Director General – Operations Directorate (OPS) - based in Luxembourg

This position is based at our Luxembourg headquarters and requires regular office presence. The EIB offers you the opportunity to live and work in a truly international and multi-cultural environment. We also offer relocation support. The EIB, the European Union's bank is seeking to recruit for its Operations Directorate at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a Director General*.

This is a full-time position at grade 8/9.

• internal benchmark: Directorate Head
  
  

Assessment Centres for selected applicants and panel interviews would take place by the second half of September 2026.

The appointment is for a term of up to five years.

The successful candidate will be offered a definitive duration contract (CDD) of 5 years which may be renewed or converted in accordance with applicable policies and rules.

Purpose

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financial arm of the European Union, comprising the EIB and the European Investment Fund (EIF). Owned by the 27 EU Member States, the EIB Group supports projects that advance EU policy objectives, including climate action, digitalisation & innovation, security & defence, cohesion, agriculture & bioeconomy, social infrastructure, impact investments outside the EU and contributing to reinforce Europe’s capital markets. Operating across Europe and beyond, the EIB Group employs approximately 4,400 staff for the Bank and approximately 710 staff for the Fund in 60 offices worldwide, reflecting its global reach and ability to mobilise investment across continents while maintaining a strong focus on EU Member States, which account for about 90% of its lending activity.

The Director General role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Operations Directorate. The Directorate is responsible for investment and advisory operations within the European Union, and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. The Director General will define, steer and deliver the directorate’s contribution to the EIB Group’s mission and Corporate Objectives, starting with the Business Plan objectives (around EUR 80 billion of new lending activity, as well as 100 new advisory assignments), ensuring that operational activity, advisory, mandate-related work, business planning and support functions are aligned with EU policy priorities, the Bank’s and the Group’s strategy, the Risk Appetite Framework and sound financial and risk management – as first-line of defence.

The Director General will lead the directorate, structured around client-oriented directorates for public sector, corporates, financial sector, venture debt and other innovative financial instruments, and mandate management, to ensure Business delivery, high-quality credit standards, operational excellence, country coordination, close, productive and trusted stakeholder relations. In cooperation with the team of Directors General in the EIB Group, the Director General will foster a culture of respect, openness and transparency, accountability, compliance with applicable regulatory, ethics and integrity rules, collaboration, inclusion, risk awareness, innovation and continuous improvement of processes and working methods across the own Directorate and across the Group.

Operating Network

The scale and complexity of the Directorate require sustained attention to strategic priorities, balanced business delivery across Member States, innovation, operational excellence, risk management, mandate coherence and stakeholder engagement. OPS plays a key role in identifying emerging financing needs, developing new products and business areas, and translating Group priorities into innovative financing solutions in collaboration with the Group Strategy function, the EIF and other Services.

OPS is the Bank's core operational delivery Directorate and comprises four transactional Departments: Corporates (CORP), Public Sector (PS), Equity, Growth Capital and Project Finance (EGPF), and Financial Institutions (FID), alongside two non-transactional Departments: Advisory Services & Mandate Management (ASMM) and Business Planning & Support (BPS).

CORP covers corporate clients across the EU and relevant additional geographies, managing around 300 client relationships, close to 100 transactions annually and approximately EUR 20bn in annual signatures. PS brings together public sector operations with annual signatures of approximately EUR 30bn, representing the highest transaction volumes in OPS. EGPF provides equity, venture debt, co-investment and project finance solutions supporting innovation, scale-ups, clean technologies and strategic infrastructure, with annual business volumes of approximately EUR 7bn. FID manages EIB's business with financial intermediaries through loans, guarantees, risk-sharing instruments, securitisations and advisory services supporting SMEs, Mid-Caps, climate action and cohesion objectives, with annual business volumes of approximately EUR 20bn.

BPS provides the framework for translating strategy, policy and risk appetite into business planning, procedures, systems and applications, driven by the Bank's Digital Ambition. It also hosts the Security and Defence Office for the Group. ASMM brings together advisory strategy, business relations and mandate management, with responsibility for EC and Member State mandates, advisory services and decentralised financial instruments.

The Director General will ensure coherent client management and client experience across the EIB Group, working closely with the EIF and its Chief Executive and with other stakeholders to maximise impact and present a unified approach to clients and partners. The role also includes shaping and implementing operational policies and frameworks to ensure the Bank's financing activities remain aligned with evolving policy objectives and market developments.

You will report to the President and will be responsible for leading a large, complex and multi-disciplinary Directorate. You will work closely with members of the Management Committee, Heads of Directorate and senior management across the EIB Group, as well as with the EIF, the European Commission, other EU and national institutions, Member States, public and private sector clients, mandators, International Financial Institutions and other external stakeholders.

