The EIB, the European Union’s bank is seeking to recruit for its Secretariat General (SG), Governing Bodies Department (GB), Shareholding Relationships Division (SR), Board of Directors Secretariat Unit (BoD) at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a (Senior) Corporate Secretariat Officer*.

*internal benchmark: (Senior) Officer Corporate Secretariat

This is a full-time position at grade 5/6 for which the EIB offers a permanent contract.

Panel interviews are anticipated for beginning of June 2023.

Purpose

As a (Senior) Corporate Secretariat Officer you will perform corporate secretariat activities for the Board of Directors (BoD) and Board statutory committees, working and advisory groups. You will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the governance framework of the Bank and assisting Board members in fulfilling their statutory role, in order to contribute to EIB Group objectives.

This is a unique role that will provide you with an overview on the Bank’s transversal activities, and the opportunity for ownership of the entire process with visibility and collaboration across other business lines within the Bank.
To be successful in this role you must demonstrate strong organisational, analytical and problem solving skills, in addition to sound judgement and the capacity to understand and communicate complex debates in a clear and concise manner.

Operating Network

As a (Senior) Corporate Secretariat Officer you will report to the Head of the Board of Directors Secretariat Unit. You will work with a high degree of autonomy and initiative under general direction of the Head of Unit and in close cooperation with other team members of the unit and division.

You will work closely with colleagues from all EIB Group’s Directorates and have contacts with Board members.

Accountabilities

You will be responsible for administering, under strict deadlines, the decision-making process of the Board of Directors, of Board statutory committees, working and advisory groups and for the quality control of the area of responsibility, especially covering the following activities:

• Organise BoD meetings and Board committees according to the Rules of Procedure ensuring that all information and documents are shared in a timely manner, handled and processed with extreme care given their confidential nature;
• Draft speaking notes, annotated agenda, briefings, correspondence and other documents such as policy papers with a focus on governance matters, as needed;
• Attend BoD meetings, Board committees, working and advisory groups , to provide the necessary support to the Chairperson, the Secretary General and Board members, and ensure that meetings are held in accordance with rules; Take notes during meetings and draft minutes;
• Provide analysis related to governance and implement governance changes when required, affecting the role and functioning of Governing Bodies;
• Establish the relevant reporting to communicate Board decisions, actions points and follow-up their implementation and/or public disclosure;
• Communicate effectively with members of the Governing Bodies, to keep them abreast of the necessary information.

The role also comprises coordination, procedural and project management tasks:

• Coordinate with all relevant EIB Group services the preparation and update of the Board work programmes;
• Ensure that all publicly available documents are posted in a timely manner on EIB website, and contribute to communication activities valuing the role and activities of the Board of Directors and its Committees
• Monitor the evolution of corporate governance standards and provide analysis. Propose, implement and manage existing and new projects and initiatives in order to streamline and improve internal procedures, secretariat processes, IT systems and working tools; you will update procedure manuals also taking into account internal control framework;
• Provide guidance to junior officers and administrative assistants in the execution of Secretariat activities;
• Support other Governing Bodies if required.

Qualifications

• University degree (preferably at postgraduate level) in a field related to Corporate Governance, Law, Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management or relevant areas;
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in areas relating to relationships and project management activities ideally working with corporate secretariat matters;
• Experience in supporting Board of Directors or other governing bodies/management in public organizations or private sector companies;
• Very good understanding of the EIB mission, objectives and activities;
• Very good understanding of the institutional and political framework in which the Bank operates;
• Very good knowledge of the statutory texts, policies and procedures governing the EIB;
• Very good analytical skills and conceptual thinking; good and concise writing skills with proven ability in drafting reports in English;
• Some knowledge in the domains of lending, finance, economics would be an advantage;
• Hands-on experience of standard office tools as well as of various software applications (such as WebEx, MS teams, SharePoint sites) that are or can be used by corporate secretaries; interest on IT matters and ability/motivation to engage into digitalisation for Board would be an advantage;
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and basic knowledge of French(*); Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage.

Competencies

Find out more about EIB core competencies here

(*) Unless stated explicitly as a required qualification, a good command of French is not a pre-requisite for hire. As both English and French are however official working languages of the EIB, proficiency in both languages is a pre-requisite for your future career development. Any language clause in your contract must be fulfilled in order for you to be eligible for a promotion (either via the annual appraisal cycle or via an internal selection process). Proficiency is understood to mean the attainment of level 5 of the Inter Institutional language courses, corresponding to B1.2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). The Bank offers appropriate training support.

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 EIB Recruitment team [email protected] 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 unauthorised disclosure of any information or any damage to the EIB Group reputation.

Deadline for applications: 17^th May 2023

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