Eugene Austin

Hi, I'm Eugene Austin, EU Regulatory Affairs Manager from Teva UK

“This role has led to me discovering a new industry. It’s not just about manufacturing to market, there’s a whole world in between.”

I joined Teva in 2013 as part of the graduate scheme, which was a brilliant opportunity. At the time, I was studying biomedical science at University College London (UCL) and hadn’t even heard of regulatory affairs. I stumbled upon the subject, started reading about it and applied for the role at Teva.

I got it, and that led to me discovering a whole new industry. It’s not just about manufacturing to market, there’s a whole world in between. My team submits documents for new Teva products to health authorities in the EU, which are scrutinised for quality and patient safety. Once approved, the products then receive a marketing authorisation.

I work in the Harlow office near London and there’s a culture here where people are very willing to help each other. There are also lots of career progression opportunities.

The graduate scheme was initially a two-year programme but I was offered a permanent position after a year. I then moved into marketing authorisation submissions and in 2016 I was promoted to being a manager. My job involves thinking up strategies to ensure we get approval for our products, which lets us get the medicines onto the market faster.

I really enjoy it because it tests my problem-solving skills and I get to work on integrated projects for really interesting products. Part of my job is anticipating what questions the regulators will ask before the documents are submitted. 

We want to limit any surprise questions from the regulator as this could delay products going to market, and therefore delay them helping patients.

Teva is different to other companies because you get ownership of projects. And you’re not pigeonholed, there are lots of other projects or challenges to get involved with. This goes a long way towards increasing your skills and confidence.

Teva’s also a great employer because it’s very flexible. For example, it’s very open to home working. As an employee, there are also lots of benefits, including boot camps, pilates classes, private medical insurance and childcare vouchers. I feel that Teva really cares about its employees having a good work-life blend.