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
15.11.2021
Your team
You will be part of the Directorate General Legal Services, which is responsible for providing advice on legal aspects of the institutional, regulatory and contractual frameworks of the European Central Bank (ECB), the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and European banking supervision. We prepare ECB legal acts and instruments, including ECB opinions on draft EU and national legislation. We also address questions regarding the interpretation of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as well as on the ECB’s relations with other EU institutions and international fora. Furthermore, we provide legal advice to the ECB’s management and decision-making bodies on administrative matters and represent the ECB in court.
We are currently working on a broad range of legal issues, including in the areas of monetary policy, financial market infrastructure, institutional matters and banking supervision. We are also participating in ongoing discussions with other European and international stakeholders on a series of regulatory issues of relevance to the tasks of the ECB and the ESCB.
We are looking for trainees to join our Financial Law Division, Institutional Law Division, Supervisory Law Division and Data Protection Office.
In your role as Trainee you will be part of the division to which you are allocated, but will work closely with colleagues from across Legal Services and from the ECB business areas that the three divisions and the Data Protection Office provide legal advice and support to.
The ECB is an inclusive employer. 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
As a Trainee in the Financial Law Division you will:
- support colleagues in their analysis of legal questions, their preparation of legal memoranda and their drafting of legal acts, including in the areas of: monetary policy; market operations; financial market infrastructure and services (including TARGET2, TARGET2-Securities and TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS)); the oversight of payment and settlement systems; and the statistical legal framework of the ESCB;
- contribute to the ECB’s work in the fields of financial services legislation and financial stability.
As a Trainee in the Institutional Law Division you will:
- contribute to the preparation of legal advice related to the governance of the ESCB, the Eurosystem and European banking supervision, including internal issues related to independence, the monetary financing prohibition, confidentiality and public access; and support colleagues in their work on general and specific questions related to procurement and contracts, including legal issues related to contract management and potential disputes;
- provide assistance in the preparation of legal advice related to internal procedures such as the internal appeal procedure, with a particular focus on procurement issues, as well as advice related to accounting, taxation, euro banknotes and intellectual property.
As a Trainee in the Supervisory Law Division you will:
- contribute to the preparation of legal advice relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions, such as on issues concerning: capital and liquidity requirements; common procedures (granting of authorisations, withdrawal of licenses, authorisation for the acquisition of qualifying holdings); fit and proper assessments; supervisory reporting; crisis management; and enforcement and sanctions;
- provide assistance in the preparation of legal advice relating to the functioning of European banking supervision, in particular with reference to the Single Supervisory Mechanism Regulation and its supporting legal framework.
As a Trainee in the Data Protection Office you will:
- prepare advice on new projects in relation to data protection matters, assess data protection impact assessments, review privacy agreements, handle data breach reports and respond to requests from data subjects and other stakeholders;
- contribute to the analysis of, and recommendations for, international data transfers.
As a Trainee you will have the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in providing legal support on matters relating to the ECB’s financial, institutional and supervisory legal frameworks, while also putting into practice your knowledge of general EU, contract and administrative law acquired during your academic studies. Working alongside experienced colleagues, you will also be able to improve your skills and further develop as a professional. You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation and seeks to make a positive impact on the lives of all European citizens.
Qualifications, experience and skills
Essential:
- a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in law, completed by the time of the application closing date, and preferably obtained in an EU Member State;
- a sound understanding of general EU law;
- an awareness of, and an interest in, the role and functioning of the ECB, the ESCB and/or European banking supervision;
- a good knowledge of the MS 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:
- a good grasp of financial law, supervisory law, or other fields of law directly relevant to the work of at least one of the three divisions or the Data Protection Office;
- a working knowledge of French or German.
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 objectives of this position.
Further information
Traineeship of between 3 and 12 months in total. The earliest starting date will be in March 2022, while additional options will become available throughout 2022.
Application and selection process
Further information on how to join us is available on our
website.
The recruitment process will be conducted remotely and will include, for the candidates invited to participate in the selection phase, an online written test and an online interview.
