Traineeship in People Engagement and Communications
Grade: Internship - Traineeship - Only Open to EU Nationals
Closing Date: Apr 29, 2026
Location: Frankfurt (Germany)
Occupational Groups: Communication and Public Information

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 29.04.2026

Your team

You will be part of the People Engagement and Communications team in the HR Digitalisation and Employee Relations Division of the Directorate General Human Resources. Our Division is responsible for stakeholder and staff relations, people communications and engagement, legal and data protection oversight, HR systems and analytics development, and major HR transformation, including digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) enablement and workforce management.

In your role as trainee, you will be part of a team responsible for shaping and delivering internal communication related to people, culture and organisational topics at the ECB. We design and implement communication strategies on organisational change, leadership communication, employee experience, campaigns and events using a range of formats and channels.

We work closely with senior management, Directorate General Communications and other business areas across the ECB to ensure that communication supports organisational priorities, enhances staff engagement and fosters a shared understanding of people topics, related change and transformation. We also lead work on organisational culture, including the ECB staff survey, from the design of the questionnaire to the delivery of the results, the analysis of engagement data and the translation of insights into actionable recommendations.

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 you will:
  • gain hands-on experience in strategic communication in an international environment;
  • learn how the ECB works internally and how communication shapes decision-making and organisational alignment;
  • work directly with senior leaders and prepare materials for all internal audiences, from the Executive Board to managers and staff;
  • build on your writing, storytelling, analytical and presentation skills;
  • advance your skills in producing and editing videos, infographics and other visual content, and apply them to creating communication materials for internal channels on people related topics;
  • learn to translate complex information into clear messaging and visually engaging content;
  • develop the ability to think strategically and creatively, keeping the big picture in mind while delivering concrete outputs;
  • take ownership of tasks and progressively contribute ideas for communication strategies, campaigns and events;
  • learn to use AI tools critically and responsibly as part of modern communication workflows.

This traineeship offers you a unique opportunity to learn how communication supports organisational culture, leadership and transformation within a complex European institution and will expose you to a broad range of communication, organisational and analytical topics. 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 communications, business administration, social and organisational psychology, political science, management, economics or another relevant field;
  • knowledge, interest and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: internal and corporate communications, employee engagement, strategic messaging, organisational culture, change and transformation communication, project management, data supported storytelling;
  • English writing and editing skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and structure information effectively;
  • experience in producing audiovisual or visual communication content, such as videos, infographics, posters and presentations;
  • the ability to translate complex or technical topics into accessible and engaging content;
  • excellent knowledge of MS Office, especially PowerPoint, Word and Excel;
  • 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 producing communication deliverables (presentations, briefs, executive summaries, reports);
  • experience with design and video-making tools, e.g. Canva, Clipchamp, Adobe Creative Suite, or a willingness to learn;
  • familiarity with survey design, data analysis or data visualisation; 
  • an ability to extract meaningful insights from data;
  • experience of working in complex or international environments with multiple stakeholders.

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

Initial traineeship of six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total. The position is expected to start around 1 September 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 Kathrin Aldema-Bolz on +49 (0)69 1344 6701 between 12:00 and 13:30 CET on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

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 and a remote written exercise.

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.

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