Associate Sector Specialist

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 Projects Directorate (PJ), Innovation and Competitiveness Department (INCO), Innovation Supply Chain and Process Industries Division (SCPI), at its headquarters in Luxembourg, an Associate Sector Specialist – Critical Raw Materials. This is a full-time position at grade 4. The term of this contract will be 3 years.
• internal benchmark: Associate Sector Engineer Panel interviews are anticipated for November-December 2026 Purpose Join the EIB’s Projects Directorate and contribute to investments that support Europe’s industrial competitiveness, resilience and access to critical raw materials. In this role, you will support the due diligence and appraisal of projects in the mining, metals refining and related process industries, assessing their technical, environmental, social, financial and economic viability. Your work will help ensure that EIB financing decisions are robust, sustainable and aligned with the Bank’s standards, procedures and wider policy objectives. Specific Post Environment You will join the Innovation Supply Chain and Process Industries Division (SCPI), within the Innovation and Competitiveness Department (INCO), as part of the EIB’s Projects Directorate. Reporting to the Head of Division, you will work closely with senior experts and colleagues across the INCO Department, other teams in the Projects Directorate and wider EIB services. This role offers the opportunity to apply your sector knowledge and analytical judgement to investment proposals in critical raw materials and related industrial value chains. Working in multidisciplinary project teams and under the guidance of senior colleagues, you will contribute to project screening, appraisal, monitoring and completion, while engaging with promoters, sponsors, public authorities, EU institutions and other relevant stakeholders through project work, Technical Assistance assignments, missions and selected sector events. Operating Network In this role, you will work closely with professional staff across the SCPI Division, the INCO Department, other Projects Directorate departments and wider EIB services, particularly colleagues involved in lending operations, legal matters and project appraisal. You will be part of multidisciplinary project teams, giving you exposure to different areas of expertise and the opportunity to contribute to the Bank’s work on strategic industrial sectors and critical raw materials. You will also engage with a broad range of external stakeholders, including firms, organisations, public authorities, EU institutions, project promoters, sponsors and other relevant counterparts. These interactions may take place in the context of project appraisal, Technical Assistance, cooperation agreements, missions and selected external events, offering you the opportunity to build a strong network and gain insight into investment projects across the critical raw materials ecosystem. Accountabilities
• The following activities will be carried out with the backing and under the supervision of senior experts, and mainly in support of their work:
• Contribute to the technical, economic and financial assessment of investment projects and programmes in mining, metals refining, critical raw materials and related process industries.
• Help evaluate the strategic consistency, commercial viability and environmental and social sustainability of relevant projects, ensuring alignment with EIB standards, procedures and policy objectives.
• Support the origination and early screening of investment opportunities in cooperation with the Lending Directorate, helping identify projects with sound financing potential and strategic relevance.
• Work with multidisciplinary project teams to appraise projects the EIB is considering to finance, identify key risks and contribute to evidence-based conclusions on project viability.
• Contribute to the preparation of appraisal reports, technical and financial opinions and other documents submitted to the EIB’s governing bodies at relevant approval stages.
• Monitor project implementation, contribute to final completion evaluations and support follow-up actions where required.
• Provide Technical Assistance to project promoters and sponsors in critical raw materials related projects, including supporting the preparation of Terms of Reference for consultant services.
• Prepare and/or validate high-quality final reports for promoters and sponsors in line with relevant cooperation agreements.
• Contribute to sector, policy and methodology papers related to critical raw materials, supporting the Bank’s sector and lending policies and wider policy work.
• Support the EIB’s representation at selected sector events and in exchanges with relevant external actors.
• Adapt and develop expertise over time in other sectors covered by the SCPI Division. Qualifications
• University degree, minimum an equivalent to a Bachelor, in Engineering, Science, Economics, Finance or another relevant field.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience related to minerals, metals, critical raw materials or other process industries.
• Knowledge of industrial project analysis, including technical, economic, financial, environmental, social and commercial aspects relevant to mining, metals refining or related value chains.
• Ability to contribute to financial and economic analysis, including the review of project fundamentals, business assumptions, cost-benefit considerations and key risk factors.
• Strong analytical judgement and an evidence-based approach, with the ability to translate complex information into clear conclusions for reports and discussions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and engage constructively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge of English and/or French**
* with a good command of the other. Preferred Qualifications We would be particularly interested in candidates who can bring knowledge or direct experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Education combining Engineering or Science with Finance, Economics or Business studies would be an advantage.
• Experience gained in an industrial corporate environment, finance/banking and/or a strategy or management consultancy firm, with exposure to technology, market and environmental analysis, would be considered a distinct advantage.
• Experience in applied quantitative methods, economic and financial modelling, including cash flow modelling, cost-benefit analysis and risk analysis, would be considered an advantage.
• Excellent knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese language would be an advantage. Competencies Find Out More About EIB Core Behavioural Skills Here To find out more about our eligibility criteria click 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 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: 26th October 2026