Traineeship in IT Security

Job Description

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

Working time: Full time

Place of work: Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date: 20.10.2025

Your team

You will be part of one of our IT security teams in the Digital Security Services Division of the ECB’s Directorate General Information Systems.

Our Division designs, implements and operates IT security solutions, in addition to performing information security governance tasks. We also deliver training and produce communications to increase IT security awareness among staff members. We provide IT security assurance and organise, monitor and coordinate horizontal activities relating to IT risk and operational risk management within the bank. Right now, we are helping the ECB to adopt cloud solutions.

In your role as a trainee in IT security, you will help to protect the IT assets of the ECB and the European System of Central Banks. You will work closely with stakeholders from our Directorate General and other ECB business areas, as well as with the national central banks of EU Member States.

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 Digital Security Services Division, you will:

• support our security engineering, security operations and security governance teams in activities including IT risk management, network security, identity and access management, cloud security, vulnerability management, penetration testing, threat intelligence and security awareness;
• gain hands-on experience of IT security practices in line with international standards and methodologies;
• work in a team under the guidance of a mentor;
• establish and maintain relationships within and outside your team to build on your knowledge and skills;
• participate in horizontal team activities;
• contribute to tasks by showing initiative and sharing your ideas.

The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to use state-of-the-art concepts and methods to protect IT assets, manage risk and gain experience across a range of IT security areas. 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 the field of computer science, IT engineering, mathematics or another relevant field;
• good IT and analytical skills;
• familiarity with one or more IT security or cyber resilience concepts, such as risk management, security awareness, identity and access management, network security, threat intelligence, security assessment and vulnerability management;
• a 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:

• knowledge of international IT security standards or frameworks (e.g. ISO 27000 family, COBIT or NIST);
• programming or scripting skills relevant to security engineering or data analysis;
• an understanding of DevOps practices and tools;
• an understanding of cloud computing and relevant technologies;
• writing, presentation and communication skills.

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, starting in the first half of 2026.

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 contact Wojciech Zamiar by email at Wojciech.Zamiar@ecb.europa.eu.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include 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.

Closing date: 20.10.2025

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.