General Information
Type of contract
Traineeship
Who can apply?
EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme
Grant
The trainee grant is €1,170 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)
Working time
Full time
Place of work
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Closing date
23.03.2026
Your team
You will be part of the Public Communication Division in the Directorate General Communications. Our Directorate has around 250 staff members who are responsible for communicating with the public and media about the ECB’s work and mission. We manage digital communications and public communications, as well as media relations, and we also lead the ECB’s efforts to engage effectively with its own staff. We are constantly striving to make the ECB more accessible to all audiences, including by reaching the general public through our website and social media channels.
In your role as a public communications trainee, you will be part of either the Campaigns and Civil Society team or the Blog team. You will be matched with one of the teams based on your interests and skill set. The Campaigns and Civil Society team is responsible for the YouTube channel Espresso Economics, which explains fundamental economic concepts that affect people’s daily lives. The Blog team oversees The ECB Blog, which is aimed at experts but also reaches a much wider audience, providing accessible insights into the economy and central bank policies. The Blog team also conducts and produces interviews and feature pieces. You will work closely with others in our Directorate General as part of cross-divisional teams handling strategic communication projects or urgent tasks.
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 age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other characteristics.
Your role
Traineeship 1: Trainee in the Campaigns and Civil Society team
As a trainee you will:
- prepare Espresso Economics scripts and create engaging thumbnails and visuals to increase video appeal and viewer engagement;
- assist during the filming and production of Espresso Economics YouTube videos, including camera set-up, lighting and sound, to ensure high-quality output;
- liaise with stakeholders, content creators and team members to align video content with strategic goals;
- deliver post-production editing of both short and long-form YouTube videos;
- partner with communications agencies to ensure consistent branding and messaging across videos;
- conduct research on target audiences and topics for focused initiatives.
Traineeship 2: Trainee in the Blog team
As a trainee you will:
- help to coordinate the publication of The ECB Blog by managing logistical and editorial steps;
- research policy-relevant topics and compile information for blog posts targeting a variety of audiences, including experts, students, academics and others interested in economics or central banking;
- help to coordinate the production of visuals and develop creative illustrative concepts for the blog and produce short videos to support it;
- liaise with communications agencies;
- respond to queries from various stakeholders at all levels in the ECB;
- develop and prepare impact measurement reports and promote blog posts through media relations.
The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to gain insight into a broad range of communications activities at the ECB. You will work closely with other teams in the Directorate General and in other areas of the ECB as well as with external stakeholders, including other EU institutions, national central banks, universities and content creators. 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 bachelor’s degree or higher in communications, economics, international relations, business administration, political science, marketing, public relations or a similar field;
- a strong interest in, and understanding of, the ECB’s mission;
- experience in producing communication materials, both written and visual;
- the ability to simplify complex concepts and texts;
- a good knowledge of the Microsoft Office package;
- 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.
Desired:
You are curious and eager to learn, and want to further develop your ability to analyse complex information. You are keen to collaborate with others, pursue team goals and learn from other people’s diverse perspectives. You strive to know and anticipate stakeholder needs, and will signal any need for change and propose alternative solutions.
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 keen to be part of our team and to use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.
Further information
Initial traineeship of six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total.
For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to Anne-Constanze Schieb on +49 (0)175 8186826 between 16:00 and 18:00 CET on Thursday, 5 March 2026 or between 16:00 and 18:00 CET on Friday, 6 March 2026, or via email (
Anne-Constanze.Schieb@ecb.europa.eu).
Application and selection process
The recruitment process for this position will include a pre-recorded video interview in the pre-selection phase and – if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase – an online interview and a written exercise.
Further information on
how to apply is available on our website.
If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list for 12 months from the closing date for applications, from which you might be considered for other traineeship positions within the ECB.
