Digital Euro Privacy Expert - Data Protection Office

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.

Working time: Full time.

Place of work: Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Closing date: .

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 team

You will be part of the Data Protection Office within the Counsel to the Executive Board. The Data Protection Officer is entrusted with the task of ensuring, in an independent manner, that the EU Data Protection Regulation (EUDPR) is applied correctly at the ECB.

You will work at the point where data protection law and market infrastructure development intersect. You will help the Data Protection Officer provide advice to the Directorate Digital Euro in the ECB’s Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments, the unit responsible for preparing the launch of a potential digital euro. In October 2025, the ECB’s Governing Council decided to start the next phase of the project, which is expected to run until 31 December 2027. The overall aim of this phase is to prepare for the issuance of a digital euro that would meet Eurosystem requirements and the needs of prospective users, subject to the adoption of the relevant digital euro legislation.

Your role

As a Digital Euro Privacy Expert you will:

• Work with staff from the digital euro team under a results‑oriented approach.
• Support the Data Protection Officer by preparing meetings, guidance, presentations and legal assessments relating to the digital euro.
• Ensure "privacy by design" during the next phase of the digital euro project.
• Engage in technical discussions with the digital euro delivery teams and providers of the associated service platform.
• Provide data protection advice on digital euro use cases, assess the functionalities of the digital euro from a data protection perspective and advise on privacy‑enhancing technologies.
• Support the Data Protection Officer when liaising with the European Data Protection Supervisor and other stakeholders.
• Provide advice on data protection impact assessments.
• Raise awareness of data protection and provide relevant training at various internal fora and meetings.

We value a track record of diverse relevant experience gained through internal or external mobility and/or positions held prior to working at the ECB.

The position offers excellent opportunities to play a key role in the delivery of a digital form of central bank money, designed to be a new, universally accepted digital payment method that complements physical cash. You will be part of a multicultural team striving 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 law 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’ professional experience in the field of data protection and privacy.
• Experience in steering the functional design requirements and technical providers to develop retail payment infrastructures or retail payment solutions that prioritise privacy.
• Sound understanding of payment systems, privacy‑enhancing techniques relevant for the digital euro and pseudonymisation technologies.
• 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:

• Knowledge of the digital euro project and its data protection legal set‑up and technical/organisational safeguards.
• CIPP‑E (IAPP) certification and/or EIPA Advanced Course for DPOs and Data Protection Experts.
• Experience of complex negotiations with vendors and public institutions about privacy and data protection arrangements.
• Experience working with or for a data protection officer or a similar function.

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 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 motivated to be part of our team and to develop and use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.

Further information

The formal title for this position will be Legal Counsel.

The contract offered will be fixed‑term, the appointment being until 31 March 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, Maarten Daman, on +49 (0) between 11.00 and 12.00 on Wednesday, 11 March.

Application and selection process

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

If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list, from which you might be considered for similar positions within the ECB.

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