Data Science Specialist

You will be part of the Strategic Communication Section in the Directorate General Communications. Our Directorate General is responsible for the ECB’s external and internal communication strategy. It helps make the ECB’s work accessible to the public, while safeguarding and strengthening the ECB’s reputation. Our Section evaluates and provides strategic guidance on the ECB’s communication activities related to both central banking and banking supervision topics, prepares topical analytics and impact reports and coordinates headcount planning, budgeting and procurement across the business area.

Your role In your role as a Data Science Specialist, you will join the Analytics and Research team, which comprises around 8 members of staff. The team combines communication analytics, audience research and data science to support the planning, evaluation and strategic development of the ECB’s communications. Using a wide range of data sources and analytical techniques, the team monitors the communication landscape, identifies emerging issues and audience needs, provides evidence-based recommendations and develops the data infrastructure and tools that underpin communication insights and decision-making. You will work closely with others in our Directorate General as part of cross-divisional teams handling strategic communication projects or urgent tasks. 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. As a Data Science Specialist, you will:

• design and maintain data pipelines and extract, transform, load (ETL) processes to collect, process and integrate large volumes of communication-related data from multiple sources (e.g. web analytics, social media, media monitoring and internal systems);
• develop and optimise data models to support advanced analytics and reporting for strategic communication decisions;
• build and deploy predictive and prescriptive models using machine learning techniques to forecast engagement trends and assess communication impact;
• create interactive dashboards and visualisations using tools such as Power BI to present insights to stakeholders;
• ensure data quality, security and compliance, including adherence to the GDPR and responsible AI practices;
• experiment with emerging technologies (e.g. AI-driven analytics and natural language processing for topic classification) to enhance communication strategies. For this role we are seeking candidates who demonstrate the potential for growth, and we will support the selected candidate in their development of the required skills. We actively support professional development for our staff. Besides learning opportunities such as training and mentoring, we encourage and support horizontal mobility after some years in the same position. The position offers you excellent opportunities to apply data science techniques in a large and complex operational area within the Directorate General Communications. You will also play a key role in further developing and enhancing the Analytics and Research team’s portfolio of products and services using state-of-the-art tools and technologies. You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of European citizens.

a master’s degree or equivalent in communication, data science, statistics, or another relevant field (see How you can join us for details on degree equivalences);

• in addition to the above, a minimum of two years’ experience (including internships) in designing, building and managing data pipelines, ETL workflows and big data solutions using Python, SQL and cloud-based technologies;
• sound understanding of data modelling and machine learning;
• good communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences;

• 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 a communications or digital analytics context, such as working with social media, web analytics or media monitoring data to support strategic decision-making;
• experience using data analysis libraries in Python, such as pandas or polars;
• experience using business intelligence and data visualisation software such as Power BI or Tableau;
• experience with cloud providers such as AWS, Azure or OCI;
• proven exposure to AI solutions in the area of data mining and analysis. 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 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 motivated to be part of our team and to develop and use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.