European Central Bank: Traineeship in International Policy Analysis and Finance

General information

Type of contract Traineeship

Who can apply? EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme

Grant The trainee grant is €1,070 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 02.11.2023

Your team

You will be part of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Directorate General International and European Relations. Our Directorate has 120 staff and prepares the policy positions of the ECB, the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks on international and European issues, except for positions on the macroeconomic policies of the euro area or EU Member States.

In your role as a trainee, you will be part of a team in the International Policy Analysis Division. The Division analyses issues of systemic relevance relating to the global economy, the global monetary and financial system and the international financial architecture. This includes matters relating to global financial markets, commodities, exchange rates, international spillovers and globalisation. 

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 perform one or more of the following tasks: 

• support the work of the Division, which includes assisting with data collection and analysis, generating tables and charts and preparing presentations;
• maintain and further develop complex databases used to monitor global financial and monetary developments;
• maintain and further develop quantitative tools and modelling infrastructure;
• contribute to selected analytical projects by providing research assistance.

The trainee position offers you excellent opportunities to work closely with highly qualified experts on different tasks and projects in the field of international finance and macroeconomics, giving you valuable experience for your transition to a successful professional career. You will also be assigned a mentor and will be able to develop your potential and quickly contribute to the work we do. 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, econometrics, finance, engineering, data science, applied mathematics or a related field;
• a sound understanding of either international finance, monetary economics, data science or international macroeconomics;
• experience in data collection (from Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, SDW or other market data service) and data analysis;
• intermediate knowledge of programming languages and econometric software (e.g. MATLAB, R, Stata, EViews, Python, SQL and Julia);
• an advanced knowledge of the MS Office package, particularly Excel;
• 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, econometrics, finance, engineering, data science, applied mathematics or a related field (or being close to completing a master’s degree);
• a keen interest in policy relevant and applied research, together with a proven ability to conduct quantitative analyses;
• experience of financial and macroeconomic market data service providers (e.g. Refinitiv Eikon, Bloomberg and Haver Analytics) and data visualisation software;
• a sound knowledge of statistical and econometric techniques for data analysis.

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 four and twelve months in total. For some of the positions the starting date will be in the spring of 2024, while for others it will be in the late summer or autumn of 2024.

Other details on the conditions applicable to traineeships at the ECB can be found on our website.

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.