European Investment Fund (EIF) - Chief Executive

The Chief Executive leads the European Investment Fund (EIF), managing its budget, staff, and capital use. The role involves overseeing EIF's success in supporting EU policy objectives, financial performance, product and market development, and fostering partnerships with stakeholders and EU institutions.

Responsibilities

• Ensure a high-performing managerial team and foster a corporate culture embracing change, co-operation, transparency, continual learning, and improvement
• Lead day-to-day management of the Fund, ensuring operational plans implementation in a cost-effective manner and reporting results to the Board
• Represent the Fund externally and maintain and develop relationships with external partners, shareholders, and stakeholders
• Foster close co-operation with EU institutions, particularly the European Commission, in implementing EU policies
• Maintain and manage a sound and effective organisational structure and leadership of management and staff
• Foster co-operation with National Promotional Institutions and the Financial Institutions Shareholder Group
• Shape the EIB Group Operational Plan and ensure EIF's contribution aligns with EU policy objectives and strategic framework
• Sponsor operational alignment and complementarity with the EIB's Head of Operations
• Ensure alignment and compliance with the Group Risk Management Framework
• Contribute to the Group’s internal and external communication strategy
• Drive consistency in implementation of the Group Digital Ambition programme
• Oversee quality, timeliness, fairness, and adequacy of financial reporting to the EIF Board of Directors
• Ensure execution of key human resources processes including gender balance and diversity
• Represent the Fund in judicial proceedings
• Foster EIB Group work culture promoting ethics, integrity, respect, equality, and transparency
• Create a safe and open environment fostering a speak-up culture
• Keep the EIF Audit Board informed on all significant matters and facilitate co-operation with the EIB’s Audit Committee

Requirements

• University degree, preferably in Economics, Business, Finance, Accounting, Law or Political Science
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience in finance, banking, fund management and/or venture capital, with exposure to the financing of start-ups, scale ups and SMEs
• Experience in several domains and sectors would be an advantage
• Previous exposure to the promotion of EU values and policies, pan-European financial instruments, crowding in institutional investors and supporting the European innovative companies throughout their life cycle would be a strong advantage
• Extensive executive leadership experience in building and developing high-performing, specialised teams
• Extensive managerial experience
• Proven ability to deliver in complex, multicultural and multi-stakeholder environments across banking, financial institutions or international organisations
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal and public speaking skills
• Strong diplomatic and relationship management competencies
• Fluency in English both written and spoken
• Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage

Skills

• Finance
• Banking
• Fund Management
• Venture Capital
• Start-up Financing
• SME Finance
• EU Policy Promotion
• Pan-European Financial Instruments
• Institutional Investor Relations
• Executive Leadership
• Team Building
• Senior Managerial Experience
• Multicultural Environment Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Public Speaking
• Written Communication
• Relationship Management
• Budget Management

Languages

English