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: 16.10.2023

Your team

You will be part of our information technology (IT) security teams, either in the Digital Security Services Division (in the Directorate General Information Systems) or in the Market Infrastructure Support Division (in the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments). 

We design, implement and operate IT security solutions and carry out information security governance tasks. We provide bank-wide assurance on IT security risk and organise, monitor and coordinate horizontal activities relating to IT risks and operational risk management. We are currently working on supporting the organisation in the adoption of cloud solutions. 

In your role as a trainee in one of our IT security teams, you will help to protect the IT assets of the ECB and the European System of Central Banks. This will involve working closely with stakeholders in the ECB’s Directorate General Information Systems, Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments, and other business areas, as well as with the EU national central banks. 

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 the Digital Security Services Division, you will:

• support security engineering, security operations or security governance teams in activities such as IT risk management, network security, identity and access management, cloud security, vulnerability management, penetration testing, threat intelligence and security awareness;
• gain hands-on experience of IT security practices in line with international standards and methodologies.

As a trainee in the Market Infrastructure Support Division, you will:

• contribute to the review of the existing frameworks for identifying and managing operational risks relating to TARGET Services, as well as specific aspects of cyber resilience and information security, in line with international standards and methodologies;
• support the second-line activities of TARGET Services by reviewing (cyber) threats and developing threat scenarios, in particular assessing information security controls and the cyber resilience status of the Eurosystem’s market infrastructure, such as T2, TIPS and T2S.

In both divisions, you will:

• work within a team under the guidance of a mentor;
• establish and maintain relationships within and outside your team to expand your knowledge and skills;
• participate in horizontal team activities;
• contribute to tasks by bringing your ideas and taking initiative.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to apply state-of-the-art concepts and methods to protect information assets and gain experience across a range of information security topics. 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 the field of computer science, IT engineering, mathematics or another relevant field;
• good IT and analytical skills;
• familiarity with one or more information security or cyber resilience concepts, such as IT risk management, identity and access management, network security, threat intelligence, security assessment and vulnerability management;
• 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: 

• knowledge of international IT security standards or frameworks (e.g. the ISO 27000 family, COBIT or NIST);
• programming or scripting skills relevant to security engineering or data analysis;
• a sound understanding of cloud computing and relevant technologies;
• knowledge of operational risk management frameworks (only for the traineeship in the Market Infrastructure Support Division); 
• a basic knowledge of payments, securities settlement or collateral management systems and related international requirements for their secure operation (only for the traineeship in the Market Infrastructure Support Division).

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 6 and 12 months in total, starting in the first half of 2024. 

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

For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can contact: 

• Digital Security Services: Federico.Leopizzi@ecb.europa.eu
• Market Infrastructure Support: Gabor.Szendrey@ecb.europa.eu

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.