(Senior) Research and Strategy Officer (Entity: EIF - Job ID: 111356)
European Investment Bank - EIB
(Senior) Research and Strategy Officer (Entity: EI...
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is seeking to recruit for its Finance and Strategy Office (FSO) - Strategy Department (STR) - Corporate Strategy and Market Assessment Division at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a (Senior) Research and Strategy Officer *. This is a full-time position at grades 4/5 for which the EIF offers a permanent contract.
*Internal benchmark: (Senior) Officer
Panel interviews via video-conference are anticipated for June 2026
Purpose
Part of the EIB Group, the mission of the European Investment Fund (EIF) is to improve access to finance for SMEs and small mid-caps in Europe. We do this by supporting emerging and established fund managers with equity investments and by designing debt financing instruments that share the risk taken by financial institutions when they lend to or invest in small businesses. We bring this support closer to entrepreneurs through our extensive network of partners and financial intermediaries in all EU Member States and associated countries.
The Finance and Strategy Office has the overarching purpose of steering EIF's strategic and financial direction in an integrated manner, ensuring that the organisation delivers maximum policy impact, maintains financial sustainability, and remains fully aligned with EIB Group priorities and stakeholder expectations. Within the Finance and Strategy Office, the Strategy Office is the function that focuses on institutional strategy design, strategic alignment, market intelligence and strategic steering, complementing the financial‑strategy and performance functions of the FSO.
The Corporate Strategy and Market Assessment Division supports EIF's strategic development and institutional alignment through rigorous analysis, structured delivery and forward-looking insights. These roles combine market assessment and applied research with corporate strategy support, contributing to the definition, implementation and monitoring of EIF and EIB Group strategic priorities across all business lines.
Operating network
You will report to the Head of Division, Corporate Strategy and Market Assessment (CS&MA). You will work in close cooperation with colleagues across the Strategy Office, other EIF services and relevant EIB Group counterparts, as well as with external stakeholders active in SME and innovation financing.
Within the CS&MA division, there are two units: the Market Assessment and Research (MAR) unit which supports EIF's strategic development by analysing market trends and needs across all products through applied research, studies for internal and external audiences, and the management and analysis of internal and external datasets; and the Corporate Strategy (CS) unit, which supports Group level strategic development by driving institutional alignment and leading high impact cross functional initiatives through rigorous analysis, structured delivery, and forward looking strategic insights.
Responsibilities
At a level commensurate with your experience and seniority, you will:
Contribute to the EIF's strategy setting process, support design of relevant flagship products and initiatives, support through research and analysis of relevant markets, trends and developments;
In cooperation with other colleagues and teams, mainly focus on analysing the markets relevant to EIF's activities (all business lines), and contributing to the establishment, improvement and implementation of tools and methodologies relevant to this task;
Conduct applied economic research and market analyses on a wide range of topics (e.g. SME financing, climate/green finance, innovation, policy, regulation, sector analysis), covering the whole range of EIF's activities;
Interpret and disseminate research findings and market analysis through reports, policy papers, other forms of communication tools such as newsletters, on matters affecting EIF's activities;
Compile, build-up, analyse, and maintain appropriate market intelligence relevant to EIF's activities;
Efficiently manage internal and external market assessment and research data, with the aim to provide a strong value added to team colleagues and to other EIF services;
Make market intelligence and research results available to internal and external stakeholders in the most effective way, e.g. in the form of reports, presentations, visualizations, data sets, or dashboards;
Design, implement and analyze EIF's surveys across external stakeholders relevant to various business lines of the EIF and produce the output (in particular publications, presentations, and data visualization tools, e.g. dashboards) as well as contribute to the establishment, improvement and implementation of tools and methodologies relevant to this task;
Contribute to EIF's external positioning / reputation building - in particular in the areas of market analyses and research (e.g. via publications, other publications, presentations, participation in external committees and working groups, etc.);
Contribute to the strategic further development of the EIF through data production of internal stakeholders (incl. contribution to the development of new mandates/products);
Cooperate with a wide range of stakeholders in the field of SME/innovation finance;
Manage independently (but in close coordination with the Head of Division and senior officers of the team) research projects. This task may include the onboarding, cooperation, coordination and supervision of external researchers and consultants.
