European Central Bank: Traineeship in Human Resources - HR legal/pre-litigation

General Information

Type of contract  Traineeship

Who can apply?  EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme

Grant  The trainee grant is €1,070 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)

Working time  Full time

Place of work  Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date  22.09.2023

Your team

You will be part of the Directorate General Human Resources and will help us to deliver on our mission to support committed and talented people working for a prosperous Europe. Our Directorate General has around 180 staff providing services to around 3,500 employees. 

In your role as a trainee in the HR legal/pre-litigation team, you will be part of a small multicultural team of four members of staff responsible for tasks that are essentially legal in nature: responding to requests for authorisation of external activities, internal appeals, disciplinary and dignity at work cases, as well as providing advice to HR colleagues on legal and data protection issues. We are currently working on policies related to our ethics, whistleblowing, disciplinary and investigations frameworks. We work closely with other HR teams and HR (senior) management, as well as with the Compliance and Governance Office, Directorate General Legal Services, Data Protection Office and Directorate Internal Audit.

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 HR legal/pre-litigation team you will:

• provide draft responses to requests for authorisation of external activities;
• support the team in drafting disciplinary reports, as well as reasoned replies to internal appeals and other requests from ECB staff members;
• contribute to advice prepared by the team for other HR colleagues on legal and data protection issues, as well as to presentations, memos and briefings;
• develop policy on topics related to our tasks, for example by conducting research or benchmarking;
• foster cooperation between colleagues in HR and other business areas.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to put your drafting and analytical skills to use and to learn about the ECB and EU employment law frameworks. 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, European studies, HR management, social and organisational psychology, or another relevant field;
• outstanding written and verbal communication skills;
• an interest in data protection, HR or employment law matters;
• 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: 

• practical experience in data protection, HR or employment law matters.

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

Traineeship of between 3 and 12 months in total. The traineeship is expected to start in the last quarter of 2023.

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 Emma Linklater-Sahm, on +49 (0)69 1344 9240 between 10:00 and 12:00 on Monday 18 September 2023.

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.