What we offer

During my 9 years at the BIS, my job responsibilities have shifted several times. Currently, I'm heading a team of economists conducting in-depth studies of financial markets to obtain insights that are useful for financial stability analysis and conjunctural monitoring. We identify the impact of policies (monetary and regulatory) and structural changes, and how they shape financial market developments.

The BIS's function as a hub of central bank coordination means we are exposed to ideas at the centre of current global economic debates. This makes our policy work and research relevant - which I find to be quite rewarding. It is also great for generating research ideas. Researchers at university can be highly specialised and can feel fairly isolated at times. We have a critical mass of talented people that are very knowledgeable about financial market and monetary policy issues. This is great for obtaining feedback on one's work - you can just knock on the next door. At the BIS, we have a pretty broad and global perspective, and it's more straightforward to connect the research we do to real-world economic problems.

Basel has a first-class arts and cultural scene, with lots of great events such as Art Basel. Settling in was not difficult for me and my partner. My spouse is an architect, and Basel has a large architectural community, which is also highly international. We also like being close to the Alps and enjoy skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Switzerland is great for outdoor activities of all kinds.

Most of our economists, researchers and statisticians are located in Basel but we also have these roles at our representative offices in Hong Kong SAR and Mexico.

I joined the BIS in Hong Kong as a Senior Economist in May 2008, just in time to take a ring-side seat to the financial turmoil that was about to engulf the globe. Much of what economists focus on at the BIS is at the intersection of macroeconomics and finance. We were ahead of most of the profession on understanding that the links between these two are important, which was vital to understanding the crisis, and I believe that we remain at the frontier of this research today.

Work at the BIS entails, first, preparing background material for meetings of senior policymakers. The decisions that policymakers take in their respective jurisdictions are far-reaching, and it is very rewarding to see ideas that you've pursued being discussed at the highest levels. Second, we conduct research of relevance to those same policymakers, sometimes with leading academics in the relevant subfields. There are, of course, links between these two activities: background material draws on academic expertise, and it is especially rewarding when it is your own work that informs the discussions.

I was already a long-time resident of Hong Kong SAR when I joined the BIS's regional office, and I continue to enjoy living here. Hong Kong feels as if it is at the heart of Asia, full of bustle and excitement. The city makes it easy for an outsider to settle down, and there's a surprising amount of greenery close to the built-up areas. With three children, education is very important to me, and the school system in Hong Kong offers a wide choice -  with generally high standards. A less important yet pleasant bonus to working for the BIS here is the staggering view from our offices on the 78th floor of Two International Finance Centre.

Most of our economists, researchers and statisticians are located in Basel but we also have these roles at our representative offices in Hong Kong SAR and Mexico.

Originally from Poland, I joined the BIS while still working on my PhD dissertation at the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona. Over the past 10 years, I have been working on a number of research projects related to monetary policy, financial markets and institutions, gradually increasing the scope of my responsibilities.

The BIS is a rather small institution, which gives its staff the chance to interact directly with talented and well educated colleagues working at all levels in the organisation. We all have a clear sense of our contribution to the overall objectives of the Bank. The BIS's size also allows the institution to spot and develop internal talent. A few years ago, I was given the opportunity to further develop my managerial skills with great support from HR and other peers in a similar situation.

As a line manager, I'm exposed to variety of tasks, both managerial and operational, and every day brings some new learning experience and stimulating challenges. My group is young, dynamic, smart and highly motivated, with unique set of nationalities and backgrounds.

Personally, as a working mother of a toddler, I appreciate the good work/life balance that I currently have. Basel adds to that as a good place to raise children and enjoy family life.

I joined the BIS after 12 years at the Bank of England. My first assignment plunged me into the heart of the BIS. Preparing briefing documents for a meeting of central bank governors, I quickly realised that the BIS is a special place to work. Governors want to discuss topics that are often in, or will be in the headlines, but where there is a lack of satisfactory answers in existing studies. The briefing documents are intended to stimulate discussion on these questions and the sharing of information between central banks. This requires a global perspective, highlighting where economies face shared problems, relating this to the main drivers and exploring the scope of policy to address any problems. It is always a challenge but, for a research economist, this material provides a constant stream of great new research ideas.

Working at the BIS has the bonus of living in Basel. The city offers a great quality of life. After living in Washington DC and London, I looked for locations with the amenities of a large city, such as world-class museums and galleries, but without the downsides. Basel has it all. For those with families, it is a wonderful city for children to grow up. My kids have an amount of freedom that is unimaginable in most cities. There is so much to do in or around Basel that there are not enough weekends in the year. In 10 minutes I can be in France or Germany, in a little over three hours, in Italy. Being in Switzerland, skiing brings a whole new dimension to winter. Where previously I dreaded the onset of winter, I now positively look forward to it. In both my work and leisure time, I am never bored.

Most of our economists, researchers and statisticians are located in Basel but we also have these roles at our representative offices in Hong Kong SAR and Mexico.

