General Information
Type of contract: Short-term contract, which may be extended to up to 36 months subject to individual performance and organisational needs
Contract end date: 31.12.2027
Who can apply? EU nationals working for national central banks of the ESCB, international governmental organisations or other employers performing central banking or banking supervision tasks within the framework of the Eurosystem
Salary: F/G (bracket 1 - step 1) full time monthly net salary: €7,465 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer.
Working time: Full time
Place of work: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Closing date: 23.11.2026
Your team
You will be part of the EU Institutions and Fora Division in the Directorate General International and European Relations. Our Directorate General prepares policy positions for the ECB, the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks on European and global issues. Among other tasks, our Division supports the strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union, including by producing policy advice and analysis on EU financial integration and fostering the ECB’s dialogue with other EU institutions.
In your role as Economist, you will work closely with the Digital Euro Directorate. Negotiations on the legislative framework are in their final stages; therefore, the ECB is advancing its own technical preparations for a potential issuance of the digital euro. In this context, you will work on our engagements with EU institutional stakeholders, notably the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament. These engagements are still partly related to further necessary policy work on the digital euro but will increasingly focus on the preparations for its potential issuance. Furthermore, you will prepare internal topical assessments and analysis on policy developments relevant to both the digital euro and its broader links to other elements in the ECB’s comprehensive payments strategy.
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 an Economist, you will:
- coordinate and lead the substantive preparations for ECB engagements with institutional counterparts, contributing to an effective positioning of the Eurosystem on the digital euro and related issues;
- engage with EU institutions and stakeholders on further technical work on the legislative framework, in high-level EU fora such as the European Parliament and at expert level, as well as with retail payments colleagues across the Eurosystem;
- prepare strategic and analytical notes on the digital euro and its links to other topical retail payments issues.
The position offers you excellent opportunities to help shape and advance ECB policy positions in EU fora and contribute to the development of the digital euro, while collaborating closely with colleagues across the ECB, the Eurosystem and other institutions. 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 master’s degree or equivalent in economics, political science, European studies, finance or another relevant field (see How you can join us for details on degree equivalences);
- in addition to the above, a minimum of four years’ professional experience (other than as a trainee or intern) in the field of economic and/or financial policy and/or public policy;
- a demonstrated understanding of the ECB’s digital euro project;
- a broad understanding of the functioning of EU institutions and policy affairs;
- experience in engagement with political stakeholders;
- advanced communication skills;
- experience in preparing senior-level briefings and coordinating meeting inputs;
- 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:
- technical knowledge of payment systems and/or experience in payments policies at an EU or international organisation or a central bank.
You engage collaboratively with others. You pursue team goals and learn willingly from other people’s diverse perspectives. You signal any need for change by explaining it and proposing alternative solutions. You analyse complex information effectively and can evaluate different views to arrive at solutions. You know and anticipate stakeholder needs.
You are motivated to be part of our team and to develop and use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.
Working modalities
We would be happy to discuss a part-time arrangement for this role.
Further information
The contract offered will be short-term ESCB/IO, the appointment being for 12 months as of the exact starting date of the selected person, extendable to up to 36 months.
Candidates must have a contract of employment with their home institution for a period of at least one year beyond the duration of the ECB contract being offered.
For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to Hanni Schölermann, on +49 (0)69 1344 8753 between 13:00 and 14:00 on Wednesday, 11 November.
Application and selection process
The recruitment process for this position will be conducted remotely. It will include a written exercise, a presentation and an interview.
If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list (see step 4 of How we hire), from which you might be considered for similar positions within the ECB.
Find out how to apply for a position at the ECB.
Read more about how you can join us.
