Job Description

Entity/ Authority: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)

Division: Product Safety

Reporting to: Director of Product Safety

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Salary: Maximum: €91,961/ Minimum: €74,068

Employment details: Full time/ Permanent, subject to 12 month probation.

Role Summary: The CCPC is seeking to recruit a Deputy Director for its Product Safety Division. This is an opportunity for a high calibre, Senior Manager with relevant experience, to bring their strong leadership and management approach to a regulatory and technical division supporting the goals of a dynamic and fast-paced organisation.

The Product Safety Division is primarily responsible for exercising the CCPC’s product safety and market surveillance functions. The CCPC is the Market Surveillance Authority and the Competent Authority in Ireland for the safety of a wide range of non-food consumer products pursuant to product safety legislatio.

The Product Safety Division recently expanded into a standalone Division, having previously been a dedicated Unit within the CCPC’s Criminal Enforcement Division (headcount increased from 6 at the start of 2019 to 13 currently). This growth was in preparation for increased market surveillance activities arising from the impact of Brexit.

The Deputy Director will occupy a senior role directly involved in the leadership and management of a Division that works with complex and developing issues ensuring the protection of consumers from unsafe products in line with domestic and European product safety requirements. The role is a key appointment contributing to the success of the work of the Division as it continues to grow and develop in the CCPC.

The Deputy Director will manage operational and other activities of the Product Safety Division, including proactive and reactive market surveillance activities, including investigations, inspections, and compliance monitoring, responsibilities with respect to product safety recalls, and engagement with consumers and economic operators. The Deputy Director will keep the Director appraised of the progress of such activities through regular reporting and briefings.

The Deputy Director, in consultation with the divisional managers, will be responsible for making recommendations to the Director on courses of action to achieve ‘best outcome’ risk based market surveillance of products within our remit. Such recommendations will be focussed and aligned with the objectives of the CCPC using a range of enforcement mechanisms and risk assessments.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and manage Divisional team members effectively, including performance management and identification of individual and team learning and development needs;
Assist the Director in developing future longer term strategy for the Division, in particular preparation for the impact of Brexit;
Lead and project manage Divisional projects, such as co-ordinated national market surveillance programmes;
Identify best practices as they relate to market surveillance and product safety activities with a focus on future requirements and resource realities;
Assist the Director in leading a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and collaboration, contributing towards building highly effective specialised product safety teams and the development of divisional procedures and internal systems;
Promote the Mission, Vision and Values of the CCPC;
Contribute to the development of divisional workplans that will pro-actively contribute to the CCPC achieving its strategic objectives;
Assist the Director in managing and coordinating the general administration and operation of the Division, including risk management, data management and security;
Take responsibility for ensuring the Division’s reporting obligations are performed in an accurate, efficient and timely manner;
Take the lead on key divisional and cross-divisional projects as the need arises,
Build familiarity with the broad remit of the CCPC’s mandate and ensure the product safety teams are equally familiar;
Deputise for the Director when required;
Build, manage and maintain productive and positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, contributing to the Division’s role in respect of the CCPC’s international work. This is likely to involve travel both nationally and internationally.

Technical and Professional Requirements

Essential

Third level degree and/ or hold a professional qualification in an area related to the role.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience of leading and managing specialist teams (preferably in a regulatory or product safety environment).
Proven ability to lead and deliver on parallel projects within tight timeframes involving multi-disciplinary and cross Divisional participation.
Practical experience of the application of regulatory legislative instruments, including practical experience working in and investigating compliance in a regulatory area.
Excellent drafting skills, presentation skills and attention to detail.
Demonstrable communication and influencing skills including the ability to build effective working relationships.

Desirable

Product safety expertise.
Practical experience of carrying out inspections or investigations.
Experience of developing and implementing organisational strategy and/ or change management experience.
Relevant previous experience in the Civil/Public Sector.
Working knowledge of corporate governance and risk.
Working knowledge and understanding of case management systems.

this job offer is not open for applications