Qualifications
University degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Data Science or other relevant field, preferably at postgraduate level (e.g., MSc, PhD);
At least 3 (three) and no more than 8 (eight) years of post-graduation (after having obtained your initial university diploma) relevant experience either in the banking / financial sector, research institution or in academia (preferably working on a topic relevant to the advertised position). Experience gained during PhD preparation can be considered relevant;
Proven experience in the area of policy focused research and/or market analysis;
Experience in working with modern visual analytics and/or business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI) is considered an advantage;
Knowledge in the field of process and workflow automation (e.g. Power Automate) is an advantage;
Strong digital skills and experience in applying AI tools in a work context is an advantage;
Knowledge in the field of statistical software (e.g. SA, Stata) is an advantage;
Knowledge of analytical tools useful for statistical analysis such as regression, clustering, forecasting (e.g. Python) is an advantage
Experience and knowledge in managing/analysing statistical data (e.g. from surveys, balance sheets);
Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of other EU language(s) would be an advantage.
Any or multiple of the following qualifications would be considered a strong asset:
Experience in effectively interpreting and communicating academic research results for the benefit of business practitioners and/or policymakers;
Good understanding of EIF's mission, activities, operational processes and the European institutional context;
Familiarity with markets relevant to EIF's business (venture capital / private equity, guarantees, securitisation, microfinance, fintech, green finance, etc.).
Behavioural Skills
Find out more about EIBG core behavioural skills here: Link
Additional role specific behavioural skills:
Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
Builds networks: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
Plans and aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
Action oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy and enthusiasm.
Plans and aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
Self-development: Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.
Tech savvy: Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.
Technical Skills:
Cross-Functional collaboration: Ability to engage in cross-functional tasks that require good organisational understanding, managing conflict of interest, and identifying opportunities to connect competent stakeholders.
Writing and presentation skills: Ability to logically and effectively communicate thoughts and ideas across different channels, orally while presenting or in writing to achieve targeted results with a variety of audiences and in different languages.
Capital markets: Understanding of capital markets, the market where debt or equity securities are traded.
Analytical skills: Ability to review quantitative or conceptual problems or situations, collect data and apply scientific methods to analyse it. Ability to identify the most significant data points and themes, communicate data insights and draw data-driven conclusions.
Innovative problem-solving and Initiative Political and socio-economic context analysis: Ability to proactively identify organizational challenges and leverage creative thinking to develop effective, sustainable solutions. It involves a keen sense of initiative, where individuals take ownership of problems and seek innovative approaches to improve efficiency and drive organizational improvement.
Strategy development: Understanding of the various components of the (operational) strategy. Ability to identify and evaluate strategic options in the context of organisation's needs. Ability to formulate a strategy and allocate across the organisation to achieve objectives.
Policy development: Ability to develop policies or instruments / products/ services supporting the achievement of strategy of the directorate in relation to the corporate objectives of the EIBG.
Market research: Ability to gather relevant data and information regarding specific products, attitudes, services, supply/demand balance, needs of new capacity etc. and interpreting that information so business decisions can be made.
Reporting skills: Ability to capture, access and analyse information/data from databases, financial areas, audits, and other sources, develop reports and present them in a comprehensive and intelligible manner.
Data storytelling: Ability to report data in an ergonomic and intuitive way through effective data visualisation and using appropriate reporting methods, ensuring that the insights are easily understood by diverse audiences. This includes structuring data-driven narratives that highlight key trends, patterns, and actionable insights, making complex information accessible and enhancing decision-making and strategic business outcomes.
Deadline for applications: 2 June 2026
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.
We hire and value talent with unique characteristics, creating a work environment where they can be themselves. We believe that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion make 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.
We strongly invite applicants with a disability, neurodivergent profile or chronic condition to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Recruitment [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 unauthorized disclosure of any information or any damage to the EIB Group reputation.
Candidates are informed that pre-employment integrity screening is an integral part of the EIF recruitment process.
* Due to high volume of applications, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.