Temporary Assistant Principal - Assistant Director, Legal Services

Cpl; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

25 days annual leave

12-month temporary contract

Dublin office location

Job summary

The CPL Group is seeking a Temporary Assistant Principal – Assistant Director, Legal Services for Coimisiún na Meán, based in Dublin. The role supports the Legal Services Division in providing strategic legal guidance and managing regulatory risk across the organisation.

Reporting to senior Directors, you will lead a team of lawyers, collaborate with internal stakeholders, and contribute to major regulatory and statutory processes.

Qualifications

• Called to the Bar or admitted solicitor in Ireland, with relevant post-qualification experience.
• 3+ years’ post-qualification experience as a practising barrister/solicitor.
• Experience in regulatory/public/technology/broadcasting/privacy law and litigation.
• Ability to provide clear, strategic legal advice in Plain English.
• Up-to-date knowledge of Irish and EU law desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, concise, practical and strategic legal advice to inform and guide An Coimisiún.
• Minimise legal risk in relation to proposed regulatory measures, supported by facts and applicable law.
• Analyze new areas of law and solve problems by thinking strategically and collaborating across disciplines.
• Contribute to management of litigation, including appeals, judicial review, and enforcement proceedings.
• Liaise with legal and other staff in government departments and regulators as required.
• Contribute to organisation-level legal and regulatory policy issues.

Job description

Role Purpose

Cpl are seeking a Temporary Assistant Principal - Assistant Director, Legal Services for our client Coimisiún na Meán. The successful candidate will be employed by Cpl on a 12 month temporary assignment working in Coimisiún na Meán, supporting the Legal Services Division ("LSD").

About Coimisiún na Meán

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s agency for developing and regulating a thriving, diverse, creative, safe and trusted media landscape.

The organisation was established in March 2023, further to the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. As the independent media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán is responsible for regulating broadcasters, video-on-demand providers and online platforms established in Ireland. Its wide-reaching remit also includes supporting and developing the Irish media sector.

About the Team

The Legal Services Division ("LSD") at An Coimisiúnplays a crucial role in ensuring that the Commission is aware of legal issues and risks and acts in accordance with relevant legislation and fair procedures. Reporting to the Directors, the Assistant Director will work with, and support, the organisation, ensuring that An Coimisiún effectively carries out its statutory functions under national and European law and works towards its objectives as described in its Strategy Statement.

The LSD is a dynamic, experienced team of lawyers working in a central LSD, which is expanding. Led by a General Counsel, the team currently have three Legal Directors working closely with a team of Assistant Directors, each supporting a range of areas central to the Commission’s objectives. The team is supported by a Legal Analyst who provides research and supports the sharing of knowhow across the team.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, concise, practical and strategic legal advice to inform and guide An Coimisiún;
• Minimiselegal risk in respect of any proposed regulatory measures, ensuring that it is supported by the facts and consistent with applicable law and the administrative process;
• Analysenew areas of the law and solve problems by thinking strategically and creatively and collaborate with others by building relationships with colleagues from a range of disciplines;
• Contribute to the management of litigation as required, particularly in the context of appeals/judicial review and enforcement, including advice on correspondence, affidavits, expert reports and other documents required in Court proceedings;
• Liaise with legal and other staff in government departments, public bodies and national and European regulatory authorities as required; and
• Contribute to organisation-level legal and regulatory policy issues.

The above is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to review and change.

Essential Criteria

• Candidates must have been called to the Bar in the State and be a practising barrister or have been admitted and be currently enrolled as a solicitor in the State or hold a professional qualification in law which would be acceptable to An Coimisiún, as being equivalent to the above; and have at least 3 years’ post-qualification experience as a practisingbarrister/solicitor;
• Relevant work experience either in a law firm, as a practising barrister, as in house counsel, in the public, private sector or third sector, with a strong record of professional achievement;
• Experience within an environment of similar complexity;
• Ability to provide clear, solutions focused and strategic legal advice in ‘Plain English’;
• Experience in one or more of the following areas of law: regulatory law, public law, technology law, broadcasting law, privacy law, human rights and litigation.

Desirable Criteria

• Qualifications and/or experience in law above the essential requirements;
• Up-to-date specialist legal knowledge relating to the work of An Coimisiún, including knowledge of Irish and EU legislation and willing to pursue this as part of CPD;
• Experience of administrative enforcement regimes and investigations (civil and/or criminal) including any experience of litigation arising from enforcement or investigations
• Proven ability to operate collaboratively at all levels within an organisation providing accurate and timely advice on a variety of legal topics;
• Experience in drafting and/or reviewing complex legal documentation such as regulatory decisions or procedures, legislation or consultation documentation.

Key Information

Benefits, Package & Pay

• This position is offered on a temporary agency contract for a period of 12 months.
• The successful candidate will be employed by Cpl
• Full time, 35 hrs per week
• Annual Leave: 30 days per annum
• The role will be a hybrid role combining home and office working. The current hybrid policy is 2 days in the office.
• The Coimisiún na Meán office is located at One Shelbourne Buildings, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, D04 NP20.
• This position is graded at the Assistant Principal scale
• Successful candidates will be appointed on the first point of the scale

• Appointment to this role is subject to the candidate's eligibility to work in Ireland.
• All positions require candidates to live in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Competencies

Please see the competencies below that will be assessed at interview stage for this competition:

• Leadership
• Judgement, Analysis and decision making
• Management and Delivery of Results
• Interpersonal and Communication skills
• Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development
• Drive & Commitment to Public Service Value