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
17.03.2023
Your team
Join us in the ECB’s Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments. We support the provision of payment and securities settlement services, the oversight of financial market infrastructures and payment instruments, and cooperation with market stakeholders to deliver integrated payments and securities settlement markets in the euro area. In today’s fast-moving digital world, we are proud to be at the forefront of retail payments, instant payment solutions, securities settlement, collateral management, cyber resilience and research into a potential digital euro. At the same time, we are keenly aware of the new challenges we face in the area of payment systems and financial market infrastructures more broadly – for example crypto-assets, stablecoins or the application of distributed ledger technology. We are looking for enthusiastic and open-minded individuals who are eager to learn by working with others and who are not afraid to bring their own ideas to the table. If you believe you would fit the role profile below, then we would like to hear from you.
We are seeking three trainees to join us in the Market Innovation and Integration Division: one for the team working on securities and collateral, to start in June; and two for the team working on payments, to start in September.
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
As a trainee you will:
- contribute to policy-related projects aimed at fostering euro area financial market harmonisation and integration and/or obtaining insights into market infrastructures;
- help to monitor the compliance of financial market infrastructures with the industry standards and to shape the EU regulatory framework in this field;
- contribute to briefings, memos, papers and reports on analytical/research projects and policy topics;
- help to organise external events related to market infrastructures and payments;
- help to prepare presentations to relevant European working groups and committees, ECB decision-making bodies and market participants;
- support the collection, storage, management and sharing of information in your area of responsibility and explore new approaches, proposing creative ways to address technical questions.
The position offers you excellent opportunities to learn about financial market infrastructures and contribute to the Eurosystem’s tasks in this field. You will gain insights into the latest innovations in the market and the challenges the industry faces, as well as how market integration can help overcome these challenges for the benefit of society as a whole. You will also learn how market integration can be achieved through careful policy formulation in collaboration with regulators and the industry.
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 economics, business administration, econometrics, programming, computer science, engineering, finance, a related quantitative discipline (e.g. mathematics or physics), auditing, communication, law (with specialisation in the area of financial markets) or a similar field;
- 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 master’s degree in economics, finance, law or political science with specialisation in the area of financial markets;
- knowledge and/or experience of the functioning of financial markets and financial market infrastructures, i.e. payment systems, central securities depositories and central counterparties;
- experience in drafting reports, briefings or analytical notes in English;
- experience in visualising data, including using different visualisation techniques, formats (e.g. charts, maps and dashboards) and tools (e.g. Tableau) to present information visually in a clear and effective way;
- the ability to present complex material clearly and concisely to different audiences.
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
Traineeship of three to six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total, subject to performance and organisational needs. The start dates will be in June and September 2023.
Application and selection process
Further information on
how to apply is available on our website.
The recruitment process for this position will include a remote written exercise and an online interview.
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.