I started my BIS career with four years in its Hong Kong SAR office. Working for the BIS with a regional responsibility, especially in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, and helping the BIS to establish itself as a truly global institution was something I really enjoyed. Since then, my activities with the BIS have always been based on relationship-building with central bankers and financial sector supervisors.

For many years, I worked at the Financial Stability Institute (FSI). The FSI's mandate includes disseminating global financial standards and helping to ensure that they are understood within the financial supervisory community. My job has allowed me to visit many countries and to engage with many interesting people with a diverse set of backgrounds representing different cultures and financial systems.

As a former banking supervisor, much of my work has been driven by the work of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which is hosted by the BIS. I recently switched to work for the Committee's Secretariat, where I enjoy being at the frontline of developing banking regulation and supervision. The job also gives me the great opportunity to work closely with my colleagues from the secretariats of other global standard setting bodies like the Financial Stability Board, the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and the International Association of Deposit Insurers, also all hosted by the BIS.

After I relocated to Basel, I discovered again the beauty of living in the centre of Europe, enjoying the city's proximity to both France and Germany and of course taking advantage of the rich cultural life Basel and Switzerland provides. I should also mention that Switzerland offers a myriad of sports options both for summer and winter, which I enjoy practising with family, friends and colleagues.

After working in investment banks in Sydney and London, I now work as a software developer and business analyst for the BIS's Risk Management unit. As the BIS is a relatively small organisation, I am close to the business and have a wide range of responsibilities. It has been both a challenge and opportunity to learn about the BIS's banking activities and risk management, as well as lead projects and shape the technical and architectural platforms of the Risk Management unit.

With regard to IT within Risk Management, a particular advantage of the BIS is the focus on quality and resources to create reliable, well-designed solutions. There is flexibility to use Agile methodologies and openness to new techniques and technologies, such as using graphics processing units for simulations. There is much cooperation between different teams (e.g. development, database and infrastructure) which I believe is a natural outworking of the BIS, which fosters inter-departmental relationships through social, sporting and family events.

Many locals ask why I prefer to live in Basel rather than Sydney, given the lack of beaches here! However, what Switzerland lacks in coastline is more than compensated for by the spectacular mountains and lakes. In addition, family life in Basel is great - children can play on the street and walk to school on their own, and for me the commute to work is just a pleasant 20-minute bike ride!

I work in the BIS's treasury unit, where I act as a market-maker for BIS products in currencies and gold. It's similar to what treasuries do in commercial or investment banks, but here we focus on central banks and international institutions. One main difference is that in my current role I multitask a lot. I hedge the market risk from customer transactions and contribute to the FX and gold risk-taking/investment activities for the Bank, similar to those of a commercial bank. I also develop business relationships with a portfolio of central bank customers and prepare and present market reports for the central banks and the BIS management. So it's somehow a mix of a trading, a sales and an economist role!

Before joining the BIS, I worked in a commercial bank for more than 10 years, first as an economist in the research department, and then as an FX trader in the treasury department. Moving from the private sector to the BIS was a big challenge for me, but I saw the BIS as a unique place to work where I could use my previous experience as both an economist and a trader.

On a more personal note, moving to the BIS has allowed me to improve my work/life balance. My working hours are flexible and give me the opportunity to spend time with my family. Furthermore, Basel is a great place to live with children; it's a small city with lots of green space, it's safe and child-friendly. But the best thing for me about the BIS and Basel is the international environment; both are open to other cultures, and the presence of people from around the world gives you plenty of opportunities to make new friends of other nationalities and learn about different cultures.

As a senior investment and risk analyst in the Banking Department's Financial Analysis unit, I'm responsible for a wide range of support activities, mainly valuation and performance analysis, but also the coordination of cross-departmental business development initiatives. In this role, I provide ad hoc financial analyses requested by the other units or Banking management, and perform model validations. As such, I interact a lot with colleagues not only in the front and back offices, but also in the risk management and finance functions. This is something I really enjoy in my work, interacting with able colleagues from diverse backgrounds.

I have worked for various units since I joined the Bank, from a consultancy, in 2007. Before I joined the Financial Analysis team, I first worked in Risk Methodology, then Market Risk, and I was also temporarily borrowed by Internal Audit on one occasion. I really appreciate the mobility of working in different units within the Bank, because it helped in gaining different perspectives and knowing people better by working with them in the same team.

On the personal side, although Basel is a rather small town, it is never boring for someone like me who studied and worked in big cities such as Paris and Beijing before coming here. There is always something going on, such as Basel World, Basel Art, Basel Tattoo, Fasnacht or musicals. What's more, it's close to the mountains; there are lots of places to go hiking or skiing within one or two hours' drive, and even on rainy days, there are lots of museums to visit.

My background is in investment banking, in which I worked for a number of years in London before I joined the BIS. In contrast to the large commercial banks, the BIS is an organisation of manageable size; rather than working on one small part of one project, you see the whole picture, and really get a feel for the overall strategic perspective.

