Senior/Principal Operational Assistant

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is seeking to recruit for its General Secretariat (GS) – Governance Division at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a (Senior/Principal Operational Assistant)*. This is a full-time position (no travel required) at grade 2/3 for which the EIF offers a permanent contract.

• internal benchmark: (Senior/Principal) Operational Assistant

This is a generic campaign in the view of addressing both current vacancies and to a create reserve list for future vacancies. Retention of the reserve list will be for a maximum period of 18 months.

Panel interviews via video-conference are anticipated for February 2025

EIF Purpose

Part of the EIB Group, the mission of the European Investment Fund (EIF) is to improve access to finance for SMEs and small mid-caps in Europe. We do this by supporting emerging and established fund managers with equity investments and by designing debt financing instruments that share the risk taken by financial institutions when they lend to or invest in small businesses. We bring this support closer to entrepreneurs through our extensive network of partners and financial intermediaries in all EU Member States and associated countries.

Team purpose

The Governance Division, within the General Secretariat, is in charge of advising on corporate governance matters and providing organisational/advisory support to EIF’s governing bodies (Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive, Board of Directors, Audit Board and General Meeting).

The Board and General Meeting (B&GM) Unit is part of the Governance Division, and is primarily responsible for the administration of the Board of Directors, the General Meeting and the EIF Ethics and Compliance Committee, alongside a broader range of institutional, procedural and governance-related matters falling within the remit of the Secretary General.

Operating network

You will support a small team of officers, collaborating with the other assistants in the Division, and will report to the B&GM Head of Unit. You will work in close cooperation with other colleagues in the General Secretariat and the assistant network at EIF service level, as well as with relevant EIB counterparts, in particular within the Governing Bodies Secretariat and the Protocol service. Interaction with the offices of the Chair of the Board, the members and advisors of the Board of Directors, and external shareholding counterparts, as and when necessary.

Responsibilities

At a level commensurate with your experience and seniority, you will:

• Provide office support and administrative assistance in order to contribute to the effective execution of day-to-day activities of the Unit, in particular the organisation, preparation and follow-up of meetings of the Board of Directors and the Annual General Meeting and, as necessary, the EIF Ethics and Compliance Committee.

• Support the accurate and timely distribution of documents and supporting materials for the meetings of the Governing Bodies.

• Process payments to members of the Governing Bodies.

• Contribute to the administration and development of the EIF's Board Portal.

• Serve as primary point of contact for the Unit (with EIF/EIB and externally), including on confidential subjects, notably in order to address / filter information or logistical requests, and queries on matters within the Unit’s remit.

• Proactively monitor and manage accordingly the team’s shared mailboxes and contacts databases.

• Assist in keeping the Unit’s procedures manual up to date.

• Provide support and act as back-up to the other assistants in the Division, as necessary.

Given the nature of the job, a high level of flexibility with respect to working hours is required.

Qualifications

• Secondary level education, complemented with a 2-years certification in a relevant field (e.g. secretarial studies, legal, business administration) or secondary level education with equally qualified experience in a relevant field. Corporate secretariat qualification would be considered an asset.

• At least 5 (five) years of experience in an administrative or operational support position in a relevant field, with at least 2 years in an operational support function. Experience in a corporate secretariat role would be considered an asset.

• Excellent command of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word; good command of other Microsoft Office tools and adaptable to digital solutions.

• Understanding of the EIF's objectives and governance framework would be a considerable advantage.

• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. Knowledge of another language of the European Union would be an asset.

Competencies

• Well-developed organisational skills with ability to multitask and prioritise in a fast-paced environment, whilst working with precision and attention to detail.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with developed sense of discretion and confidentiality.

• Solid work ethic, demonstrating flexibility and ability to adapt to demands within the Unit and the wider Division.

• Ability to work independently, as well as cooperatively within a team, fostering a good working atmosphere with constructive and positive solution-oriented attitude.

Deadline for applications*: 4 February 2025

Applications of women and/or candidates from countries under-represented in EIF (DEU, NLD, POL, DNK, SWE, AUT, CZE) are encouraged.

We are an equal opportunities employer, who believes that diversity is good for our people and our business. We encourage all suitably qualified and eligible candidates to apply regardless of their gender identity/expression, age, racial, ethnic and cultural background, religion and beliefs, sexual orientation/identity, disability or neurodiversity.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact the EIF Recruitment team Recruitment@eif.org who will ensure that your request is handled.

By applying for this position you acknowledge the importance of maintaining the security and integrity of the Information of the EIB Group. In case of selection for the position you agree to comply with all measures (policies, controls, document classification and management) implemented by the EIB Group to prevent unauthorized disclosure of any information or any damage to the EIB Group reputation.

Candidates are informed that pre-employment integrity screening is an integral part of the EIF recruitment process.

• Due to high volume of applications, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.