NORWAY – Norges Bank Investment Management, which runs the NOK1.09trn (€134bn) Petroleum Fund for the Norwegian government, is looking to hire a head of operations for external mandates, a new role.

“Due to the increasing fund size and the extended use of external managers we want to strengthen our team that is responsible for external managers with a new position that will report directly to the chief operating officer fixed income,” NBIM says on its web site.

“NBIM offers exciting challenges in an active and stimulating international environment,” the central bank division added. The role is in Oslo and “offers excellent possibilities for personal as well as professional development”. Women are encouraged to apply.

Just last month the fund said it had funded four new mandates - one bond and three equities – in the first quarter of 2005.

The role entails the “efficient and profitable operational structure” for external mandates as well as “defining and implementing infrastructure and reporting of external portfolios”.

NBIM is also advertising vacancies for portfolio managers. It is seeking a senior portfolio manager for US financials and a portfolio manager for Asia-Pacific financials and real estate.

NBIM has around 130 employees in offices in Oslo, London and New York.