The Charities Regulator is currently recruiting for a Legal Advisor

The Charities Regulator is currently recruiting for a Legal Advisor.

Overview:

The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) is an independent statutory body. It was established by the Minister for Justice and Equality on a statutory basis on 16 October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Charities Regulator is located in Dublin.

The key functions of the Charities Regulator are to establish and maintain a public register of charitable organisations operating in Ireland and ensure compliance with the Charities Acts.

The Charities Regulator is also responsible for authorising the appointment of charity trustees and the disposition of charity property in appropriate cases and has the power to appoint investigators to investigate the affairs of any charitable organisation.

The role of Legal Advisor involves the provision of day-to-day legal advice and assistance across a broad range of areas including charity law, administrative law, data protection and freedom of information, and in relation to regulatory matters. The Legal advisor will work in conjunction with another Legal Advisor who manages the Charity Services function, the Director of Legal Affairs & Registration, and external legal advisors as appropriate. This is a responsible and rewarding role dealing with a variety of legal queries in a busy environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Legal Advisor will report to the Director of Legal Affairs & Registration.
• The role of Legal Advisor involves providing legal advice and assistance to internal clients on a range of legal and regulatory issues across the organisation, in conjunction with other members of the Legal Affairs Unit.
• The duties and responsibilities of the successful candidate will include the following:
  • Providing staff of the Charities Regulator, management, the CEO, the Board and its Committees, as appropriate, with timely, high-quality legal analyses and advice tailored to the needs of the Charities Regulator, on matters pertaining to the statutory functions of the Charities Regulator under the Charities Act 2009
  • Providing advice and assistance to the Registration team in relation to queries arising on applications for registration;
  • Providing advice and assistance in relation to the exercise of powers and functions under Part IV of the Charities Act, 2009;
  • Liaising with the Charities Regulator’s external legal advisors as required;
  • Assisting, as required, with the preparation of briefing materials for Regulatory Committee and Board approval, and attending these meetings as appropriate;
  • Providing legal advice and assistance, as required, in relation to decisions of the Board that need to be implemented;
  • Where appropriate, leading on any litigation or statutory appeals involving the Charities Regulator arising under the Charities Acts;
  • Keeping up-to-date on areas of law relevant to the work of the Charities Regulator, in particular, the areas of regulatory law, charity law, and administrative law;
  • Providing or arranging for the provision of legal advice in respect of issues relating to Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Protected Disclosures as required;
  • Providing regular reports on all legal work to the Director of Legal Affairs & Registration, the CEO, and the senior management team, as appropriate;
  • Preparing and contributing input to facilitate the drafting of formal documentation including guidance, reports, and website content, as appropriate;
  • Working collaboratively with members of the Legal Affairs & Registration division and other senior managers to identify solutions to legal issues and contributing to the development of legal and regulatory strategies;
  • Liaising with external stakeholders, including other regulatory agencies and Government Departments, on legal issues of relevance to the Charities Regulator as required;
  • Supporting the Director of Legal Affairs & Registration and other Unit Heads to ensure that the strategic priorities and operational goals of the organisation are met;
  • Providing training to, and running know-how sessions for, staff of the Charities Regulator to increase awareness of legal issues and any associated legal risks;
  • Undertaking speaking engagements and representing the Charities Regulator at events, as appropriate;
  • Such other duties may be assigned from time to time.

Essential Criteria:

Candidate must on or before the 3rd September 2021:

• Have
  1. 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
  2. practiced as a Barrister or Solicitor in the State for not less than three years;
• Have previous experience of working in a regulatory body or in advising regulators or regulated entities in relation to regulatory matters;
• Have experience in advising on investigations or inquiries;
• 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 judgment, analytical thinking, and problem-solving/decision-making skills;
• Have a record of achieving challenging goals and managing and prioritising multiple workstreams;
• Have strong drafting skills;
• Have previous experience working as part of a team in delivering on organisational goals and projects;
• Have an ability to communicate and influence internal and external stakeholders;
• Have excellent interpersonal and communications skills;
• Have high levels of integrity and professionalism;
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous self-learning and development;
• Have excellent research skills and IT skills.

Please note that cover letters and CVs are not required and should not be submitted.

Application Forms and Candidate Information Booklets are available on the careers section of the Charities Regulators website.

Application forms must be completed and sent to charitiesregulator@cpl.com

Only applications submitted by email on the official application form for this competition will be accepted. Applications sent to other email addresses will not be considered.

Closing Date: 5.00 pm on Friday, 3rd of September 2021