Traineeship: Budgeting and Controlling (EU Nationals Only)

Job Description

Duration: Initial traineeship of 6 months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total

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: 22.09.2025

You will be part of the Budgeting and Controlling Division in the Directorate Finance. As the finance budget partner for 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 various operational and policy-related tasks associated with the ECB’s budget and controlling activities. Your tasks will include:

• analysing financial data;
• supporting the planning and monitoring of regular expenditure;
• enhancing structures and tools for data and knowledge management;
• assisting with reporting and forecasting;
• contributing to the development of digital tools and IT systems, using low-code platforms, to improve budgeting and controlling processes;
• optimising and monitoring 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 (e.g. document management, workflow management, internal communication and team support);
• contributing to the digitalisation programme in the Directorate Finance.

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), enterprise resource planning systems (e.g. SAP) or low-code platforms (e.g. Mendix);
  • 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 General Corporate Services. 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 Ana Maria Lupu on +49 (0)69 1344 7790 between 09:00 and 10:00 on Thursday, 11 September, or to Andria Meletlidou on +49 (0)69 1344 17770 between 15:00 and 16:00 on Thursday, 11 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.

Deadline for Applications: September 22, 2025

“While we try our best to keep our information updated, the closing date of the actual job source may be changed by the recruiter without prior notice. With this, please make sure to check the official job link when submitting your application. Thank you.”

About the Organization

The ECB is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area. The euro area comprises the 16 European Union countries that have introduced the euro since 1999.