The European Central Bank (ECB) is offering an incredible opportunity through its Student Research Assistant Traineeship Programme – Financial Research. This program is designed to provide hands-on experience and valuable insights into the world of central banking.

Key Highlights of the Traineeship:

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 14.11.2025

You will be part of either the Financial Research Division or the senior management team in the Directorate General Research. This team comprises around 25 economists who conduct policy-relevant research on topics related to financial and monetary economics. They cover current issues such as macro-financial linkages, the interaction between monetary and financial stability policies, financial innovations like fintech and digital currencies, and the financial implications of climate change. The team publishes articles in leading academic journals and the ECB’s own publications, and prepares policy notes and reports for internal and external use.

In your role as a trainee Student Research Assistant, you will support our economists in their research projects. Depending on your specific skill set and preferences, your tasks will typically consist of compiling and analysing cross-sectional, time series and panel datasets or developing, solving and estimating macro-financial dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models.The ECB is an inclusive employer that strives to reflect the diversity of the population. Apply irrespective of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Qualifications, experience and skills

Essential:

• a bachelor’s degree or higher in economics, statistics, finance, mathematics or a related field;
• experience in at least one of the following technical areas of expertise:compiling large cross-sectional datasets (e.g. financial transactions data, household or firm-level survey data, or bank/firm balance sheet data);
• microeconometric modelling (e.g. fixed and random effects estimation, difference-in-difference estimation, propensity score-matching estimation, event study analysis);
• time series modelling (e.g. vector autoregression, state-space modelling, quantile regression);
• DSGE modelling (e.g. development, solution, calibration and estimation);
• in-depth knowledge of at least one of the following high-level programming languages: Stata, MATLAB, Python or R;
• a good knowledge of the MS Office package, in particular Microsoft Excel and Access;
• 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 (or being close to completing a master's degree) in economics, statistics, finance, mathematics or a related field;
• familiarity with at least one of the following databases/data providers: Bureau van Dijk, Fitch Connect, SNL Financial, Dealogic, Bankscope, Bloomberg or Thomson Reuters Eikon;
• familiarity with macroeconomic and financial statistics as presented in international databases (e.g. the ECB Statistical Data Warehouse, ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey, Eurostat, Bank for International Settlements, International Monetary Fund International Financial Statistics);
• experience in machine learning techniques;
• familiarity with solving, calibrating and simulating DSGE models using perturbation or global methods in MATLAB and Dynare.

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 a possible extension to up to 12 months in total.

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