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:  04.01.2024

Your team

You will be part of the Design and Digital Division in the Directorate General Communications. The Directorate General develops and implements the ECB’s digital communications strategy. We design, maintain and create audio/visual content for the ECB’s websites, devise communications solutions and produce digital publications.

In your role as a trainee in the Publications team, you will be part of a team responsible for coordinating the creation and digital distribution of publications which the ECB is required to produce as a public institution in the EU. You will work closely with other business areas in the ECB, national central banks and external 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 the Publications team you will:

• independently oversee the production of research papers and publications for the European Systemic Risk Board;
• plan and coordinate the production of other ECB and ECB Banking Supervision publications;
• build production schedules in close cooperation with other teams in the Directorate General Communications and in other business areas;
• maintain data within our publication planning tools;
• oversee formatting processes and conduct quality checks on the formatting implemented by external providers; 
• release publications on our websites via our in-house content management system;
• support the production and finalisation of key ECB publications, for example, the Economic Bulletin, the Annual Report, and the Convergence Report;
• assist in improving existing processes and tools such as Microsoft Word templates, VBA Macros and OpenText workflows.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from teams in different areas of the bank, gaining a deep understanding of the ECB’s mission and how this is achieved. 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;
• a very 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: 

• experience studying in an international environment;
• experience working with VBA Macros.

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

Initial traineeship of six months, with the possibility of extension up to 12 months in total. Envisaged starting date of the traineeship is early 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 speak to Tom Sanders on +49 (0)1721301917.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include a pre-recorded video interview in the pre-selection phase and – if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase – 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.