JOB DESCRIPTION

Purpose

You will join a team of senior experts, engineers and economists that provide high quality advice on project preparation and implementation, capacity building and institutional/regulatory framework development in various sectors. You will make a tangible contribution to the strategic priorities for Romania, with emphasis on the efficient use of EU funds in the health sectors. You will contribute to improving the pipeline and impact of EIB-financed operations in line with the EIB’s strategic priorities.

As a (Senior) Transport Infrastructure Expert in the Project Advisory Support Unit you will be in charge of the origination, planning, implementation and monitoring of Project Advisory Support Service Agreements (PASSA) in the transport sector, potentially also contributing to other EIB Group activities. You will lead a team of consultants as well as provide advice in the relevant domain of expertise. You will develop and maintain good relationship with the EIB clients. You may be required to contribute to activities under PASSA activities in other sectors and other countries where the PASSA mandate is active.. More information on PASSA can be found at: https://www.eib.org/en/products/advisory-services/passa/index

You will coordinate advisory activities under the relevant PASSA with other EIB Advisory activities provided by the EIB Group, including under other mandates (e.g. JASPERS, Invest EU), in line with the modalities for coordination identified in the EIB’s strategic approach to advisory services. You will provide high quality reporting on advisory activities falling under the PASSA for which you are responsible and will carefully manage the related budget.

You will ensure that capacity building activities results in lasting administrative capacity improvements for the beneficiaries that receive such advisory support. You may be asked to participate in project due diligence as part of EIB project teams on an ad hoc basis, as well as contributing to other EIB Advisory mandates, as agreed with the Head of Unit and Head of Division.

Specific post environment

If successful, you will join the Project Advisory Support Unit (PASU) within the Urban Advisory Division in the Housing, Cities and Regions Department of the Projects Directorate. EIB Advisory through the PASU mandate provides advisory support in a range of sectors including transport, water, solid waste, energy, health, civil protection, digitalization. Our main clients are government bodies, managing authorities and project promoters. The main focus of PASU’s advisory support is the project implementation phase, with the aim to address capacity gaps primarily in terms of project procurement, contract management, quality control, and setting up systems that will ensure an effective operation phase. PASU experts work hand-in-hand with clients and project Promoters on the implementation of strategic and complex projects and programmes and provide bespoke advisory products that are not available off-the-shelf and are tailored to the client’s specific capacity gap. Our business model effectively combines EIB expertise with input from third party consultants.

Operating Network

You will be based at EIB office Bucharest, but with significant time spent at client premises.

You will be reporting to the Head of Unit, under the overall supervision of the Head of Division, and will have frequent contacts with other relevant experts in your and other PJ divisions, as well as other teams across the EIB Group.

Accountabilities

• Provide advice on project preparation or implementation (mainly infrastructure investments) in the transport sector.
• Identify feasible solutions to project management and implementation problems and recommend preferred courses of action in compliance with EIB policies.
• Contribute to measures for institutional strengthening and capacity building through recommending business process reform, benchmarking and sharing of good practice.
• Deliver capacity building activities and transfer skills to counterparty staff.
• Identify client’s needs, develop adequate terms of references for assignments that address them, participate in procurement of consultants, manage the assignment and ensure quality of outputs.
• Create and maintain good relationship with current and potential EIB clients, in coordination with other relevant EIB teams (PJ experts working on project due diligence, relevant Operations Directorate teams).
• Design, implement, monitoring and accurately report on Project Advisory Support assignments, including careful budget management.
• Lead team(s) of consultants working with PASU team.
• Regular contact with promoters and availability to be present on the ground.

Qualifications

• University degree (minimum an equivalent to a Bachelor) preferably in an area related to this publication, ideally in Civil Engineering.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience preferably in the preparation and/or implementation of transport infrastructure projects. Strong preference will be given to more senior profiles given the complexity of the post’s duties.
• Very good knowledge of at least one of the local markets covering the PASSA mandate would be an advantage.
• Solid understanding of project management principles, experience with EU- and MDB-financed projects would be an advantage.
• Experience in leading a team of consultants in delivering advisory assignments would be an advantage.
• Knowledge on functioning of the management and control systems of EU funds would be an advantage.
• Experience in public procurement and contract management.
• International experience would be a strong advantage.
• Strong organisational, communication and presentation skills. Excellent analytical skills with a practical approach to problem solving.
• Proficiency in standard computer applications.
• Excellent knowledge of English and/or French (**) with a good command of the other. Knowledge of at least one of the languages covering the PASSA mandate countries would be an advantage.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements