understanding patient experiences, needs, and journeys to inform meaningful solutions)
• Medical Affairs & Evidence Generation (translating scientific and real‑world evidence into patient‑centric medical strategies)
• Digital Health & Medical Communications (delivering accurate, accessible, and impactful medical information through omnichannel solutions)
• Real‑World Evidence & Outcomes (using external data to demonstrate meaningful impact on patients’ lives and inform future research)
• Patient‑Centric Strategy & Access (collaborating cross‑functionally to ensure optimal access, value, and long‑term benefit for patients)

Who you’ll work with

During your rotations, you will:

• Work closely with cross‑functional, global teams across Medical Affairs, Clinical, Digital, Regulatory, and Patient Engagement
• Present your work to senior leaders and learn from their feedback
• Receive coaching from your manager and guidance from a dedicated mentor
• Rely on a “buddy” to support your day-to-day integration
• Be part of UCB’s Early Talent community, joining workshops, site visits, and networking events

What you’ll learn

Throughout the program, you will:

• Be able to master the digital communications with proven examples of impactful project execution to prepare yourself for the next 10 years of pharma innovation roles.

• Gain skills to be able to build your career in medical affairs and medical communications

• Be able to gain experience to be able to continue in a medical writing and publication role in the future

• Be able to gain experience to be able to continue your career in real world evidence roles, but also have an overview on clinical study designs, protocols and the critical steps in decision making

What you need to join – Mandatory requirements

To fully participate and grow in the program, you must have:

• A recent degree in life sciences field (medical doctor, pharmacist, dentist) or PhD or master’s degree in healthcare (i.e. immunology, pharmacology).
• Fluency in English
• Legal right to work in Belgium

What will help you thrive – The qualities we value

We’re not expecting you to have experience in biopharma, we’re looking for your potential.

You’ll succeed if you bring:

• Motivation & curiosity; you enjoy learning and asking questions
• Adaptability; you’re comfortable stepping into new teams and topics every rotation
• Proactivity; you take initiative and propose ideas rather than waiting to be asked
• Collaboration; you enjoy working with others and communicating openly
• Integrity; you act responsibly and align with our values
• Analytical mindset; you like understanding how things work, result oriented and solving problems
• High standards; you strive for quality in your work
• Emerging leadership; you take ownership and are willing to step forward

These are the qualities we will explore together during the interview process.

Practical Information

• Start date: March/April 2026
  • Location: UCB HQ, Anderlecht, Belgium

Ready to start your journey?

Apply now and join a dynamic, passionate, and forward-thinking team!

As part of your application, you’ll complete a short questionnaire.
It allows us to confirm the minimum requirements and gives you space to share your motivation and personal perspective.
A separate motivation letter is not required.

Are you ready to ‘go beyond’ to create value and make your mark for patients? If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you! 

About us 
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science. 

Why work with us? 
At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential. 

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws. 
 
Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [email protected]. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.