Senior Consultant/Manager – State Aid & EU Funds (m/f)

About the Team and Role 

Our State Aid & EU Funds team delivers consulting and advisory projects for both public and private sector clients – from designing state aid schemes and drafting applications for grant mechanisms (IPCEI, Innovation Fund, LIFE, CEF, HORIZON, RRF, ESIF) to notifications and compliance monitoring. 

We are looking for a Senior Consultant/Manager who will take over an established agenda, ensure quality and oversight, and strengthen our advisory and business development approach. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead a portfolio of projects in the area of state aid and EU funds – from scoping and solution design to implementation and quality assurance. 

• Take ownership of the agenda and streamline delivery – set clear delegation, control points, and standards to ensure no technical details or connections are missed (QA, peer review, checklists, methodologies). 

• Proactively identify issues and develop practical solutions to ensure the smooth progress of projects and client satisfaction. 

• Advisory leadership – create solutions with added value (schemes, aid intensity, instrument suitability, timing, compliance vs. business objectives). 

• Perform detailed market, financial, competitive, and regulatory environment analyses to support the design and evaluation of state aid schemes and grant applications. 

• Prepare, compile, and deliver high-quality outputs in the form of analyses, reports, or studies for use internally and by clients. 

• Support financial modeling and data analytics to underpin decision-making processes. 

• Regulatory expertise and application of rules: GBER, CEEAG, Regional Aid Guidelines; preparation of materials for European Commission notifications. 

• Grants and calls for proposals – design and evaluate applications (IPCEI, Innovation Fund, LIFE, CEF, HORIZON, RRF, ESIF), draft calls and guidelines for beneficiaries. 

• Reporting & monitoring – establish processes for compliance obligations, data collection, and data management. 

• Lead and develop the team – coach senior consultants and juniors, aiming for team independence rather than micro-management. 

• Business development & Sales – build pipeline, lead proposals and pitches, develop client relationships, and cross-sell within the firm. 

• Stakeholder management – collaborate with public authorities, corporate clients, and technology partners. 

• Effectively manage projects and communicate at the top management level of client organizations to align outputs with expectations. 

• Utilize data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau, alongside PowerPoint and Excel, to support data presentation and effective communication of analyses and results. 

• Travel – occasional visits to clients across Slovakia and CEE (team base in Bratislava). 

What We Expect 

• 5+ years of relevant experience, combining senior-level responsibilities with proven experience in managing people and/or projects. 

• Strong knowledge of EU and national state aid legislation (GBER, CEEAG, RAG) and proven experience with grant mechanisms (IPCEI, Innovation Fund, LIFE, CEF, HORIZON, RRF, ESIF). 

• Advisory mindset – ability to connect regulation, financing, and client business goals; design abstract technical solutions and strategic roadmaps. 

• Experience in preparing and interpreting market and financial analyses as well as working with visualization and data tools (Power BI, Tableau). 

• Proven capability to identify problems early and proactively propose efficient solutions. 

• Excellent project leadership and client communication skills, including interactions with senior and top management. 

• Education: economics/finance/law/technical fields; technical or engineering background preferred (ability to interpret technical project parameters and translate them into schemes and compliance). 

• Excellent analytical, presentation, and client-facing skills; proficiency in PowerPoint & Excel. 

• Languages: fluent English (written & spoken); Slovak strongly preferred for managerial level (advantage for direct work with public authorities). 

• Team player and partner – able to build trust, share responsibilities, and provide constructive feedback. 

Nice to have 

• Experience with financial instruments design/deployment (ESIF/EIB), product development for energy efficiency/climate, ESG expertise. 

Work Model 

• Hybrid (flexible), but regular presence in Bratislava and client visits is highly encouraged for effective project leadership and business development. 

• Scope: nationwide, team base: Bratislava. 

• Work on interesting projects with multinational teams and engage with top-tier clients and regulators. 

• Strong expert community and room for fast growth to (Senior) Manager/Lead. 

• Opportunity to lead high-visibility projects with regulators and top investors. 

• Support for BD (marketing, tender assistance) and a robust delivery ecosystem. 

Success in 6–12 Months 

• Fully taken over and stabilized portfolio with QA processes and no loss of detail. 

• Built pipeline (specific targets to be agreed internally). 

• Independent team handling routine delivery; you focus on advisory, key decisions, and quality.