Researcher - Financial Markets and Institutions Unit

**About us**

Founded in Brussels in 1983, CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) is a leading think tank and forum for debate on EU affairs, which has been consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 best think tanks. One of CEPS’ distinguishing features is its strong in-house research capacity and an extensive international network of partner institutes. CEPS’ funding comes from a variety of sources, mainly research grants and service contracts, but also from membership and conference fees.

The CEPS ‘Financial Markets and Institutions’ (FMI) unit consists of a research team specialised in financial services and their providers. The main activities of the unit consist of policy research and events. For the policy research the team is using a combination of both ‘state of the art’ quantitative and qualitative research methods. Equally, the FMI unit manages the European Capital Markets Institute (ECMI), the European Credit Institute (ECRI) and provides the secretariat for the Network of Independent Fiscal Institutions (IFIs).

**Researcher - Financial Markets and Institutions Unit**

**Main tasks**

You will become a member of CEPS’ staff and work in the FMI unit and you will:

- Contribute to externally commissioned research projects on a variety of fields linked to financial markets and financial services using primarily quantitative methods.
- Contribute to the writing of reports, studies, and policy pieces.
- Assist in the acquisition of new research projects.
- Delivering external briefings and presentations in your area(s) of expertise at project meetings and external events.
- Assist in liaising with commissioning entities, mostly EU Institutions, as well as with our membership base.

**Background and qualifications**
- You hold a Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Data Science, or a related field, with a minimum of two years of professional experience in applied work.
- You have a strong understanding of the EU's policymaking process and familiarity with EU policies pertaining to financial services.
- You have a good command of Python or R. Knowledge of Power BI, Stata and/or Tableau is an asset.
- You can critically read and comment on research reports and academic publications.
- You have a proven record of writing and presentation skills.
- You have an excellent command of English, both orally and in writing. You have an excellent knowledge of at least another EU official language.
- You are willing and able to organise, moderate and contribute to events hosted by CEPS and its partners.
- You are willing to assist in writing funding proposals and in conducting externally funded projects.
- You can work in a research team involving junior and senior colleagues and can organise your own workload.
- You are willing to develop insights into ongoing legislative and policy debates.
- You are eager to invest in building and maintaining a growing research network.
- You can respect deadlines and juggle multiple tasks and changing priorities.
- You possess a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- You are proactive, self-motivated, results-oriented, creative and enthusiastic.
- You have absolute respect for diversity and an inclusion-oriented mindset.
- You enjoy teamwork and are open to giving and receiving feedback.
- You are enthusiastic to contribute towards the success of the whole of CEPS as an organisation.

**What CEPS can offer**

We initially offer full-time employment for 12 months. The contract is renewable. The salary will be in accordance with your previous experience as well as the CEPS salary scale. We also offer a benefits package (group and hospitalisation insurance, meal tickets, public transport reimbursement, 20 days legal holiday entitlement per year plus an additional two weeks during the Christmas-New Year period when CEPS is closed, as well as the possibility to telework in Belgium and 20 days per calendar year of teleworking from abroad).

**Career development prospects**

This position will give you the opportunity to progress on your career path and gain the valuable skills, training and experience that would potentially allow you to take on the role of Research Fellow or beyond. CEPS offers a Learning and Development Programme for all staff to develop the necessary skills for their position.

**More information**

**Application and deadline**

Applicants are requested to send
- a letter of motivation, explicitly describing point-by-point their relevant experience and linking it to the requirements for the position, indicating their salary expectations and where they came across our advert, in one page maximum.
- If you are successful but not an EU citizen, CEPS will work closely with you to ensure that all relevant documentation and immigration processes are completed to enable you to work in Belgium._