(Senior) Project Finance Lawyer

**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 Legal Directorate (JU), EU Operations Department (OPS-EU), Project Financing Transversal Centre of Expertise Division (PF) at its headquarters in Luxembourg, a **(Senior) Project Finance Lawyer - Operations in Italy*.**

**This is a full time position at grade 5/6 for which the EIB offers a permanent contract.**
- _internal benchmark: _(Senior) Officer Legal Services

**_ Panel interviews are anticipated for beginning of March. _**

**Purpose**:
The EIB Project Financing Centre of Expertise was created in 2022 within the EIB Legal Directorate to take care of all project finance operations of the EIB on a global basis. It is made of a small number of lawyers from different jurisdictions, highly specialized and with a strong interest in concentrating on project finance operations, owning, and developing further a distinct and sophisticated expertise in such field. The EIB PF Centre is obtaining a high recognition and visibility within and outside the EIB as a team concentrating advanced, state-of-the-art knowledge and experience, on a multi-jurisdictional level, on the legal aspects of project financing. The firm intention of the team and its Head of Division is to continue increasing its recognition, taking advantage of the exceptional pipeline of projects of the European Investment Bank.

The purpose of the role is to provide legal advice and take care of legal documentation on project finance operations to support the Bank’s lending activities and achievements of EIB objectives as outlined in the yearly Corporate Operational Plan, with particular reference (but not limited to) project finance operations in Italy.

**Operating Network**:
As a (Senior) Project Finance Lawyer, you will report to your Head of Division and cooperate on a daily basis with the other lawyers, paralegals and assistants of the team. Your work will involve activities of various complexity of a recurring (e.g. share knowledge and introduce new colleagues to the work/procedures; advise on Italian law matters related to the operations and draft the relevant documentation, liaising with, instructing and supervising external lawyers) as well as non-standard nature (e.g. research in connection with new issues arising from specific projects; advise on complex legal issues). It is reminded here that very few things in project finance are fully standardised, and this is one of the peculiarities of this position. You will regularly interact with colleagues from the Legal Directorate, including senior hierarchy, as well as other Directorates (including EU Operations, EIB Global (i.e., the Non-EU operations), the technical Project Directorate, Portfolio Management and Monitoring). You will also liaise with the external counterparties (external legal counsels and other advisors, sponsors, borrowers, guarantors, etc.).

**Accountabilities**:

- Provide legal advice both prior and after the financial close and ensure that - whenever the advice of the Project Finance Division is sought - the legal policies in own domain are correctly implemented.
- Taking care of the selection and appointment of the Bank’s external counsels in project finance transactions handled by the PF Division. Liaise with, provide instruction to and supervise work of external counsels, as necessary.
- Provide guidance to Assistants and Paralegals in the execution of legal processes.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of standard legal documentation to be used by the PF Division.
- Conduct legal research on issues of law arising in connection with the Bank's operations, with a particular focus on project finance
- and Italian law
- related issues.
- Proactively keep up to date with legal developments in legislation, regulations and jurisprudence pertaining to the Division’s activities, with particular reference to Italian law.
- Participate in horizontal activities of relevance to the Division.
- Develop and maintain relationships within the Bank and represent EIB externally.

**Qualifications**:

- University degree in law (minimum an equivalent to a Bachelor) preferably at Master level. Post-graduate degree in law (LLM or equivalent) in an academic institution of international reputation would be a distinct advantage
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the field of banking, with a strong focus on project finance, acquired with a law firm of international reputation or the in-house legal department of a financial institution in relation with banking and project finance operations in Italy
- Additional qualification(s) in other jurisdiction(s) would be an advantage
- Strong expertise in general banking
- Strong interest and s