Function

The Directorate General Statistics (DG/S) is seeking a Research Analyst for its External Statistics (ETS) Division. DG/S develops, compiles and disseminates the statistics needed by the European Central Bank (ECB) to conduct its monetary policy and perform other tasks.

The ETS Division is one of the five divisions that form DG/S and is responsible for developing, compiling and disseminating external statistics and indicators for the euro area, and for providing related information services. These statistics include statistics on the balance of payments, including its monetary presentation, the international investment position, foreign reserves and related assets, and other external statistics, such as those on effective exchange rates. The Division is also responsible for the provision of all market data services of the ECB and for the Centralised Securities Database (CSDB), which contains reference and price data on individual securities of relevance for euro area statistics. The CSDB has worldwide coverage and currently holds data on approximately 7 million securities with numerous attributes.

The successful candidate will be assigned to work on the CSDB.

The successful applicant will be entrusted with the following main tasks:

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  contributing to the smooth and stable development and operation of the CSDB and the processes it serves, including the data quality management network that is run on the basis of days-to-day cooperation with all national central banks in the European System of Central Banks (ESCB);
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  contributing to the provision of training sessions for CSDB users and data quality managers from the entire ESCB;
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  testing from a business perspective and contributing to the roll-out of software releases for the CSDB, including contributions to the preparation of test plans and to carrying out the test execution and test documentation;
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  contributing to the development of statistical tools for monitoring and steering the quality of very large micro datasets;
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  liaising with CSDB users within the ECB and the ESCB (and with potential external users).

Qualifications and experience

Applicants must have the following knowledge and competencies:

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  University degree in finance, economics, statistics and/or mathematics, or a proven ability to perform the tasks required by the position. In all cases, a strong affinity for mathematics would be an asset.
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  Professional experience in the field of finance, statistics and/or mathematics. Experience in the development and operation of large micro databases would be an asset.
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  Experience in designing and developing indicators and reports to assess and steer the quality of very large micro datasets. Familiarity with index theory would be an asset.
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  Ability to explain complex technical issues in simple, non-technical language to different audiences, including those with a non-technical background, together with the ability to draft appropriate documentation.
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  A sound knowledge of financial markets, of the relevant actors and of securities, in particular.
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  Ability to test new releases of statistical software from a user perspective. This requires the skill to appropriately break down complex problems into simpler components which can be tested separately.
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  Fluent command of English with proven drafting ability.
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  A basic command of at least one other official language of the EU is also required.
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  Working knowledge of MS Office, in particular Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Experience with business intelligence software to aggregate and present large datasets, e.g. “Business Objects”, would be an asset.

Behavioural Competencies

The successful candidate will have the following behavioural competencies:

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  breaks things down into their constituent parts to determine cause-and-effect relationships and analyses and compares complex micro datasets from a variety of sources;
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  assesses current solutions and recommends superior alternatives;
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  simplifies complex processes, increasing the speed and/or quality of output;
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  manages his/her own workload independently, without burdening other team members unnecessarily;
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  shares information and supports team members in the achievement of common goals;
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  embraces new technology and processes with enthusiasm;
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  pursues projects with energy and drive and sees resistance and setbacks as inevitable obstacles that need to be overcome;
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  does not become defensive and remains personable when under pressure;
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  uses rigorous logic and comprehensive processes in order to solve difficult problems;

Duration of contract / Closing date

Fixed-term contract until 31 December 2013, which may be extended subject to individual performance and organisational needs.

Closing date for applications: 13 February 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 a written exercise, a presentation and interviews.

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

Further information on the ECB’s conditions of employment for fixed-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 E/F.