Senior/Principal Operational Assistant

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is seeking to recruit for its General Secretariat – Governance Division – Board and General Meeting (“B&GM”) Unit at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a Senior/Principal Operational Assistant*. This is a full-time position at grade 2/3 for which the EIF offers a permanent contract. The position requires regular office presence.

• Internal benchmark: Senior/Principal Operational Assistant

Panel interviews via videoconference are anticipated for November/December 2026

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.

Operating network

The B&GM Unit’s core mission is to support the EIF’s Board of Directors, the General Meeting and the Ethics and Compliance Committee across their different roles and responsibilities. For these three bodies, the B&GM team is behind the organisation of meetings and written procedures; submissions and communications via the three corresponding portals; the associated post-meeting deliverables, including minutes and action points; the submissions and reporting under the delegation of authority by the Board to the Chief Executive; as well as ensuring that governing bodies-related website information and publications remain up to date. In a broader context, the B&GM Unit’s remit includes a range of institutional, procedural and governance-related matters falling within the remit of the Secretary General, such as the admission of new shareholders; the onboarding and ongoing training of Board members; changes to the EIF’s statutory framework; and various digitalisation projects.

The B&GM team provides key support and contributes to operational and strategic decision-making as it’s happening, in a highly demanding environment, where we consistently aim to offer an efficient and reliable service to the members of the governing bodies.

The advertised role is therefore essential to the smooth operation of the Unit, providing high-quality administrative, organisational and coordination support in a dynamic environment.

The role incumbent will become an integral part of the team, committed to working closely with the other members of the Unit and, as relevant, the wider Governance division, other EIF and EIB services, and external counterparts.

Responsibilities

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

• Act as a primary operational 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.
• Provide end-to-end support and administrative assistance in the execution of day-to-day activities of the Unit, in particular the organisation, preparation and follow-up of meetings – or written procedures – of the Board of Directors and the (Annual) General Meeting and, as necessary, the EIF Ethics and Compliance Committee.
• Prepare, quality-check and finalise documentation for the Governing Bodies, ensuring accuracy, consistency with templates, correct metadata, and timely dispatch.
• Proactively screen, prioritise and follow up on incoming correspondence, and generally manage the Unit’s shared mailboxes and contact databases in a timely and reliable manner.
• Process expenses of members of the Governing Bodies and support practical arrangements for Board members, including travel and accommodation matters as relevant.
• Contribute to the administration, maintenance and continuous enhancement of the Unit’s digital tools, platforms and collaboration spaces, including the Governing Bodies Portals, Teams and SharePoint environments, etc.
• Support process optimisation, digitalisation and administrative best practice within the Unit, helping to improve ways of working, strengthen operational reliability and contribute to broader digitalisation-related projects.
• Provide effective back-up support across the Governance Division assistant network as required, contributing to continuity of service and collaborative delivery across governance-related activities.

Qualifications

• Secondary level diploma’ complemented with a 2-year certification in a relevant field or secondary level education with equally qualified experience in relevant field.
• At least 5 (five) years of postgraduation (after having obtained your initial diploma) relevant professional experience in an administrative or operational support role.
• Excellent knowledge of standard computer tools and MS Office tools (particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of other EU languages would be a plus.
• Good understanding of the EIF’s organisational structure, processes and procedures would be an advantage.

Behavioural Skills

Find out more about EIBG core behavioural skills here: Link

Additional role specific behavioural skills:

• Communicates effectively: Is effective in a variety of communication settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels; Attentively listens to others; Adjusts to fit the audience and the message; Provides timely and helpful information to others across the organisation; Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions.
• Interpersonal savvy: Relates comfortably with people across levels, functions, cultures and geographies; Acts with diplomacy and tact; Builds rapport in an open, friendly and accepting way; Builds constructive relationships with people both similar and different to self; Picks up on interpersonal and group dynamics.
• Being resilient: Is confident under pressure; Handles and manages crises effectively; Maintains a positive attitude despite adversity; Bounces back from setbacks; Grows from hardships and negative experiences.
• Action oriented: Readily takes action on challenges, without unnecessary planning; Identifies and seizes new opportunities; Displays a can-do attitude in good and bad times; Steps up to handle tough issues
• Self-development: Shows personal commitment and takes action to continuously improve; Accepts assignments that broaden capabilities; Learns from new experiences, from others and from structured learning; Makes the most of available development resources.
• Manages ambiguity: Deals comfortably with the uncertainty of change; Effectively handles risk; Can decide and act without the total picture; Is calm and productive, even when things are up in the air; Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes.
• Builds network: Builds strong formal and informal networks; Maintains relationships across a variety of functions and locations; Draws upon multiple relationships to exchange ideas, resources and know-how.
• Situational adaptability: Picks up on situational cues and adjusts in the moment; Readily adapts personal, interpersonal and leadership behaviour; Understands that different situations may call for different approaches; Can act differently depending on the circumstances.

Technical Skills

• Operational Compliance: Ability to develop knowledge and understanding of the EIBG's policies and procedures and of relevant regulatory codes and codes of conduct to ensure own work adheres to those standards. This includes obtaining authorizations from supervisors and/or managers when required.

• Communication: Ability to effectively communicate thoughts and ideas across different channels to achieve targeted results with a variety of audiences. Ability to practice active listening when others are speaking.

• Document management: Knowledge and ability to apply a correct approach to managing the formatting, versions, storage, access, distribution, and archiving of documents.

• Microsoft 365 Suite: Knowledge and ability to design, deploy and maintain the Microsoft 365 suite of applications, including the automation of tasks and workflows.

• Agenda & Calendar Management: Ability to coordinate complex calendars using tools like Outlook and Google Calendar. This includes scheduling meetings, prioritizing tasks, and avoiding conflicts to maximize productivity while providing support with day-to-day planning, reminders, and last-minute changes.

• Confidentiality: Ability to keep sensitive information private, when necessary, under a wide range of circumstances following the confidentiality guidelines.

• Cooperation: Ability to facilitate the collaboration and coordination between diverse teams, ensuring effective communication, alignment of goals, and efficient execution of shared objectives.

• Process analysis and optimisation: Ability to capture organisational issues and propose improvements to own and related processes and procedures.

• Networking: Ability to build internal and/or external networks of contacts with whom to exchange information or collaborate.

• Detail oriented: Ability to identify, analyse, and correct errors or inconsistencies in work processes or outputs. Maintains a high level of accuracy in completing tasks, ensuring all elements are precise and aligned with established standards. If required, reviews work and implements quality checks to uphold organizational efficiency and excellence.

  
  

Deadline for applications: 20 October 2026

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.