Deadline:
February 13, 2026
Program Starts: September 01, 2026
Program Ends: August 31, 2028
Location(s)
Germany
Frankfurt
Overview
The Graduate Programme offers you excellent development opportunities, valuable experience and an insight into the ECB’s tasks and working methods. It could be your starting point for an exciting career at the ECB.
We will assign you an experienced colleague as a mentor to provide you with support, advice and guidance on participating successfully in the programme. You will also get a tailor-made training programme that includes a number of in-house and external training opportunities.
You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of European citizens.
Details
Your team
We are looking for 15 highly talented recent graduates with a postgraduate degree, and preferably a PhD, to join the ECB’s Graduate Programme.
Applicants’ profiles will vary in terms of age, background and interests and, if successful, you will discover intellectual challenges, varied opportunities and a people-centred working culture that gives you a voice and the chance to make an impact – for Europe.
We will give you two challenging one-year assignments in two different business areas, matched to our organisational needs and considering your fields of expertise and your interests – which you can indicate during the application process This gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in various ways. During the second year of the Graduate Programme, you will choose, together with business area managers, a topic for a paper that you will prepare and submit before the end of the second year. Your successful completion of the programme will be assessed by the Graduate Programme Committee on the basis of performance reviews and your project paper.
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.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Qualifications, experience and skills
Essential:
- a master’s degree or PhD (or equivalent) completed between 1 February 2024 and 31 January 2026. Alternatively, if you are due to complete a PhD in 2026, your master’s degree can have been obtained before 1 February 2024. Candidates with a PhD, or who will obtain a PhD in 2026, will have an advantage;
- qualifications in one of the following fields: economics, business administration, finance, statistics, accounting, law, data science, political science, European studies, international relations, journalism and communications, environmental studies/sciences, psychology, sociology, human resources, languages, information technology, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics or facility management;
- a clear interest in and understanding of European affairs, central banking, banking supervision and matters of relevance to ECB business areas;
- hands-on experience with artificial intelligence and/or digital analytics;
- 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
Experience in one or several of the following fields:
- data management, statistical and econometric analysis and data visualisation;
- media relations, including monitoring and analysis, and web and social media production;
- general application and system programming.
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.
Dates
Deadline: February 13, 2026
Program starts:
September 01, 2026
Program ends:
August 31, 2028
Program Starts: September 01, 2026
Program Ends: August 31, 2028
Cost/funding for participants
Salary: E/F (1) (minimum monthly net salary €4,982 and benefits.
Working modalities
This is a two-year fixed-term contract from 1 September 2026 until 31 August 2028. While on the Graduate Programme and after completing the probationary period, Graduate Programme participants can apply for vacancies that are advertised both internally and externally.
Graduate Programme participants may apply for their participation to be extended by one year until 31 August 2029 once they have completed 18 months in the programme.
Upon completion of the two-year Graduate Programme, the position and salary of participants who have not been appointed to another position at the ECB will be upgraded to expert level (F/G band) for the period of the extension granted. Thereafter, business areas can also directly appoint successful graduates to available expert level (F/G band) positions without further recruitment.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
