Director of Ethics and Integrity

We are delighted to be recruiting a Director of Ethics and Integrity on behalf of Sport Ireland

Director of Ethics and Integrity Assistant Principal Grade

The Director of Ethics and Integrity at Sport Ireland will assume a pivotal role in upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity across the sports sector. This leadership position requires a professional to shape and enforce ethical guidelines, ensuring the integrity and reputation of Sport Ireland and its affiliated organisations.

Job Purpose

As the Director of Ethics and Integrity within Sport Ireland, this role is responsible for sports administration and leading and overseeing the Ethics and Integrity Unit. The primary focus of this position will be to develop and implement strategies to uphold ethical conduct, fairness, diversity, and inclusion within the sports community in Ireland. The role involves advocating and emphasising for ethical behaviour, diversity, and inclusion and safeguarding compliance.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive ethics strategy in collaboration with the Ethics and Integrity Unit, aligning it with Sport Ireland's mission, vision, values, and objectives
• Establish policies and initiatives that promote ethical conduct, equality, diversity, and inclusion within the sports community. Anticipate challenges and proactively mitigate them, ensuring the Ethics and Integrity Unit remains at the forefront of ethical standards in sports.
• Advocate for and enforce ethical conduct, ensuring athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators understand and adhere to the established standards, fostering a culture of integrity and inclusion.
• Promote transparency at every level, overseeing rigorous monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and upholding openness in decision-making processes, building trust within the sports community and beyond.
• Lead a diverse team of professionals within the Ethics and Integrity Unit, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Empower the team to drive change, providing necessary resources and support for their roles.
• Forge partnerships with other sporting bodies, government organisations, and community stakeholders to share best practices, exchange knowledge, and enhance ethical conduct, diversity, and inclusion within sports activities and organisations.
• Implement policies that foster equality, diversity, and inclusion within sports activities and organisations, creating a more inclusive environment that values and respects diversity
• Manage complaints related to ethical matters, ensuring transparency, fairness, and impartiality in the resolution process. Implement measures to prevent the recurrence of issues raised through complaints.
• Oversee the implementation of safeguarding measures to protect athletes, officials,and participants from abuse, harassment and exploitation, ensuring compliance with safeguarding regulations.
• Ensure fair and consistent conduct and disciplinary procedures are in place and followed to address violations of rules and standards, focusing on maintaining the integrity of the sports community.
• Prepare and present regular reports on integrity-related matters to senior management, the board, and relevant government bodies, highlighting areas related to safeguarding and disciplinary actions.
• Communicate the achievements and progress of the Ethics and Integrity Unit's initiatives to stakeholders and the public, focusing on the outcomes related to safeguarding and integrity enforcement.

This job description is intended to provide an overview of the responsibilities and requirements for the position. The duties and expectations may evolve to meet the dynamic needs of Sport Ireland and the Integrity Unit, underscoring our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in the realm of sports integrity.

Person Specification:

Essential: Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• A bachelor's or advanced degree in sports management, law, ethics, or a related field
• Proven experience in managing integrity, safeguarding or ethics programmes within the sports industry, ideally at a national or international level.
• Familiarity with national and international best practice with regards to integrity, safeguarding or ethics is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated leadership and strategic planning abilities with a focus on results and accountability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle complex issues effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and foster partnerships with external organisations.
• Integrity, ethical judgment, and a commitment to upholding the principles of fair play and clean sport.

The desired candidate will be:

• Experience or training in crisis management and response strategies equips a director to effectively handle high-pressure situations, such as ethical breaches or public controversies.
• A demonstratable commitment to ongoing professional development, staying abreast of emerging trends, and willingness to adapt ethical strategies in response to evolving challenges
• Demonstrated ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, including National Governing Bodies, athletes, coaches, officials and community organisations particularly relating to promoting ethical behavior, integrity, and safeguarding initiatives within the broader sports community.

Additional Information:

Contract: Full Time, Permanent

Salary Scale: Assistant Principal Officer Standard Scale. The appointment will be made on this scale at a point in line with current Government Pay Policy. New entrants to the public sector commence on the first point of scale.

Location: Sport Ireland, Sport Ireland Campus, Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown, D15

If you would like to apply for this position, please send your CV in confidence to . Closing date for applications is Thursday 23 rd May 2024 5pm.

Sport Ireland is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of the workforce. Sport Ireland is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals. We actively welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on any protected groups. If you require reasonable accommodations to interview, please let us know and we will do our best to assist.

Sport Ireland is a Great Place to Work Ireland.

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