Board Member with Childcare Expertise

YMCA Dublin; Ireland; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-based charity in Ireland is seeking a board member with expertise in childcare policies and funding. The role involves strategic contributions, compliance oversight, and advising on service delivery. Ideal candidates should have professional experience in childcare policy and be able to commit to board meetings. This position requires active engagement in governance and strategic discussions.

Qualifications

• Professional experience in childcare policy, core funding, and community care in Ireland.
• Familiarity with childcare regulations and local authority framework.
• Ability to dedicate time for board duties and meetings.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the organization.
• Ensure compliance with childcare legislation and guidelines.
• Advise on development and review of childcare policies.
• Monitor performance against goals.
• Provide input on service delivery and expansion.

Skills

Experience in childcare policy

Knowledge of core funding

Community care experience

Familiarity with Tusla regulations

Charity board experience

Job description

The Organisation

YMCA Dublin is a community-based charity dedicated to supporting young people, individuals, and families across Dublin.

For more than 175 years, we’ve been creating safe spaces, providing essential services, and empowering people to reach their full potential. Through youth and community services and affordable, accessible, high-quality childcare, we bring vital resources to the communities that need them most, helping people thrive and fostering stronger, more sustainable communities.

Built on a social enterprise model, all income generated goes directly back into funding local community projects and initiatives, such as youth work, Plus One mentoring, community work, community childcare and community employment.

Our vision is that we believe everyone should have the opportunity to belong to healthy, confident, secure and connected communities.

We have recently opened a new Northside Cluster and will continue to grow our services in other new locations over the next number of years. Staff and trustees continue to work towards an ambitious 5-year plan of sustained and quality growth as outlined in the Strategic Plan.

Website:

YMCA Dublin Home | Youth & Community Services Charity

The Role:

YMCA Dublin is seeking a new board member with experience of the Childcare sector and knowledge of Childcare policies, core funding and community care.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Input to the strategic direction, contributing with insight, oversight, and experience.
• Ensure compliance with childcare legislation and guidelines
• Advise on the development and review of childcare related policies, procedures, and safeguarding practices.
• Monitor performance against childcare-related goals.
• Provide strategic input on service delivery and expansion.

Skills and experience required:

• Professional experience in childcare policy, core funding and community care in Ireland.
• Familiarity with Tusla regulations, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) programmes, and local authority framework.
• Previous charity board experience is preferable.
• The successful candidate must be able to dedicate sufficient time for board meetings and to carry out their duties as a board member.

Charities Regulator’s General Duties of a Charity Trustee:

• Comply with the charity’s governing document.
• Ensure the charity is complying with its charitable purpose for the public benefit.
• Act in the best interest of the charity
• Act with reasonable care and skill
• Manage the assets of your charity.

Board Meetings:

The board meets eight times a year on Tuesday evenings between 6pm and 8pm. Four of the meetings are in person in Dublin city centre, and four are online.

Committee Meetings:

There are five sub-committees, the Finance, Audit, Risk Committee (FARC), Development, Impact, Governance, People and Culture/HR.

All sub-committee meetings are online and last one hour.

Additional Board Commitments:

• Annual attendance at the board away day.