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
03.01.2024
Your team
You will be part of the Production Section in the Directorate Banknotes. Our Directorate has approximately 70 members of staff working to ensure the integrity of euro banknotes as an efficient means of payment and to protect them against counterfeiting. In particular, we coordinate all activities relating to the development, production and circulation of banknotes, including those related to quality control both within the Eurosystem and with third parties.
In your role as a quality control trainee in the Production Section, you will be part of a team of around 14 people responsible for coordinating and monitoring euro banknote production, managing the accreditation process for euro banknote manufacturers and ensuring their compliance with health, safety, environmental, security, ethical and quality standards, approving production reference materials in printing works and paper mills and providing technical support in the development of new banknote series. You will work in close collaboration with euro banknote manufacturers and raw material suppliers.
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 in quality control you will:
- contribute to the continuous development of banknote production quality control requirements;
- contribute to the development and implementation of testing procedures for specific banknote parameters, in particular visual and machine-readable properties;
- participate in the assessment of the performance of quality control tools used in banknote production, including inter-laboratory exercises, and preparation of outcome reports;
- contribute to improving data quality monitoring in banknote production;
- analyse statistical data on production process capabilities to propose optimised banknote production specifications;
- support communication with banknote manufacturers and raw material suppliers on quality-related matters such as production control checks, reporting forms, workshops, etc.;
- participate in other activities relating to banknote development and production.
This position offers you excellent opportunities to work closely with quality and production experts on a range of production tasks, including quality assurance. 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 mechanical or chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, metrology or printing engineering, or another relevant field with a focus on quality management;
- a sound theoretical background in quality management;
- a good knowledge of the MS Office package and advanced knowledge and experience of using Excel to treat and assess data;
- 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 mechanical or chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, metrology or printing engineering, or another relevant field with a focus on quality management;
- knowledge of ink and printing technologies and paper manufacturing processes;
- understanding of statistical methods for quality control and measurement system analysis;
- knowledge of standard quality analysis techniques, e.g. failure mode and effects analysis or root cause analysis;
- familiarity with project management principles and experience of quality assurance.
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 between six and 12 months in total.
For reasons of confidentiality, work carried out during the traineeship may not be used in any publication, thesis or external research without specific prior written permission.
For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to Juan Rubio on +49 172 257 3348 or Barbora Tamele on +49 170 229 2453 between 11:00 and 13:00 on Thursday, 21 December.
Application and selection process
The recruitment process for this position will include an online interview.
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.