It has given me the chance to work on a number of interesting projects. Prior to joining Risk Management, I was in the valuation control team in the Finance department, where I worked on projects such as the retooling and automation of the Bank's valuation verification processes, a key input into the preparation of the financial statements. The chance of moving between departments offered me the opportunity to tackle new challenges in an altogether different discipline.

Living in Basel has also been most enjoyable - the city is small but diverse and situated at the heart of Europe. For those who have enjoyed big city lifestyles for a time, it offers a gratifying change of pace.

Most of our legal, compliance and internal audit team is based in Basel.

I am the Deputy Head of Central Bank Services in the Bank's Treasury. Our team handles the banking relationships of the BIS with some 140 central banks and international organisations that we assist in the management of their official reserves. We coordinate the BIS's asset management, foreign exchange and gold services for these customers.

We work closely with our customers in order to develop a clear understanding of their investment approaches and to provide customised financial services. I love the exposure to central banks around the world and the unique insights you get into central banking and the management of official reserves. It is fascinating how the approaches and needs of central banks can vary according to factors such as their currency regimes and the size of their reserves.

When you work in the BIS's Banking Department, you will take on a wide range of tasks. This requires a good measure of flexibility and readiness to think and act outside your box. In return, this allows you to follow processes and projects from beginning to end and see the big picture.

I find it easy to live in Basel. As it is a relatively small city, it is easy to navigate round town. Most of us have a commute of no more than 15 minutes. But the city has plenty to offer. Nature-lovers can quickly reach the Swiss Alps, the Black Forest in Germany or Alsace in France. Basel itself is packed with world-class museums and art galleries, and it's also very rich in terms of concerts and culture. Basel hosts the world's biggest art fair, the famous carnival Fasnacht and the biggest watch and jewellery fair, so there are always lots of interesting people visiting the city.

I work in the Hong Kong dealing room, where the BIS Banking Department's dealers, relationship managers and portfolio managers work closely together to deliver banking services to central banks during Asian trading hours, as well as manage the BIS's Asian currency investments. As there are fewer staff compared to the Basel dealing room, we are expected to accept a broader set of responsibilities and perform a broader range of tasks.

I spent a great deal of time developing and managing the BIS's Chinese renminbi business, with the aim of building a first-class investment and trade execution infrastructure that will enable us to provide a full range of renminbi banking services to central banks. Throughout the process, I had the opportunity to work with regulators to establish privileged access to the market, work with counterparties to set up new trading relationships, and interact with customers to learn what products and services would support their reserve management activities in the renminbi space. For me the most challenging but also interesting task was working with my colleagues to put in place complex legal and operational arrangements in order to carry out bespoke transactions. I like the pioneering spirit and inventive process involved.

Hong Kong offers not just a multilingual environment, but also a society where Asian and western cultures and values harmoniously co-exist. In the Hong Kong dealing room, almost everyone is of a different nationality and yet we share the same commitments and work together to achieve the same goals.

I joined the BIS locally, as I was previously living in Zurich, where I worked for two of the largest Swiss banks. I hold a BSc in Computer Engineering and an MSc in Computer Science. In my position, I focus on building software applications for internal use: these can range from an identity management system, through a bank-wide process automation workflow system, to financial data management systems. I work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment where we make use of Agile methodologies and strive for great quality and the use of industry-standard technology.

Working for a mid-sized organisation like the BIS means the work I do has an immediate impact in the company, and it is very rewarding to see how big that impact can be sometimes. Due to the Bank's size, it is normally not difficult to find the appropriate people one needs to engage with. In addition, I feel it is possible to get things done much more quickly here than in larger organisations.

The work environment at the BIS is truly international: my team comprises 12 people of 11 different nationalities! This diversity, in my opinion, contributes to the best outcomes: we have different points of view, experiences and ways of approaching daily situations we are faced with.

Living in Switzerland, a country with a great standard of living and with an infinity of picturesque landscapes, also means there is a lot to be enjoyed when not at work.

I have been working at the BIS for over two years now as a Senior Systems Developer within the Architecture and Applications team. My role is to build and help to maintain and improve various platforms that support some of the Bank's main activities, such as the compilation of international banking and financial statistics.

Working for the BIS's IT department requires flexibility and an ability to multitask. People usually wear several hats, taking upon themselves various roles, from development to management, and are often involved in multiple projects simultaneously. We benefit from a dynamic IT environment, with a management willing to support innovation. Many ongoing initiatives aim at modernising and securing the IT infrastructure. This will quite dramatically change the way we work and bring the promise of exciting challenges in the years to come.

After many years spent in rather large cities, my family and I enjoyed settling in Basel and more generally in Switzerland. We have found a very safe environment. With many parks and playgrounds as well as endless options for cultural or outdoors excursions, Basel really is a great place for kids and families.