Financial Analyst Trainee

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is seeking to recruit for its Financial Sustainability Control Division within the Finance and Strategy Office, at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a Trainee.

Duration: 5 months & Starting date: September/October 2025

Specific Post Environment:

The European Investment Fund (EIF) operates at the intersection of Europe’s financial and entrepreneurial ecosystems, striving to foster innovation, research, and development through various financial instruments.

The Trainee will be part of the P&L Planning & Monitoring (PM) Unit within the Financial Sustainability Control Division.

Financial sustainability for EIF encapsulates the ability to generate sufficient income to cover operational expenses and remunerate adequately the capital deployed while fulfilling its objective of supporting European micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a sustainable and economically efficient manner.

The unit is responsible for translating the organisation’s strategic direction into actionable mid- to long-term financial projections. It plays a central role in aligning operational planning with financial forecasting, ensuring that business decisions are grounded in robust financial analysis.

Overall objective:

Your overall objective will be to:

• Support the collection and organisation of historical financial data and contribute to the analysis of financial trends and performance indicators to enhance forecasting accuracy and strategic planning;
• Backtest financial models to compare past projections with actual outcomes to assess model reliability and identify areas for improvement.

Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the Head of Unit and of other senior members of the team, you shall:

• Assist in retrieving and organising historical financial data from internal systems and help structure and store data in a standardised format to support future automation and comparative analysis;
• Participate in team discussions on improving financial models and forecasting methodologies;
• Contribute to backtesting exercises, comparing historical forecasts with actual results to evaluate and refine projection models;

Expected outcome:

• Delivery of a structured and standardised financial database compiling historical financial data relevant to planning and forecasting. The database will serve as a foundational tool for the unit, enabling consistent analysis, supporting the automation of financial dashboards, and enhancing the accuracy of mid- to long-term financial projections.

• Contribute to backtesting exercises, comparing historical forecasts with actual results to evaluate and refine projection models;

Qualifications:

• University degree in Business Administration, Finance, Computer Science or similar discipline.
• Strong skills in quantitative modelling, data management, projections and financial analysis methodologies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and good knowledge of other Microsoft application tools (Word, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).
• Knowledge of PowerBI, Alteryx and Tableau platforms would be an asset.
• Understanding of Private Equity, Guarantees and Securitisation products.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. Good command of another EU language would be an advantage.

Competencies:

• Good team player with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills, using appropriate data and sound judgment.
• Ability to produce and present clear and concise models/reports/information.
• Business solutions-oriented, with a capacity to innovate and adapt.
• High sense of responsibility, organisation and initiative.
• Attention to details and high-quality standards.

Deadline for applications: Wednesday, 10 September 2025

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

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.