Head of Simplification Division

Overview

The European Investment Bank is looking to appoint a Head of Simplification Division within its Secretariat General, Group Strategy Department, at its Luxembourg headquarters. The role is full-time, offered at grade 7, and comes with a permanent contract. The position requires regular office presence in Luxembourg and includes relocation support. The organisation offers the chance to work in a highly international and multicultural setting.

This vacancy is tied to an upcoming reorganisation and the internal benchmark for the role is Division Head Strategy. Applicants are expected to receive initial feedback in July 2026. Assessment centres for shortlisted candidates are planned for late July or early August 2026, and panel interviews are expected toward the end of August 2026.

Purpose of the Role

The EIB operates in a context of rising geopolitical and economic uncertainty, where there is increasing pressure to support EU policy priorities with speed, flexibility and strong execution. In this setting, simplifying internal processes and reducing complexity is a key priority. As Head of the Simplification Division, you will shape and lead the Bank’s work to identify, rank and progress initiatives that improve internal efficiency, strengthen the staff experience and contribute to strategic delivery across the EIB Group.

Reporting Line and Working Environment

You will report to the Director of the Group Strategy Department within the Secretariat General Directorate. In this leadership role, you will guide a division that advances simplification efforts across the EIB Group, working closely with Services to identify, prioritise and implement improvements. The position involves regular engagement with senior leaders and stakeholders across the organisation to align priorities and ensure simplification is embedded in wider strategic and operational work.

Key Responsibilities

You will be expected to set the direction of the division, coordinate its work programme, and ensure that simplification efforts deliver measurable value. You will also lead staff, manage performance, and contribute to department-wide decision-making.

Eligibility and Requirements

Applicants should hold at least a Bachelor-level university degree, ideally in economics, finance, business administration, public policy or a related discipline. The role calls for a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in areas such as strategy, organisational development, consulting, process optimisation, change management or similar fields, preferably gained in an international organisation or financial institution.

Candidates should bring a strong record of leading strategic or organisational initiatives with multiple stakeholders and achieving concrete results. Experience in managing and coaching staff is important, ideally in multicultural or international settings, including setting objectives, assessing performance, delegating work, supervising tasks, motivating teams and giving feedback.

The job also requires the ability to manage external consultants or service providers by defining deliverables, monitoring execution and ensuring quality against institutional standards. Experience with process management and structured efficiency improvement methods is needed, together with a sound understanding of the EIB Group’s mission, activities and organisational environment.

Applicants must be able to analyse complex organisational issues and turn them into workable solutions. Strong communication and influencing skills are essential, as is the ability to work with stakeholders at all levels. Good organisational judgement, prioritisation skills and the capacity to handle several initiatives at once are also required.

Excellent knowledge of English and/or French is required, along with a good command of the other language. Knowledge of additional EU languages would be an advantage. Unless a good command of French is explicitly listed as a required qualification, it is not a hiring prerequisite; however, both English and French are official working languages of the EIB and proficiency in both is needed for future career development. Language proficiency is understood as level 5 of the Inter Institutional language courses, corresponding to B1.2 of the CEFR. The Bank provides appropriate training support.

Accountabilities

• Set the strategic direction and priorities of the Simplification Division so they remain aligned with the EIB Group’s objectives and reform agenda.
• Identify and rank simplification opportunities across the Group, focusing on the areas with the strongest potential to cut complexity and improve efficiency.
• Create and maintain structured methods to record, assess and track simplification initiatives with transparency, consistency and a clear focus on impact.
• Manage the division’s work programme, including the use of internal and external resources, to ensure timely delivery, strong outputs and proper reporting to senior management.
• Work with Directorates and Services across the Bank to advance simplification measures and encourage joint ownership of results.
• Track the progress and outcomes of initiatives, including the design of indicators that support informed decisions and ongoing improvement.
• Advise senior management on ways to streamline processes and strengthen organisational efficiency.
• Safeguard the quality and consistency of the division’s contributions, including analysis, briefings and inputs to institutional discussions.
• Lead, support and motivate staff within the division, ensuring responsibilities are allocated appropriately and team capabilities continue to grow.
• Manage the division’s appraisal cycle, including setting goals and carrying out performance reviews in line with institutional procedures.
• Contribute actively to the management team of the Group Strategy Department and support collective decisions and broader departmental priorities.

Additional Information

The organisation states that it values diversity, equity and inclusion and encourages suitably qualified and eligible candidates to apply regardless of gender identity or expression, age, racial, ethnic or cultural background, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, disability or neurodiversity.

If a candidate needs reasonable accommodation during recruitment because of a disability, neurodivergence or a chronic health condition, they should contact the EIB Recruitment team at [email protected].

By applying, candidates acknowledge the importance of protecting the security and integrity of EIB Group information. Any selected candidate will be expected to comply with all policies, controls, document classification rules and information management measures designed to prevent unauthorised disclosure or harm to the Group’s reputation.

Application deadline: 3 July 2026.

Notes

• This role is based in Luxembourg and requires regular attendance in the office.
• The position is full-time and permanent.
• The job is part of an upcoming organisational reorganisation.