Introduction

You will be part of the legal team of the Secretariat of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). The ESRB is an independent EU body responsible for the macroprudential oversight of the EU financial system and for preventing and mitigating systemic risk.
The ESRB brings together representatives from around 80 institutions, including central banks and supervisors, as well as independent experts. It collects and analyses information on a wide range of financial institutions and markets, monitors macro-financial developments, and issues warnings and recommendations to policymakers and supervisors. Further information is available on the ESRB's website.

Your tasks

Your team The ESRB Secretariat is part of the European Central Bank (ECB) and provides analytical, statistical, logistical and administrative support to the ESRB. Our tasks include identifying and analysing systemic risks to the EU financial system, assessing and proposing macroprudential policies, preparing ESRB warnings and recommendations and monitoring their implementation, cooperating with supervisory and other macroprudential authorities, supporting ESRB working groups and preparing documents for meetings of the ESRB General Board and its substructures.
In your role as a legal trainee, you will be part of a legal team of five members of staff responsible for supporting, by providing legal advice, the work of other teams in the ESRB Secretariat and linking their tasks in financial stability and macroprudential policy to the legal framework. With their focus on risk assessment, banking and non-bank financial intermediaries, these teams provide analytical input into risk and policy reports, working closely with financial stability experts, analysts and trainees from across the Secretariat. The focus of your traineeship will therefore depend on the work of these other teams. Your tasks as a member of the legal team will also consist of helping draft ESRB legal acts, reports and other publications, assisting assessment teams during assessments of compliance with ESRB recommendations and interacting with member institutions.

Your role As a legal trainee you will:

• support the ESRB, its decision-making bodies and the Secretariat in the fulfilment of their statutory responsibilities and obligations;
• draft legal texts, such as ESRB recommendations and warnings, and assist with the adoption, transmission and publication of these instruments;
• provide legal advice on the interpretation of the EU financial services regulatory framework and assist colleagues with policy development;
• fulfil the role of secretary for assessments of compliance with ESRB recommendations.

The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to further your knowledge of EU law and to contribute to shaping macroprudential policy in Europe. 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 law;
• advanced knowledge of EU law, including EU financial services law, covering fields such as banking, insurance and pension funds, capital markets and market infrastructure;
• a keen interest in financial stability matters and macroprudential policy, and an awareness of the wider economic, financial and geopolitical context;
• the ability to communicate the results of complex analytical work to a non-expert audience;
• a good knowledge of the MS 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:

• a sound understanding of the macroprudential legal framework in the EU and the role of the ESRB.

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.

We offer

ESRB Secretariat
13379

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 (see further information section)

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 23.02.2026

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.

Further information Initial traineeship of six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total. Ideal start date would be between July and October 2026.
Other details on the conditions applicable to traineeships at the ECB can be found on our website.

Contact

For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can contact Joana Baptista at [email protected].

Application and selection process
The recruitment process for this position will include a remote written exercise 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.