Spring 2027 Co-op, Global Regulatory Affairs – Strategy and Operations

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US); United States; Hybrid; USD 41,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free onsite gym access

Meal provisions

Career development opportunities

Hybrid work option

Company events

Job summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a global biotechnology company, invites motivated students to join the Global Regulatory Affairs – Strategy and Operations Co‑Op for six months. You’ll contribute to cross‑functional projects, build automated workflows, and gain exposure to senior leadership in a dynamic regulatory setting.

The program emphasizes AI-enabled process improvements, leadership engagement, and practical experience in planning, reporting, and strategic initiatives within GRA.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program (business, science, or analytics)
• Enrolled in a formal co‑op or experiential learning program
• Able to work full‑time on site or hybrid in Boston for six months

Responsibilities

• Support GRA/Strategy leadership with planning and operating rhythms
• Develop automated, AI‑enabled reports and tracking tools
• Maintain and refresh organizational charts and reporting structures
• Prepare summaries and recaps of leadership meetings for review

Skills

Strong written comms

Automation mindset

Organize ambiguous work

Education

MBA / MS in Management or Health/Biotech Management

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Description Kickstart Your Career at Vertex! Are you ready to make a real impact? At Vertex, our mission is to tackle serious diseases and to change lives, for the better, for the future. Our aim is to give you the skills, insights, and career guidance to be an important part of that future; to turn your potential into progression.

As a Vertex intern or co‑op, you’ll work on meaningful projects, collaborate with talented teams, and learn from industry leaders. We’re passionate about innovation, inclusion, and supporting your growth—inside and outside the lab.

Why Vertex?

Real Projects: You’ll work on assignments that make a real impact, not just busy work. Mentorship & Networking: Connect with leaders and peers who want to see you succeed through professional networks, connections, and collaborations that will shape your longer‑term career. Flexible & Supportive: We offer flexible work options with Flex @ Vertex and prioritize your wellbeing. Inclusive Culture: Collaboration and inclusion are embedded in everything we do. Career Launchpad: Build skills, explore career paths, and get guidance for your future career.

Your Impact The Vertex Global Regulatory Affairs – Strategy and Operations Co‑Op is a 6‑month experiential training program for students currently working towards an advanced degree in Health/Biotech Management, Business Analytics, Life Sciences, or other related fields. If you are passionate, collaborative, and growth‑minded, a co‑op at Vertex will help you gain meaningful experience in our Global Regulatory Affairs – Strategy and Operations functional areas and serve as a launchpad for your career.

The application deadline for this co‑op is November 15th, 2026. Please note that Vertex reviews applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to close this job posting prior to the listed deadline. Applicants can expect to receive an update about their application before or shortly after the application deadline.

What you will be doing:

Global Regulatory Affairs (GRA) is responsible for all interactions between Vertex and Health Authorities around the world. Part of this work involves bringing together a cross‑functional team spanning all areas of pharmaceutical development to create an end‑to‑end pathway from discovery through approval and beyond. The Chief of Staff supports the Senior Vice President of GRA and the Regulatory Affairs Leadership Team (RALT) on strategic, operational, and organizational matters across GRA. Working under the guidance of the Chief of Staff, the co‑op student will help organize, develop, and drive key activities across GRA, including but not limited to RALT operating rhythms, department activities, recurring reporting for leadership, and current strategic initiatives in the department. A core expectation of the role is building automated, AI‑enabled processes that continue to run year‑over‑year. The role is intended to give a co‑op student real exposure to how a senior leadership team in a global biotech sets priorities, tracks progress and communicates - with defined projects they own end to end, and a final presentation to the GRA leadership team.

Potential projects and assignments

Potential projects and assignments may include, but are not limited to, those described below. Across all assignments, it is expected that automation/technology is leveraged: each recurring report/process should (1) run on a schedule with no or minimal manual involvement, (2) have a named owner in GRA, (3) include a short guide explaining how to maintain and adjust it, and (4) be tested through live cycles.

Leadership team and departmental operating rhythm

• Build an automated annual operating calendar of recurring leadership team and departmental activities (e.g., leadership offsites, town halls, planning cycles, goal setting, budget milestones, newsletters, and survey cycles), linked to the materials needed to support each. The solution should be technology‑enabled and robust (e.g., automated planning reminders at set lead times, run without manual rebuilding while allowing for changes)
• Support planning for recurring RALT meetings: maintain the forward agenda calendar, automate requests for topics and pre‑reads, and use AI tools to draft pre‑read summaries and meeting recaps for review
• Build a decision log and action tracker that automatically sends follow‑ups to owners on open items and produces a regular status report
• Support planning and logistics for departmental activities (e.g., offsite meetings, town halls, and department meetings)
• Organize supporting materials into a structured repository with clear ownership and update conventions, to ensure materials remain current without manual clean‑up

Recurring reporting, metrics, and automation

• Support recurring leadership reports covering progress against annual goals (RALT, departmental, and cross‑functional partners), current‑state organizational charts, and related activities
• Maintain current‑state organizational charts for GRA, including reporting line changes and integration‑related moves, on a repeatable refresh cycle
• Contribute to monthly GRA newsletters, including milestone updates, organizational announcements, and reminders

