The EIB, the European Union’s bank, is seeking to recruit for its EIB Global Directorate (GLO), Global Partners Department (GP), Asia and Pacific – Public Sector Division (3-PUB SEC(ASIA,PAC))*, at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a (Senior) Loan Officer **.

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

*GLO is currently undergoing reorganization, as of the 1st of July the position shall be in GLO/IP/ASIAN & PAC PUB SEC.

**Internal benchmark: (Senior) Officer Lending Operations

Panel interviews are anticipated for July/August 2023

Purpose

To identify, appraise, negotiate, and monitor EIB Public Sector lending operations in Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific and to coordinate activities related to the EIB public lending operations in the Country(ies) of responsibility.

At least one of the two positions will be dedicated to Central Asia with a possibility to reassignment to other Asia and Pacific regions in line with business needs.

Operating Network

The (Senior) Loan Officer works in full autonomy on all aspects of the work, including contract negotiations. S/He typically deals with complex operations and/or large countries, with outputs requiring no, or only marginal changes. S/He typically works on several operations in parallel with responsibility for activities related to identification, appraisal, negotiation, approval, disbursement, and follow-up of sovereign and sub-sovereign lending operations – including ancillary instruments such as blending, when relevant – in Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific. The challenges are related to projects in non-EU countries.

Accountabilities

Projects origination process:

• Track developments in and monitor his/her target market;
• Develop and maintain a network of contacts with local authorities and government representatives, project promoters and other MDBs/IFIs operating in the region
• Identify lending opportunities that best meet COP objectives;
• Coordinate and maintain the relation with the relevant EU Delegation(s) and responsible Desk Officer(s) at the EU Commission (DG INTPA), and EEAS.

Lending process:

• Evaluate, at an early stage, the quality of potential projects and their chance of success, including where appropriate consultation with colleagues in the Projects (PJ), Risk Management, Compliance (OCCO) and Legal (JU) Directorates, to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the appraisal process
• Lead and coordinate the lending process in cooperation with the other relevant Divisions and Directorates and, when relevant, the external EIB advisers
• Structure loan proposals, evaluate the feasibility of projects, analyze project and financial-related risks, prepare reports and lending proposals in cooperation with the appraisal team
• Evaluate the needs for ancillary instruments, including blending with investment grants and technical assistance, mobilize and carry out the preparation, approval and implementation of such instruments in coordination with the other relevant services of the EIB colleagues involved in blending / technical assistance activities

Negotiation of contracts:

• Negotiate terms and conditions of loan, any ancillary instrument and other project documentation with the relevant Borrowers, Project counterparts and EU Bodies (notably the EU Commission and local EU Delegations, when relevant), in coordination with JU, PJ and Risk Management Directorates
• Organise contract signatures and follow-up the ratification of contracts

Disbursement and monitoring:

• Lead and monitor the disbursement process and contractual compliance and fulfilment of conditions in close cooperation with the Middle Office and other teams involved. Follow-up developments of the projects (typically up to first disbursement), in coordination with PJ. Ensure, in line with applicable guidelines, a regular review of the financial position of counterparts/projects, of the KYC requirements, and contractual compliance in conjunction with PMM
• Carry out due diligence and in the event of any restructuring and/or contractual modifications, negotiate (in liaison with RM and JU) in order to maintain the quality of the loan portfolio and ensure the effective implementation of the financed project

Contribute to the Bank’s operational strategy in the country(ies) of activity:

• Provide input in the strategy development process for lending, blending and advising activities in own domain with regard to the short, medium and long term in order to ensure that the overall lending strategy and policies are based upon practical needs and operational constraints

Optimisation of operating tools and working methods:

• Innovate and suggest improvements of existing tools, systems and products in response to changes in the operational framework
• Ensure correct input of data concerning own area of activity into the management information system in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of working methods and product developments

Value added, cost management and return on operations:

• Ensure the quality and overall value added of lending and monitoring activities; make sure that the financial terms set by the Bank match the risk profile and the type of operation, in order to protect the Bank’s interest and ensure that operations are as cost efficient as possible in the given context and compensate for the credit/project risk associated with the transaction

Management of teams and projects:

• Share his/her own information and experience in the management of lending operations with other members of the team in order to enlarge the knowledge and competencies of the team and ensure dissemination of best practices / case studies with colleagues in other Ops divisions and other relevant services.
• Either manage or participate in initiatives that go beyond the boundaries of the lending/investment domain, such as intra-directorate working groups
• Provide guidance to more junior colleagues in the execution of key area processes.

Qualifications

• University degree (minimum an equivalent to a Bachelor), preferably in Finance/Economics/Political Science or any related subject
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in an international organization or in the financial sector, structuring and execution for Sovereigns, Public sector entities, Private sector corporate and/or Banks
• Proven expertise in managing initiatives or projects, as well as experience in credit risk assessment, would be preferable.
• Knowledge of the Bank’s standard computer tools
• Excellent knowledge of English and/or French (*), with a good command of the other. (Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage).
• Knowledge of the language(s) spoken in Central Asia would be an advantage for the position(s) allocated to Central Asia
• Previous relevant experience in Asia, Central Asia and/or Pacific 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 ar 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: 7^th July 2023

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