PhD Traineeship in the Directorate General Economics - Supply Side, Labour and Surveillance Division

Job Description:

General Information
Type of contract PhD traineeship
Who can apply? EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme
Grant The trainee grant is EUR2,120 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)
Working time Full time
Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Closing date 03.12.2024
Your team

You will be part of the Supply Side, Labour and Surveillance Division in the Directorate General Economics. We are a team of around 30 experts responsible for the analysis of the euro area labour market, long-term drivers of economic growth, including productivity, and cross-country analysis of macroeconomic vulnerabilities. We also look at economic issues relating to EU governance, with a focus on Next Generation EU and the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union. Our most recent work has focused on the drivers of the labour market, the role of structural changes (such as digitalisation, demographics and climate change) in the euro area economy and the impact of government policies to support the economy.

In your role as a PhD trainee, you will contribute to empirical work in the realms of labour markets, firm productivity, climate change, long-term drivers of economic growth, and macroeconomic risks and vulnerabilities in the euro area.

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 PhD trainee you will:

* support the analytical agenda on key policy questions of the Division;
* conduct empirical analyses using state-of-the-art economic and econometric models;
* contribute to the enhancement of analytical, econometric and forecasting tools under the supervision of ECB experts;
* have the opportunity to submit the resulting papers for publication in the ECB's Working Paper Series and academic journals.

We are looking for several PhD trainees, with profiles in:

A: Applied microeconometrics for the labour market, corporate finance and firm dynamics;

B: Applied time series for empirical macro;

C: Panel data analysis for empirical macro;

D: Dynamic stochastic general equilibrium modelling (including heterogenous-agent models);

E: Machine learning techniques.

Trainees will be expected to complete their tasks using their own initiative and to work largely autonomously under the supervision of an expert. Successful candidates will have access to the ECB's library, as well as to computing and statistical resources. They will also have access to most ECB-organised conferences and internal seminars.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to build on your skills by working on state-of-the-art modelling and econometric techniques, as well as to contribute to policy work of the highest relevance for the economic assessments of the Division. 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 and at least two years of PhD studies in the field of economics, finance, statistics, data science or a related field;
* a sound understanding of, and theoretical background in, macroeconomics and the economic and institutional context in which the ECB fulfils its mandate;
* excellent knowledge of, and a track record in, state-of-the-art modelling tools and econometric techniques or data analytics;
* programming skills in one or more of the following software packages: MATLAB, Stata, Python, R or Julia;
* 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:

* experience in handling microdata and microeconometric models and methods;
* or experience in working with macrodata and macroeconometric methods and models.

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

PhD traineeship of between three and six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total.

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 Claudia Foroni on +49 (0)69 1344 95672 between 14:00 and 15:00 on Monday, 25 November.

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