European Internal Audit Trainee Programme (m/w/d)

General Information

• Type of contract: Traineeship
• Who can apply?: EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme
• Grant: The trainee grant is €1,170 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)
• Working time: Full time
• Place of work: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• Closing date: 25.11.2025

Your team

You will participate in a unique one-year programme offering insight into how internal audit provides assurance and advisory services on a business or IT function’s processes and systems. The programme is sponsored by the ECB and the member institutions of the European System of Central Banks and the Single Supervisory Mechanism. Your time on the programme will be split between (i) the ECB, and (ii) either an EU national central bank or a national competent authority in the field of EU banking supervision.

You will work under the guidance of experienced auditors to assess and improve your hosting institution’s control environment, as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of its business and/or IT processes. Moreover, you will follow a dedicated development programme teaching you the technical and soft skills needed to become a successful auditor.

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 auditor, you will:

• analyse and document business and/or IT processes (e.g. flowcharts, written control assessments and narrative descriptions) in the fields of central banking, banking supervision and supporting business functions (e.g. HR, IT, administration);
• evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and risks of these processes, and recommend improvements;
• apply various analytical techniques in response to specific testing goals;
• prepare technical documents, draft working papers and contribute to reports for the individual stages of an audit;
• contribute to audit governance and support management work in terms of planning, methodology, quality assurance and continuous improvement;
• work with a wide range of professionals at all hierarchical levels of your hosting organisations.

The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to:

• learn more about central banking and banking supervision in the EU, supporting business functions, and the underlying governance structures and cooperation mechanisms of the Eurosystem and/or European banking supervision;
• gain extensive insight into internal audit functions;
• use and develop your communication skills in a professional environment;
• gain practical experience by working with highly skilled professionals in internal auditing;
• participate in a structured training programme focusing on the role of an internal auditor in a multicultural organisation.

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 internal audit, finance, accounting, business administration, economics, information technology, computer science, data science, statistics or another relevant field;
• knowledge of the functioning of the Eurosystem, the European System of Central Banks and European banking supervision;
• a good knowledge of data analytics tools (e.g. Python, Tableau);
• 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:

• a master’s degree in internal audit, finance, accounting, business administration, economics, information technology, computer science, data science, statistics or another relevant field;
• knowledge of the most recent version of the International Professional Practices Framework established by the Institute of Internal Auditors;
• an intermediate (B1) command of German, Spanish, French, Croatian, Italian or Portuguese according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
• practical experience in one or more of the following fields: internal audit, finance, quantitative analysis, accounting, controlling, risk management, cyber security, cloud computing, digital forensics, IT general and application controls, business process automation, use of artificial intelligence tools.

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.

Working modalities

During the traineeship, you will spend approximately six months at the ECB and another six months at a national central bank or national competent authority in one of the Member States of the EU. The traineeship may also involve business travel. For the period at the ECB, you will, if eligible, receive a monthly accommodation allowance or be given free accommodation at one of the ECB residences in Frankfurt. For the other period spent at a national institution, you will receive a monthly accommodation allowance.

Further information

Traineeship of 12 months in total, starting on 15 April 2026.

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 Dina Henriques and Klaudia Ichas on +49 (0)69 13446254 between 09:00 and 11:00 CET on 13 November 2025 or between 14:00 and 16:00 CET on 24 November 2025.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include a pre-recorded video interview in the pre-selection phase and – if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase – 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.