Function

The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) was established as a European Union body responsible for macro-prudential oversight of the financial system within the EU. The tasks of the ESRB are to identify systemic risks and contribute to the prevention or mitigation of their impact on the economy. To this end, it can in particular issue warnings or recommendations.

The ESRB has a General Board, a Steering Committee, a Secretariat, an Advisory Scientific Committee and an Advisory Technical Committee. The Secretariat is provided by the European Central Bank (ECB) and comprises approximately 25 professional staff who are therefore subject to the conditions of employment of the ECB.

The successful applicant will be entrusted with the main task of coordinating the legal activities and responding to the legal needs of the structures of the ESRB and, in particular:

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  supporting and coordinating the legal activities of the ESRB Secretariat, with the objective of providing timely and high-quality legal advice;
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  assisting the staff of the ESRB Secretariat with the legal aspects of the ESRB’s activity;
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  providing legal expertise for the drafting of ESRB recommendations and warnings;
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  identifying the legal issues implied in the policy actions of the ESRB and devising possible solutions;
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  cooperating with the ECB and the other ESRB member institutions on legal matters of common interest;
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  liaising with other EU and national institutions on legal matters of common interest;
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  representing the ESRB Secretariat on European committees and working groups where legal issues arise;
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  participating in the sub-structures of the ESRB where legal issues arise.

Qualifications and experience

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  master’s-level university qualification in law or an equivalent professional qualification as a lawyer obtained in an EU Member State or Croatia. Additional university degrees, postgraduate studies in financial law, relevant academic publications and bar association membership would be an asset;
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  at least eight years of full-time professional experience as a legal counsellor in Europe working on the legal aspects of financial stability, financial supervision and/or financial services;
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  in-depth knowledge of the legal and institutional underpinnings of the global and European regulatory framework of the financial sector;
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  very sound understanding and working knowledge of legal principles, concepts and techniques;
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  sound knowledge of the main economic aspects of the financial sector;
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  experience in negotiations regarding complex, technical legal matters with internal and external stakeholders;.
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  excellent command of English with proven drafting ability and a good working knowledge of at least one other official language of the EU;
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  a working knowledge of French or German would be an asset.

Behavioural Competencies

The successful candidate will have the following behavioural competencies:

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  ability to interact effectively and work towards a common goal with experts in economics, financial stability, statistics and other disciplines;
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  ability to coordinate, when necessary, the work of a small number of staff with legal expertise;
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  strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively in international environments;
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  ability to focus on the practical implementation of policies, starting from an informed and rich legal perspective;
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  proven ability to develop and maintain relations with other institutions, in a spirit of open and sincere cooperation;
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  ability to coordinate and work effectively on several projects simultaneously, covering different topics and meeting tight deadlines;
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  ability to work independently without close supervision while keeping stakeholders informed;
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  very good capacity to summarise and present complex and technical topics to a non-specialist audience, clearly identifying policy implications in macro-prudential terms;
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  proven ability to draft technical notes and deliver presentations in a wide variety of fora;
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  ability to establish and maintain a wide range of networks, relations and contacts with internal and external parties.

Duration of contract / Closing date

Short-term contract of up to two years.

Closing date for applications: extended until 1 March 2012

Further information

Applications are to be made in English and submitted using our online application form. An “Applicants’ Guide” can be downloaded from the “FAQs & Help” page.

The recruitment process may include shortlisting on the basis of CVs, a written exercise, a presentation and interviews.

This is a call for expressions of interest from members of staff of ESCB institutions and international organisations - i.e. an applicant’s current employer should be the national central bank of an EU Member State or Croatia, another member institution of the ESRB (national supervisory authorities in the areas of banks, insurance or financial markets regulation) or a European or international institution (e.g. the BIS, EBRD or IMF).

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their interest in this position with their line management prior to applying.

Applications are accepted from nationals of Member States of the European Union or Croatia.

Further information on the ECB’s conditions of employment for short-term positions can be found at http://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/jobs/html/index.en.html.

This position has been allocated to salary band H.