Director of Legal Affairs and Registration

We are delighted to announce that our client the Charites Regulator are currently recruiting for a Director of Legal Affairs and Registration.

Role profile

This role is a key senior management position within the Charities Regulator reporting into the Chief Executive. Candidates should note that reporting lines may change in future as part of any restructuring of the organisation.

The role of Director of Legal Affairs and Registration involves managing the provision of legal advice within the Charities Regulator and overseeing the work of the registration and charity services functions. The Director of Legal Affairs and Registration is responsible for the provision of legal advice and legal services to the organisation and for supporting the Chief Executive and senior management team on all legal matters. In addition, the position includes responsibility for the areas of registration and charity services and ensuring that robust decision-making processes are followed within those areas. As a key member of the senior management team, the Director of Legal Affairs and Registration will also be responsible for contributing at a senior level to the fulfilment of the Charities Regulator's strategic objectives, decision making and to the development and implementation of the Charities Regulator's corporate business objectives.

The role entails responsibility for managing a team consisting of approximately 20 members of staff across functions. Significant prior experience of successfully managing a diverse team, including legal professionals to deliver results in a fast-paced environment is essential.

The duties and responsibilities of the successful candidate will include the following:

• Overseeing the effective running and organisation of the legal affairs, charity services and registration functions of the Charities Regulator;
• Leading and managing assigned staff and ensuring that all performance reviews are carried out in a timely manner and ensuring that learning and development opportunities of direct reports and the wider team are met;
• Keeping up-to-date with relevant legal developments nationally and in other jurisdictions in particular in the area of charity law and regulation;
• Fostering a culture of learning and knowledge sharing among staff;
• Strengthening structures and supports within the charity services and registration functions by ensuring that appropriate policies and systems are developed, kept under review and enhanced as required in order to ensure that matters are progressed in a timely manner and that processes underpinning all regulatory decisions are robust;
• Ensuring that the integrity of the Register of Charities is maintained;
• Working closely with the Director of Compliance and Enforcement on regulatory and compliance[1]related matters;
• Providing legal advice to the CEO and other senior managers regarding regulatory strategy, investigations, due process and fair procedures;
• Ensuring that all legal advice is provided on a timely basis and that work is prioritised and assigned accordingly;
• Leading on any statutory appeals or other litigation involving the Charities Regulator and ensuring that the Board and CEO are kept regularly informed of relevant progress;
• Managing the Charities Regulator's legal and registration budget and ensuring value for money in relation to legal and other services that may be required;
• Working closely with the CEO and other senior managers to contribute to internal audit and risk management within the organisation by identifying and managing organisational legal risks and any risks associated with the legal affairs, charity services and registration areas;
• Ensuring that the Charities Regulator remains compliant with legal requirements applicable to it as a public body in particular in the areas of Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Protected Disclosures;
• Providing appropriate briefings on all legal and registration matters to the Board, CEO and other senior managers, as appropriate;
• Contributing to the strategic direction of the Charities Regulator and working closely with members of the senior management team to achieve overall Business Plan targets;
• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with other regulators and third party service providers;
• Undertaking speaking engagements and representing the Charities Regulator at events, as appropriate;
• Such other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

The above is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and responsibilities associated with the post and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive. It will be subject to periodic review with the post holder.

The Charities Regulator retains the right to amend role profile and allocate resources within the Charities Regulator in the most appropriate manner and in accordance with business needs.

Essential requirements:

Candidates must on or before Monday, 9 September 2024

• Have - a) been called to the Bar and be enrolled as a Barrister in the State or have been admitted and be enrolled as a Solicitor in the State; and b) practised as a Barrister or Solicitor in the State for not less than six years;
• Have previous recent experience of working at a senior level in a regulatory body or in advising regulators or regulated entities in relation to regulatory matters;
• A proven track record as a leader at senior manager level (at least 5 years' experience)
• Advising on regulatory activity including, inquiries, investigations and adjudicative decision making
• Have significant experience of dealing with relevant administrative law requirements associated with decision-making in a regulatory context;
• Have a proven ability to exercise sound judgement, analytical thinking, and problem solving/decision making skills;
• Have strong leadership qualities and a proven ability to build and develop a high functioning team;
• Significant people management experience and experience of developing others within an organisation;
• Proven ability to manage people and deliver results through a team
• Have strong evidence of project and resource management capability and a record of achieving challenging goals and managing and prioritising multiple work streams;
• Have previous experience working as part of a Senior Management team in strategic planning and delivery
• Have an ability to communicate and influence at a senior level
• Have excellent interpersonal and communications skills
• Have high levels of personal integrity and professionalism
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous self-learning and development
• Demonstrated experience in adhering to robust corporate governance practices.
• Demonstrable expertise and ability in building effective working relationships, along with the capability to cultivate strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Proven ability to think and act strategically with experience of translating strategies into prioritised business work plans
• Proven ability to work under pressure and think laterally in dealing with a wide range of legal issues.
• High motivation with a proven ability to work with minimal supervision

Desirable experience knowledge and skills:

• Experience of presenting at Board level
• Experience in and/or comprehension of public-sector practices
• Understanding of charity law and practice in Ireland
• Knowledge of freedom of information, protected disclosures and data protection law
• While not required specifically for the role, spoken or written Irish to a level sufficient to communicate with our stakeholders; previous experience of administering registration functions within a regulated sector.

Required competencies

Candidates should have all the abilities required of a Director of Legal Affairs and Regulation with the Charities Regulator. In particular, candidates must demonstrate in their applications and during the selection process that they have the following competencies, which are required for the role, by reference to specific achievements and relevant examples in their career to date:

• Leadership and strategic direction
• Judgement and decision making
• Management and delivery of results
• Building relationships and communication
• Specialist knowledge, expertise and self-development
• Drive and commitment to public service values

Further information regarding each of the above competencies is available in Appendix A, which sets out the Public Appointment Service's Principal Officer competency framework.

How to apply:

Application forms and Candidate Information Booklets are available from the careers section on the Charities Regulator website or by following the below link:

Application forms must be completed and sent to Please note that cover letters and CVs are not required and will not be considered. No enquiries or canvassing may be made to the Charities Regulator.

Closing Date: 5pm on Monday, 9 September 2024

Applications will not be accepted after the closing date and late applications will be ineligible for consideration. Therefore, it is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that sufficient time is allowed for receipt of your application. Applicants must ensure they retain a copy of the email submitted, including the date and time, in case of any queries.

An acknowledgement email will be issued in respect of all applications received. If an applicant does not receive an acknowledgement email within two working days of date of submission, the applicant should contact to ensure the application has been received.

Any candidate requiring any particular accommodation for interview or other elements of the selection process should notify us at so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

We will endeavour to keep candidates informed of the progress of their application at the earliest possible date.

Canvassing is prohibited and will result in disqualification from the competition.