Illustrative end‑to‑end projects

• Examples of projects a co‑op student could own for the full assignment, which would be confirmed with the student at the start of the term: GRA Annual Operating Calendar and Planning Playbook: Map every recurring GRA and RALT activity/report across the year against corporate activities, work backward to establish planning lead times and owners, and reorganize the supporting material into a structured, maintained location. For the reports and activities that occur on a set cadence – quarterly off‑site meetings, goals progress, organizational changes and new starters/leavers (announcements, org charts), hiring updates, organizational health - automate updates, including mechanisms for collecting or implementing inputs with scheduled, tracked workflows that can be adjusted in real time.
• Transition Support: Work in close collaboration with Chief of Staff to support an active key transition project within GRA, through involvement in developing work products/plans, tracking key milestones, and building content to support integration activities, as needed. Deliverable is both the working transition plan and a reusable set of templates and trackers the department can apply to future transitions. The assignment will close with a final presentation of the student’s projects and recommendations to the GRA leadership team.

What you will need to succeed

• Required Currently enrolled in a business-focused graduate program (e.g., MBA, MS in Management, Business Analytics, or Health/Biotech Management); OR a science-focused graduate program (e.g., biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences) with business as a minor or second degree
• Enrolled in a formal co‑op or experiential learning program and available full‑time in an on‑site or hybrid capacity in Boston, for the full six‑month assignment
• Advanced PowerPoint and Excel; comfortable building executive‑ready slides and data views
• Demonstrated ability to use technology to simplify or automate repeatable work (e.g., workflow tools, AI assistants)
• Demonstrated ability to organize ambiguous work, collaborate with cross‑functional stakeholders, and follow through without close supervision
• Strong written communication
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information
• Legal authorization to work in the United States, now and in the future. Please note that Vertex does not provide sponsorship for internships/co‑ops or entry level roles within this part of the organization.
• You must be enrolled in an advanced degree program if graduating before June 2027.
• You must be available to work full‑time, 40 hours per week from January – June 2027.

Preferred

• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 Copilot or other AI productivity tools, and curiosity about applying them to real workflows.
• Hands‑on experience building workflows or dashboards in Power Automate, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Exposure to the biotech, pharmaceutical, or broader healthcare sector; interest in drug development or regulatory affairs.
• Prior experience in consulting, corporate strategy, program management, business operations, or post‑merger integration.
• A regulatory affairs background is ideal but not required where there is a strong interest in the discipline.

Program Details

• Full‑time, paid co‑op $30.00 – 55.00 USD/hour
• Program Dates: January – June 2027
• Application Deadline: November 15th, 2026

At Vertex, we believe that when you feel your best, you can perform at your best. That’s why our US benefits and global well‑being resources are designed to support you.

Benefits

• Free 24/7 onsite gym access and free access to group exercise classes.
• Subsidized commuter benefits- transit and parking
• Provided meals—free breakfast daily!
• Career development opportunities and events, including C Suite engagement
• Social events—both intern‑only and company‑wide
• Location‑specific perks and extras!
• Recognition of National Intern Day

Our Ways of Working

• Flex Designation: Hybrid-Eligible Or On‑Site Eligible
• Flex Eligibility Status: In this Hybrid‑Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:
  1. Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week;
  2. On‑Site: work five days per week on‑site with ad hoc flexibility.
• Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.

This job posting is for a temporary role with a third‑party agency partner that provides services to Vertex. The individual selected for this role will be offered the role as an employee of that third‑party agency; compensation, medical benefits, fringe benefits and other terms and conditions of employment shall be presented by the third‑party agency upon offer.

Combined Pay & Temp Status Disclosure (FOR REMOTE AND/OR CALIFORNIA BASED ROLES): Pay Range 30.00 – 55.00 USD/hour

Pay Range: $0 - $0 Disclosure Statement: The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience and other job‑related factors permitted by law.

At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision‑making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation. Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non‑discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person’s race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E‑Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [e-mail].

Help Us Achieve Our Mission Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases and conditions. The company has approved therapies for cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, transfusion‑dependent beta thalassemia, acute pain and acromegaly, and it continues to advance clinical and research programs in these areas. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including IgA nephropathy, neuropathic pain, APOL1‑mediated kidney disease, primary membranous nephropathy, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, ACTH‑dependent Cushing’s syndrome, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, generalized myasthenia gravis, and myotonic dystrophy type 1. Vertex was founded in 1989 and has its global headquarters in Boston, with international headquarters in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry’s top places to work, including 16 consecutive years on Science magazine’s Top Employers list and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex’s history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

We believe our culture is one of Vertex’s greatest strengths and a key enabler of our ability to deliver transformative medicines for patients who need them. Rooted in innovation, purpose and collaboration, our culture empowers people to take smart risks, challenge conventional thinking and do their best work. The diversity of our people is central to that culture. By bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, we foster an environment where new ideas thrive, better decisions are made and breakthrough innovation is possible. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, included and connected to our shared mission, because we know that our unique culture and the collective strength of our people are what set Vertex apart.