Introduction

You will be part of the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments (DG-MIP). Our Directorate General has approximately 320 staff providing payment systems and market infrastructures (such as T2, T2S, TIPS and ECMS), conducting oversight of market infrastructures and payment systems and acting as a catalyst in the areas of market integration and innovation. We are currently also working towards the potential issuance of a digital euro for retail payment services.

Your tasks

Your team In your role as Programme Manager for the ECB's programme to provide wholesale central bank money in distributed ledger technology (DLT), which covers the Pontes and Appia projects, you will assist DG-MIP Senior Management in determining the programme's strategic direction. You will be responsible for steering, planning, executing and controlling the programme's activities. You will act as an interface between the technical teams and the steering committee, providing progress reports and escalating issues requiring decisions by the programme sponsors.

You will be supported by a project team, a product design manager and a product delivery manager. You will work closely with the various project stakeholders, including national central banks, market participants, industry associations, other EU institutions and technology providers. You will report to the Director General of Market Infrastructure and Payments.

Your role As the Programme Manager for wholesale central bank money in DLT (comprising the Pontes and Appia projects), you will:

• set up and manage the programme team, instilling a delivery-oriented culture;
• assist DG-MIP Senior Management in defining and pursuing the programme's strategic direction;
• lead the elaboration and execution of the roadmap for delivering the wholesale central bank money in DLT programme;
• support the Director General in ensuring smooth collaboration between the wholesale central bank money in DLT team and the rest of the Directorate General;
• foster a collaborative working atmosphere and an engaged, highly motivated workforce with attention to its wellbeing;
• represent the programme in external fora and events.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to shape the future of wholesale central bank money for Europe and, in doing so, support the digitalisation of the euro area economy. 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 master's degree or equivalent in business administration, computer science, economics, finance, law, political science, project management, STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) or another relevant field (see How you can join us for details on degree equivalences);
• in addition to the above, a minimum of ten years' professional experience in the market infrastructure and payments or related industry, acquired in either the private sector or a central bank;
• professional experience of at least five years in managing complex projects, ideally in a field relevant to this position, with a proven track record of successful delivery and strong change management skills;
• sound knowledge of wholesale financial markets and relevant business models;
• experience in delivering projects on tokenisation, digital assets and DLTs;
• strong managerial, communication and analytical skills;
• 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 minimum of five years' experience in a managerial role, preferably in an international environment;
• experience in communicating with multiple stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, such as banks, central securities depositories and technology providers, in a multicultural environment.

You engage collaboratively with others. You pursue team goals and can draw on the strengths of a diverse team to get the best results. You support the efforts of team members to develop their abilities and are able to build up high-performing teams. You facilitate change and can articulate strategic priorities and scenarios for your team.

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.

We offer

Fin. Markets & Market Infrastructure Ops

Market Infrastructure & Payments

13102

General Information

Type of contract Fixed-term contract, which may be extended subject to individual performance and organisational needs

Who can apply? EU nationals

Salary J (bracket 1 - step 1) full time monthly net salary: €9,438 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer.

Role specialisation Leadership

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 26.01.2026

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 The formal title for this position will be Senior Adviser.

The contract offered will be fixed-term, the appointment being until 31 December 2028.

Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent subject to organisational needs and budgetary constraints. This may result in a staff member with a non-convertible fixed-term contract being offered a convertible contract in accordance with the ECB Conditions of Employment.

Contact

For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to the hiring manager Director General Market Infrastructure and Payments, Thomas Vlassopoulos, by booking an appointment via [email protected] during the publication period of the vacancy notice.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will be conducted partly remotely. It may include a pre-recorded interview in the pre-selection phase and - if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase - a written exercise, a presentation and an on-site interview.

If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list (see step 4 of How we hire), from which you might be considered for similar positions within the ECB.

Find out how to apply for a position at the ECB.

Read more about how you can join us.