Careers

We offer opportunities across a number of areas including: policy development, supervision, financial and economic analysis, communications, administration and legal services.

We recruit across all financial markets fields: investment management, market infrastructure, economics, corporate finance and reporting, etc. and look for high quality professionals with thorough knowledge in their field.

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Contracts

ESMA recruits its staff on two types of contracts, Temporary Agents on the basis of Article 2(f) of Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) and Contract Agents on the basis of the Article 3(a) of the CEOS. For temporary agents, the duration of the initial contract is five years. After 5 years the contract may be renewed for an indefinite period. For contract agents, the initial duration of the contract can be five years or shorter. It might be renewed once for a fixed period. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite period.

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Seconded National Experts

As Seconded National Expert you will have the opportunity to change perspective, bring your knowledge of the national context and gain experience from within the European Securities Markets Regulator. As a SNE, you will benefit from a first hand experience in a multinational and multicultural environment and develop new skills and competencies that you will then bring back to your organisation. Your secondment will contribute to further enhance the cooperation between ESMA and your organisation. Applications are constantly open, please consult the available profiles in the vacancy notice.

SNE Policy
 

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Traineeships

ESMA's paid traineeship programme is an opportunity for European students and graduates to have a unique and first-hand experience. During the 6-12 months of the traineeship, trainees will be able to put into practice the knowledge acquired during their studies and get a better understanding of what it actually means to work for the European Union. Trainees assist and contribute to different projects and enhance the everyday work of ESMA by providing a fresh point of view and up-to-date academic knowledge. Work can include research, contributing to reports, compiling statistical data, performing operational tasks and participating in ad hoc studies and projects.

Traineeship vacancies are continuously open, applications are revised on a regular basis, and evaluated only when a trainee position is available in ESMA budget. Candidates are advised to follow the instructions mentioned in the traineeship call for applications (incomplete applications will not be considered as valid). Only the best candidates will be contacted for an informal phone interview.

▸ ESMA Traineeship Policy

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Applications

ESMA's external vacancies are published on the e-recruitment website and candidates should send their applications for the open vacancies using the e-recruitment tool within the respective deadline (always 23:59 Paris time on the date stated in the vacancy notice). Candidates wishing to apply for more than one selection procedure must apply for each vacancy in separate application processes using the e-recruitment tool.

ESMA occasionally consults the database of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), any consultation will be published via a vacancy notice on the same e-recruitment website.

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Recruitment process

For more information on ESMA recruitment process of Temporary/Contract Agents and Seconded National Experts, please consult the documents Candidate GuidelinesESMA Recruitment Policy, Privacy Statement, and ESMA vacancies.

In the Recruitment overview table you will be able to check the status of each selection procedure that you applied for. In a spirit of transparency, and in line with the European Ombudsman’s guidelines, the names of Selection Committee members are available to the public. We would like to remind you that the Selection Committee’s work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the Selection Committee, or for anyone to do so on their behalf.

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Career development

ESMA staff’s performance is evaluated each year based on objectives agreed between the line manager and the jobholder. The appraisal system has a dual purpose, namely: to assess the employee’s performance over the year; and to assist the employee in developing their potential, to further enhance their career prospects.

To support staff members in their careers, ESMA develops tailored individual employee training programs, based on the self-assessment and the appraisal of staff, which will support the continuous professional development of staff and also allow them to map out a career path within the organisation.  ESMA provides a variety of training opportunities in core competences, technical skills and management skills, through individual/group trainings, specific in-house events or external activities. As ESMA grows, the possibilities for internal mobility will also increase, allowing employees to pursue a long-term career path within the Authority.

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Basic salary and benefits

Your salary is exempted from national taxes on income in all EU member states. However, a tax deduction on your salary will contribute to the general EU budget.

As an ESMA staff, you will benefit from:

  • Sickness insurance (JSIS: Joint sickness insurance scheme): for you and (in certain cases) your family members.
  • Accident insurance: in case of an accident, you will be covered 24/7 worldwide.
  • Unemployment insurance: in case your contract ends.
  • Retirement pension: as an EU staff member you contribute to the EU pension scheme. You can also transfer-in your previous pension contributions to this EU scheme. In case you would leave the EU system earlier you will be able to transfer-out all your contributions to the pension scheme of your choice. The pension is granted after completing a minimum of ten years' service or reaching the pensionable age.

Your salary takes into account the basic salary that corresponds to your grade and step (see your work contract), the family allowances, compensations, taxes and social contributions. This salary is impacted by a weighting factor to take into account the cost of living in France (currently 116.8%). Pay rates and correction coefficients are adjusted each year.

In addition to the basic salary, staff members may receive various allowances depending on their personal circumstances. The final salary is calculated by adding the relevant allowances and by deducting social security contributions and other taxes.

Social security deductions:

  • Pension (10.10%)
  • Health insurance (1,70%)
  • Accident cover (0,10%)
  • Unemployment insurance (0,81%)
  • Income tax
  • Tax levied progressively at a rate of between 8% and 45% of the taxable portion of the salary
  • Special levy (6%) calculated on the part of the remuneration exceeding the minimum remuneration. This levy is not applied to contract agents FG I, II or III.

As for the financial support, newcomers may be entitled (based on the individual situation and on the supporting documents provided):

  • Family allowances: household, dependent child, education allowances. Family allowances received from other sources must be declared and will be deducted from those paid by ESMA
  • Expatriation allowance/residence allowance
  • Daily subsistence allowance (time limited when taking up duty)
  • Allowance for travel expenses when taking up the duty
  • Moving cost reimbursement
  • Installation allowance
  • Yearly travel allowance to cover the cost to travel to the place of origin/place of recruitment
  • Relocation service

The salaries for staff depend on the category and grade of each post and the family/expatriate situation.

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Work-life balance

ESMA aims to create and maintain a supportive and healthy work environment that enables staff members to have a balance between work and personal responsibilities. Our work-life balance initiatives include:

  • Paternity & parental leave;
  • Part time;
  • Flexible working hours;
  • Special leave under certain circumstances such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child and other family events;
  • Unpaid leave; and
  • Teleworking.

Staff benefit from individual annual leave days and between 15 and 17 public holidays, including the days between 24 December and 1 January.

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Relocation to Paris

ESMA offers help for newcomers for moving to Paris. Staff are entitled to receive the reimbursement of selected services delivered by a registered relocation company or agent to help them settle in the Paris area.

Besides the financial support mentioned above, ESMA offers French language courses in-house to cover levels from A1 to B2 of CEFRL. ESMA also offers the possibility to study your favourite EU language using technology at your own pace, anytime and anywhere with an e-learning licence. and online language training for its staff.

ESMA contributes to the staff’s expenses for the purchase of IT and home office equipment to ensure that staff is better equipped while working from home.

Since 2019 ESMA staff's children can be enrolled at the accredited European school in Courbevoie free of charge. The school currently offers English and French as teaching language.

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