Senior Expert in Distributed Ledger Technology (Securities Settlement Oversight)

at  The European Central Bank

General Information
Type of contract Fixed-term contract, which may be extended subject to individual performance and organisational needs
Who can apply? EU nationals
Salary F/G (bracket 2 - step 1) full time monthly net salary: €6,032 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer.
Working time Full time
Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Closing date 12.08.2024
Your team
You will be part of the Securities and Derivatives Section in the Oversight Division of the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments. Our Directorate General has 140 staff who work on ensuring that Europe’s financial markets can rely on safe and efficient market infrastructure, while embracing innovation and contributing to further European integration. Our responsibilities are threefold: we provide payment and securities settlement infrastructure under the TARGET Services brand; we work with the financial sector to promote innovation and the harmonisation of business practices across Europe; and we oversee market infrastructures and payments.
In your role as Senior Market Infrastructure Oversight Expert, you will be part of the Securities and Derivatives Section, comprised of 15 members of staff. The Section is responsible for overseeing post-trade market infrastructures and preparing Eurosystem opinions on activities related to central counterparties (CCPs), central securities depositories (CSDs), distributed ledger technology settlement systems (DLT-SS) and distributed ledger technology trade and settlement systems (DLT-TSS) under the relevant EU regulations. The Section also contributes to post-trade-related legislation by providing input on the related ECB policy stance. As Senior Market Infrastructure Oversight Expert, you will work closely with a variety of authorities including national central banks, national competent authorities, the European Commission and the European Securities and Markets Authority, as well as being involved in industry engagement activities.
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 Senior Market Infrastructure Oversight Expert you will:

• define oversight policies, frameworks, methodologies and procedures for the use of DLT by settlement infrastructures, coordinating inputs from various sources to ensure all relevant perspectives are taken into account;
• conduct assessments of financial market infrastructures such as CSDs, DLT-SS and DLT-TSS that fall within the responsibilities of the Eurosystem;
• conduct risk analysis related to the functioning of financial market infrastructures in the light of developments on the financial markets and newly adopted technologies such as DLT;
• contribute to work on EU legislative initiatives and support by drawing up the ECB policy stance on aspects related to post-trade financial infrastructures and, in particular, the uptake of DLT and the potential use of DLT-based assets in the financial ecosystem;
• cooperate with colleagues from other ECB business areas and counterparts in various European and international authorities, as well as represent the Oversight Division in various working groups and international fora;
• demonstrate and practice ECB values in daily work and interactions with others, guiding, coaching and developing trainees and junior colleagues.

The position offers you excellent opportunities to work on a diverse range of oversight responsibilities related to the adoption of DLT by post-trade infrastructures, in cooperation with internal and external stakeholders. You will contribute to the ECB’s mandate of ensuring the safety of European financial market infrastructures. 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 or equivalent in finance, economics, business administration, information technology or another relevant field (see How you can join us for for details on degree equivalences);
• in addition to the above, a minimum of seven years’ professional experience in one or more of the following fields: oversight, supervision, audit, policy, operations or project development related to financial market infrastructures or related entities, with proven experience in the field of DLT;
• a strong understanding of the use of DLT in the issuance, trading and/or settlement of crypto-assets and/or traditional asset classes in tokenised form;
• a sound understanding of the financial system and its interdependencies;
• a sound knowledge of the EU regulatory framework for DLT;
• 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:

• knowledge of the EU regulatory framework related to crypto-assets;
• experience in conducting risk analysis in the field of financial market infrastructures;
• experience in drafting different types of written contributions;
• experience in presenting dossiers to varying audiences;
• experience in building and managing relationships with various stakeholders.

You engage collaboratively with others. You pursue team goals and learn willingly from other people’s diverse perspectives. You signal any need for change by explaining it and proposing alternative solutions. You analyse complex information effectively and can evaluate different views to arrive at solutions. You know and anticipate stakeholder needs.
You are motivated to be part of our team and to use your skills and competencies to achieve the objectives of this position.
You are aware of your strengths and areas for development and know what motivates you to perform at your highest level.
Further information
The formal title for this position will be Senior Market Infrastructure Oversight Expert.
The contract offered will be fixed-term, the appointment being until the end of 2025.
Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent subject to organisational needs and budgetary constraints. This may result in a staff member with a non-convertible fixed-term contract being offered a convertible contract in accordance with the ECB Conditions of Employment.
For additional information on this specific vacancy, you can speak to the hiring manager, Beata Wróbel, on +49 (0)69 1344 5375 between 14:00 and 18:00 on Monday, 29 July.
Application and selection process
The recruitment process for this position will be conducted remotely. It may include a pre-recorded video interview in the pre-selection phase and – if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase – a written exercise, a presentation and an interview.
If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list (see step 4 of How we hire), from which you might be considered for similar positions within the ECB.
Find out how to apply for a position at the ECB.
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Please refer the Job description for details