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: 23.09.2024

Your team

You will be part of the Budget and Controlling Division in the Directorate Finance. As the finance budget partner of all ECB business areas, our Division supports the planning, monitoring, reporting and controlling of resources across the Bank and provides decision-making support to internal and external stakeholders. We also deliver secretariat services for three committees and are responsible for the supervisory fee framework. Additional tasks include implementing systems innovation in the Directorate Finance and providing functional support for the ECB’s procure-to-pay process.

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 Budgeting and Controlling Division, you will work on a wide spectrum of operational and policy tasks linked to the ECB’s budget and related controlling activities. Your tasks will include:

• contributing to financial data analysis;
• supporting planning and regular expenditure monitoring;
• helping to optimise data, knowledge management structures and analytical tools;
• assisting with reporting and forecasting;
• carrying out financial dashboard activities and IT system-related work;
• helping optimise and monitor adherence to organisational compliance frameworks and rules related to budgeting and controlling;
• contributing to project performance control from a financial perspective;
• managing system administration tasks (document management, workflow management, internal communication and team support).

The position offers you excellent opportunities to gain insights into the way the ECB works, acquire hands-on experience in the area of finance and put your theoretical knowledge into practice. 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 accounting, finance, business or public administration, risk management, statistics, information technology or another relevant field;
• a good knowledge of the MS Office package, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• 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: 

• advanced knowledge of MS Excel and other data management and analysis tools;
• working knowledge of other software applications, such as VBA, MS Access, MS Project, data visualisation tools (e.g. Tableau) and enterprise resource planning systems (e.g. SAP);
• experience in data analysis and the ability to interpret data;
• knowledge of, and/or some experience in, one or more of the following fields:
  • budgeting and controlling;
  • accounting/finance;
  • digital tools/applications for finance;
  • financial statement 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

Initial traineeship of 6 months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total in the same division or in another division or section within the Directorate Finance.

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 Luminita Dascalu on +49 (0)69 1344 4805 between 09:00 and 10:00 on Thursday, 12 September, or to Claire Burns on +49 (0)69 1344 6511 between 16:00 and 17:00 on Thursday, 12 September.

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.