The role requires intensive cooperation across the full business cycle with Services involved in business delivery, project appraisal, portfolio management and monitoring, risk management, compliance, finance, legal, institutional representation, communications, digital transformation, resource management and HR. You will also play a key role in the EIB Group’s country coordination framework in close cooperation with the Secretariat General, ensuring coherent interaction with Heads of local offices in the 27 Member states, Country Coordination Teams, OPS business lines, EIF and other relevant Services.

Accountabilities

• Provide strategic direction, defining, developing and implementing the short, medium and long-term operational strategy for OPS, ensuring alignment with EU policy priorities, EIB Group Corporate Objectives, the Operational Plan, the Bank’s risk appetite and the evolving needs of clients, shareholders and mandators.
• Ensure effective planning, execution and monitoring of the OPS business plan, balancing quantitative delivery with qualitative objectives, operational quality, country coverage, policy impact and client needs.
• Champion OPS’s role as first line of defence, promoting strong credit and risk analysis, compliance culture, internal controls, Best Banking Practices and timely escalation of issues across the Directorate.
• Lead the continued development of the client-segment organisational model, ensuring that it ensures market follow-up, knowledge pooling, innovation, product development, business responsiveness and sound operational execution.
• Safeguard balanced delivery across Member States by reinforcing country coordination, ensuring coherent information flows, regular reporting and effective interaction with Heads of Office, Country Coordination Teams, EIF and relevant EIB Services.
• Ensure that advisory activities and mandate management are effectively connected to lending and business planning, supporting the “lending, blending, advising” model and maximising value-added for clients, mandators and EU policy objectives.
• Oversee the translation of policies, planning and risk appetite into operational procedures, systems and applications, supporting simplification, automation, data quality, process efficiency and digital transformation.
• Represent OPS and the Bank in interactions with Governing Bodies, EU institutions, Member States, clients, mandators, IFIs and other public and private stakeholders, protecting the Bank’s reputation and promoting trusted relationships.
• Ensure that OPS staff and management teams have the competencies, objectives, motivation and support required to deliver.
• Establish and manage the structures, resources, KPIs and governance needed to implement the strategy efficiently, including capacity planning, cost-conscious resource management, organisational design and performance assessment and monitoring.
• Chair the Project Committee, consisting in a multi-directorate forum where complicated and possibly conflictual individual operations are debated with a view to preparing decisions by the Management Committee and the Board.
• Lead organisational change in a complex, consensus-driven and multicultural environment, ensuring continuity of service, and practical implementation of decisions.
• Ensure an excellent working atmosphere, building an environment of trust, transparency, that fosters staff engagement, motivation and wellbeing.
• Foster a culture of respect, openness and transparency, accountability, compliance with applicable regulatory, ethics and integrity rules, collaboration, inclusion, learning, creativity, collaboration and knowledge sharing, innovation and continuous improvement of processes and working methods.
  
  

Qualifications

• University degree, preferably at Master’s level, in economics, finance, business administration, engineering, law, public policy or another discipline relevant to the Bank’s operational activity.
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial experience in banking, long-term lending, structured/project finance, advisory, mandate management, policy implementation, risk management or other areas directly relevant to OPS.
• At least 10 years in a managerial function, including leadership of large, multidisciplinary teams and senior managers in a complex, multicultural and multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong understanding of the EIB Group’s objectives, strategies, priorities and role within the EU policy and institutional framework.
• Strong understanding of operational delivery, credit risk culture, first-line of defence responsibilities, internal controls, Best Banking Practices, business planning and the interaction between lending activity, advisory, mandates and risk appetite.
• Proven ability to define and implement strategy, steer complex organisational transformation, manage competing priorities and make sound decisions in institutionally and politically sensitive contexts.
• Excellent stakeholder management and representation skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships internally and externally, including with EU institutions, Member States, clients, mandators, IFIs and EIB Group Services.
• Strong track record in leading, motivating and developing highly qualified staff, building collaborative leadership teams and fostering a culture of respect, accountability, inclusion, learning and operational excellence.
• Openness to innovation and digital transformation, with the ability to support process simplification, system evolution, data-driven management and operational effectiveness across a large Directorate.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to communicate complex matters with clarity, concision and judgement.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken. Knowledge of French and/or other EU languages would be an advantage.
  
  

Competencies

Find out more about EIB core behavioural and managerial skills here

To find out more about our eligibility criteria click here

We hire and value talent with unique characteristics, creating a work environment where they can be themselves. We believe that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion makes us a performing and innovative organisation. 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, disability or neurodiversity.

If you require reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process due to a disability, neurodivergence, or a chronic health condition, please contact the EIB Recruitment team Jobs@eib.org who will manage your request appropriately.

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: 15 September 2026