Graduate Programme 2021

European Central Bank wide
3053
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General Information

Type of contract Two-year fixed-term contract starting on 1 September. It may be extended for one additional year upon successful completion of the programme.

Who can apply? EU nationals

Salary E/F (bracket 1 - step 1) full time monthly net salary: €4,611 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer.

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 24.02.2021

Your team

We are looking for up to 15 highly talented recent graduates with a postgraduate degree, eventually a PhD, for the ECB’s Graduate Programme. 

You will have different ages, backgrounds and interests and will find intellectual challenges, varied opportunities and a people-centred working culture that gives you a voice and the chance to make an impact – for Europe.

We will give you challenging one-year assignments in two different business areas, matched to your fields of expertise, your interests – which you can indicate during the application process – and our organisational needs. This gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in new ways.  

Your successful completion of the programme will be assessed by the Graduate Programme Committee on the basis of performance reviews and your project paper, which you will prepare and submit before the end of the second year. 

The ECB is an inclusive employer and we strive to reflect the diversity of the population we serve. We encourage you to apply, irrespective of your gender, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability or other characteristics.

Your role

The Graduate Programme offers you excellent development opportunities, valuable experience and an insight into the ECB’s tasks and working methods. It could be your starting point for an exciting career at the ECB.
We will assign you an experienced colleague as a mentor to provide you with support, advice and guidance on participating successfully in the programme. You will also get a tailor-made training programme that includes a number of in-house and external training opportunities.

You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of European citizens. 

Qualifications, experience and skills

Essential: 
  • a master’s degree or PhD completed between 1 February 2019 and 31 January 2021 (alternatively, if you are due to complete a PhD in 2021, your master’s degree can have been obtained before 1 February 2019) – candidates with a PhD, or who will obtain a PhD in 2021, will have an advantage;
  • qualifications in a field of interest to the ECB, e.g. economics, finance, statistics, accounting, financial/commercial/EU law, data science, political science, European studies, international relations, business administration, environmental sciences, journalism and communications, environmental sciences, psychology, information technology, civil engineering, engineering, mathematics, languages, human resources, physics, chemistry or facility management;
  • a general interest in European affairs, central banking, banking supervision and matters of relevance to ECB business areas;
  • an advanced (C1) command of English and an intermediate (B1) command of at least one other official language of the EU, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  • experience in the field of data science (e.g. programming, data management, big data tools, data visualisation, artificial intelligence and machine learning, web and social media analytics or data processing).

You engage collaboratively with others. You pursue team goals and learn willingly from other people’s diverse perspectives. You signal any need for change by explaining it and proposing alternative solutions. You analyse complex information effectively and can evaluate different views to arrive at solutions. You know and anticipate stakeholder needs.

You are motivated to contribute to the ECB’s mission, to serve the citizens of the EU as a member of a public institution and to work with colleagues from all over Europe. You are motivated to be a part of our team and to use your skills and competencies to achieve the objectives of this position. You are aware of your strengths and areas of development and know what motivates you to perform at your highest level.

Working modalities

This is a two-year fixed-term contract which is intended to run from 1 September 2021 until 31 August 2023. It may be extended for one additional year upon successful completion of the programme. While on the Graduate Programme you can apply for vacancies that are advertised either internally or externally. After successful completion of the programme, and subject to business needs, participants are eligible to be directly appointed to positions at the ECB.

Further information

You can find additional information on the Graduate Programme on our website.
For further information on how to join us, read more.

Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent subject to organisational needs and budgetary constraints. This may result in a staff member with a non-convertible fixed-term contract being offered a convertible contract in accordance with the ECB’s Conditions of Employment.



Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include a pre-recorded video interview at the pre-selection stage and – if you are invited to participate further in the selection procedure – a written exercise and a panel interview. 
The overall process is expected to run between March and July 2021.