Financial Markets Expert - DGM/FOS

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 F/G (bracket 1 - step 1) full time monthly net salary: €5,876 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer .

Role specialisation Market Ops Policy & Implementation

Working time Full time

On-call? Yes

Shift? Yes

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date

Your team

You will be part of the Financial Operations Services Division in the Directorate General Market Operations. Our Directorate General is responsible for preparing the monetary policy and foreign exchange operations of the Eurosystem, executing centralised operations and coordinating decentralised operations. We manage the ECB’s foreign exchange reserves and own funds and develop and maintain the framework for all financial market-related activities. We also maintain relationships with financial market participants, central banks and official institutions and monitor and analyse market developments relevant for the conduct of market operations.

In your role as a Financial Market Expert, you will be part of a team of 25-30 people in the Financial Operations Services Division, which performs a wide range of settlement, payment and post-trade activities related to the ECB’s financial operations and acts as fiscal and paying agent for EU and euro area institutions. We are also involved in strategic developments and projects and contribute to the work of European System of Central Banks and Eurosystem task forces, working groups and committees aimed at enhancing settlement and post-trade processes and procedures.

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 Financial Market Expert you will:

• perform back-office and post-trade operations related to the implementation of the ECB’s monetary policy, own funds and foreign reserves management, and Exchange Rate Mechanism operations;
• execute tasks related to the ECB’s role as fiscal and paying agent for the lending activities of EU and euro area institutions;
• contribute to the analysis, assessment and operationalisation of decisions on investment and monetary policy implementation from a post‑trade perspective;
• enhance and streamline processes and procedures in response to regulatory and market developments, leveraging technological innovation while ensuring effective risk management;
• manage contracts and legal documentation with the ECB’s counterparties and financial intermediaries involved in foreign exchange, foreign reserve and own funds management operations;
• prepare notes, reports, and procedures on post‑trade activities, associated risks and financial market regulatory initiatives, while supporting ECB/Eurosystem committees and working groups and contributing to strategic initiatives, such as the review of the Eurosystem’s operational framework and the coordination of Eurosystem reserve management services.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to contribute to the implementation of monetary policy in the euro area and the provision of fiscal services to the EU and to deepen your understanding of central banking trends and developments. 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 economics, finance, business administration or another relevant field (see How you can join us for details on degree equivalences);
• in addition to the above, a minimum of four years’ relevant professional experience (excluding internships and traineeships) in settlement and post‑trade activities (including working to ISO 15022 and ISO 20022 standards) or in other areas of market operations;
• a sound understanding of SWIFT and experience working with portfolio management systems;
• proven knowledge of financial markets and the financial ecosystem;
• experience in drafting policy notes, preparing briefings and presenting findings and arguments in non‑technical terms;
• awareness of nascent trends and developments, e.g. in the fields of tokenisation and digital finance, and their impact on the post‑trade environment;
• 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 of applying quantitative and econometric techniques and of presenting the analytical findings;
• professional experience in defining requirements, designing workflows, end‑user testing and reviewing design documents for settlement and other post‑trade tasks;
• a professional qualification in financial analysis and markets, such as the CFA Charter or equivalent.

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.

You are motivated to be part of our team and to develop and use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position. You are aware of your strengths and areas for development and know what motivates you to perform at your highest level.

Further information

The contract offered will be fixed‑term, the appointment being until 30 April 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.

For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to the hiring manager, Isabel Soares, on +49 (0) between on Friday 10th of April, between 11:00 and 12:00.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will be conducted remotely. It will include a written exercise, a presentation and an 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.