Senior Investigator

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Available Positions: Senior Investigator

Grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Employing Authority: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)

Location: Office in Dublin 1/ Agile (Hybrid) working available

The Cartels Division within the CCPC is responsible for conducting criminal and administrative competition law investigations, primarily aimed at detection, deterrence, and prosecution of cartels. These include serious cartel offences such as price fixing, bid-rigging / tender collusion, and dividing specific customers or geographic areas between competitors. These offences are not only damaging to competition and the economy but ultimately cause consumers (including businesses) and / or the State to have less choice of good and services available and / or to pay more for goods and services than they otherwise should.

The Cartels Division is also responsible for investigating other horizontal, anti-competitive practices and agreements (such as hub-and-spoke cartels and coordination or decisions by trade associations and professional associations), the offence of merger gun-jumping (where merging parties fail to notify a merger or implement a merger before approval has been obtained from the CCPC), as well as alleged procedural offences or breaches of the relevant legislation, such as non-compliance by parties with the CCPC's enforcement powers.

The Cartels Division also considers immunity and leniency applications, confidential whistleblower information, complaints received, and performs specific outreach in relation to our work with bid-rigging in public procurement.

Given these functions, the Cartels Division is made up of three Sections:

• Immunity / Leniency & Case Stream (ILCS);
• Investigations & Enforcement (I&E); and

ILCS focuses on the detection and assessments of potential cases, to develop and maintain a constant stream of cartel cases, while the latter two sections focus on conducting full investigations. There is a significant amount of cooperation and cross-over of work between the three sections.

The Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 has introduced a new administrative enforcement regime for breaches of competition law. As a result, the Cartels Division is now responsible for operating two separate competition enforcement regimes i.e. criminal and administrative. The 2022 Act also gives the CCPC additional investigative powers that can be used by the Cartels Division in its investigations. With all these important changes to the competition enforcement landscape in Ireland, it is an exciting time to join the Cartels Division and the CCPC.

The work of the Cartels Division is varied, meaningful, and interesting. Team members tackle a diverse range of cases, which means they are constantly researching different sectors and industries, staying abreast of international developments regarding cartel enforcement, and developing their own skills through in-house and external training opportunities.

Given the significant amount of collaboration and cross-over work between the three sections, we are running one recruitment campaign for the Cartels Division, as follows:

One Senior Investigator in the Investigations & Enforcement Section of the Cartels Division, with a primary focus on progressing investigations concerning serious competition offences, such as matters pertaining to price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market sharing. The Senior Investigator is required to play a leading role in investigating alleged breaches of competition law under the CCPC's criminal and administrative enforcement regimes. This role, as with others in the Cartels Division, involves both desk-related work, open-source research, and field investigative work. The Senior Investigator will report to the Head of Unit at Assistant Principal Officer grade.

AND

One Senior Investigator in the Immunity, Leniency and Case Stream Section of the Cartels Division. The Senior Investigator will have a competition law and / or investigative background and will play a key role in the detection and assessment of cartel behaviour, reporting to senior management. The role is primarily desk-based, and includes open-source research, field investigative work including meeting with complainants and external stakeholders, and participation in various CCPC education / outreach programmes. The Senior Investigator will report to the Head of Unit at Assistant Principal Officer grade.

• Conduct administrative and criminal investigations into potential breaches of competition law, including cartels, other anti-competitive horizontal practices, and merger gun-jumping;
• Establishing initial investigative steps, including drafting investigation initiation documents, identifying key investigative milestones, undertaking day-to-day investigation and project management tasks, and maintaining an investigation jobs book;
• Drive forward assigned cases and conduct investigative tasks while maintaining a complete file of matters completed, with a record of research done and any evidence obtained;
• Avail of investigation tools including Requirement for Information (RFIs), witness interviews, voluntary cautioned interviews, summons procedures, and search operations;
• Act as exhibits officer and warrant holder as required during searches;
• Contribute to and assist in the preparation of investigation reports, Statements of Objection (SOs), or referral files to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP);
• Overseeing the casework of Investigators, including people management and mentoring;
• Conduct research and evaluate evidence gathered relating to potential cartel behaviour, other anti-competitive horizontal practices, and merger gun-jumping;
• Represent the CCPC at national and international fora and conferences, as required;
• Contribute to divisional, cross-divisional, and organisational projects when requested; and
• Undertake other ad hoc duties as may be reasonably requested, in line with organisational needs.

• Mid-Senior level

• Full-time

• Legal

• Consumer Services