Banking/Finance Lawyers - European Investment Bank

The EIB, the European Investment Bank, is seeking for its Legal Directorate (JU), Legal Department, Operations (OPS) at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a Banking/Finance Lawyers. 

Appointment will be made on the basis of a fixed term contract (2 to 4 years).

This is a preliminary campaign in order to create a reserve list for current and future vacancies.

Specific post environment

The Legal Department Operations (JU/OPS) consists of seven Operational Divisions: Restructuring, New Products & Fund Management (RNF), Western Europe (WE), Baltic Sea (MB), Central Europe/Eastern Neighbors & Central Asia (CE&ENCA), South East Europe (SEE), Spain and Portugal (ESPT), and Outside Europe (OEU).

• RNF covering legal advice in relation to restructuring and distressed loans, new products implemented by the Bank as well as direct or indirect equity investments in and outside the EU;
• WE covering legal operations in France, Benelux, United Kingdom and Ireland;
• MB covering legal operations in Poland, EFTA countries, Scandinavia and Baltic States;
• CE&ENCA covering legal operations within the EU in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and outside the EU in the Eastern Neighbours region and Central Asia;
• SEE covering legal operations in Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Balkans, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Turkey;
• ESPT covering legal operations in these countries;
• OEU covering legal operations in non-EU countries, including Mediterranean (FEMIP), Africa, Caribbean, Pacific, Asia, Latin America.

Purpose

The successful candidates will provide legal support to the operational Directorates, carrying out work relating to all tasks within the relevant Division's remit.

Operating Network

The lawyers will report to the Head of the operational Division to which s/he will be assigned in cooperation with the other lawyers of the Division. S/he will collaborate with all other Divisions in the Legal Department – Operations and liaise with other Directorates (e.g. Operations, Transaction Management and Restructuring, Risk Management), depending on the project.

Accountabilities

The lawyer will work on financing operations and perform her/his duties independently in relation to the Division's responsibilities. The post may involve a certain amount of travel for negotiations and signatures of legal documentation. The lawyer will draw up, as necessary, reports on completed transactions and prepare her/his own proposals when consulted on fundamental or unusual issues. S/he will:

• Draft and negotiate legal documentation for financing operations and guarantees for:
  • projects in the countries the relevant Division is responsible for, notably bilateral loans with banking sector and/or corporates and/or public sector counterparts;
  • structured finance, project finance and PPP transactions, often with the assistance of external legal counsel;
    
    This involves: drafting of documents, legal advisory support, conclusion of contracts, completion of all related legal formalities, and legal monitoring (including loan restructuring and other post-signature events).

• Manage contacts and negotiations;
• Liaise with external consultants and supervise their work, whenever necessary;
• Complete the administrative formalities vis-à-vis clients (public institutions and private enterprises);
• Undertake research and conduct legal studies on issues of law arising in connection with the Bank's operations and in the context of developing new financial instruments;
• Develop and maintain relationships within the Bank and represent EIB externally.

Qualifications

• University degree in Law;
• Thorough knowledge in both Civil Law and Common Law is a distinct advantage;
• At least 3 to 5 years of relevant, professional post-qualification experience in the field of Banking Law, Civil and Company Law; experience in structured finance and/or project finance is a distinct advantage;
• Significant experience in the drafting and negotiation of finance documentation;
• Excellent drafting skills in English and one of the languages of the geographical zone you would be covering;
• Very good knowledge of the standard IT & office tools;
• Excellent knowledge of English and/or French (*), with a good knowledge of the other. (Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage).

Competencies

• Ability to analyse, summarise and solve problems;
• Ability to develop innovative legal solutions;
• Ability to draft documents rapidly and efficiently;
• Good interpersonal skills;
• Ability to argue convincingly and achieve a consensus among colleagues and third parties on legal matters;
• Team player;
• Good organisational skills and ability to prioritise and meet deadlines;
• Integrity.

Applications will undergo an initial screening and short-listed candidates will then be invited for further interviews with regard to current vacancies or held in reserve for up to one year, during which time they may be called for interviews and selected for a specific vacant post. 

Due to the large number of applicants for general campaigns of this kind, you are please invited to carefully assess the requirements and apply only if you are sure to fully meet them. 

(*) There may be certain flexibility on this requirement, but limited to particularly suitable candidates who may not yet be proficient in one of the two languages. If selected, such candidates will be hired on the condition that they build up rapidly knowledge of the relevant language and accept that their future career in the EIB may be subject to the attainment of sufficient proficiency in both of the Bank's working languages.

For more details and to apply, please go to https://erecruitment.eib.org, selecting Job ID 101519.

Deadline for applications: 29th October 2014

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