Assurance Senior Specialist

Assurance Senior Specialist

We are at the heart of Ireland's energy transition-connecting, operating and transforming the electricity grid to support a low carbon, renewable future. We are building talented teams that tackle real world challenges every day and help us prepare the grid to carry up to 80 % of Ireland's electricity from renewable sources. We are proud to be a certified Great Place to Work, recognised for a culture built on trust, collaboration and inclusion. At EirGrid you will find supportive teams, opportunities to grow and meaningful work. We also offer secure employment with a range of flexible and family friendly working policies to support your life and wellbeing.

The Opportunity

The Chief Governance Office is a directorate within the Group that ensures the highest standards of excellence are maintained in delivery of risk management, governance, legal, compliance and company secretarial activities and initiatives. The Assurance Senior Specialist will lead the delivery of EirGrid's second line assurance workstream, providing independent and objective oversight of governance, risk and compliance arrangements. This role is central to ensuring that the organisation operates with integrity, transparency and resilience by validating the effectiveness of internal controls and risk mitigation strategies. The role holder will design and execute assurance activities, produce high quality insights for senior leadership and governance bodies, and champion continuous improvement in assurance practices.

Key Responsibilities Assurance Leadership

• Lead the Group's second line assurance workstream, ensuring alignment with governance priorities and regulatory expectations.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive, risk based assurance framework that supports organisational resilience and transparency.
• Provide authoritative assurance insights to senior leadership, governance committees and external stakeholders.

Programme Delivery & Oversight

• Lead the planning, execution and reporting of assurance activities, including thematic reviews, compliance assessments and control effectiveness evaluations.
• Oversee the development of assurance methodologies, standards and tools to ensure consistency and quality.
• Drive the combined assurance agenda, coordinating with Internal Audit and other assurance providers to optimise coverage and realise efficiencies.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on assurance findings, emerging risks and governance trends.
• Prepare and present high quality assurance reports to executive leadership and governance committees.
• Represent EirGrid in external forums and liaise with regulators on assurance related matters.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

• Champion the use of data analytics and technology to enhance assurance processes and reporting.
• Monitor regulatory developments and industry best practices, advising on implications for assurance frameworks.
• Identify opportunities to streamline assurance activities and improve organisational resilience.

Culture and Collaboration

• Promote an assurance culture across the organisation through targeted training and awareness initiatives.
• Support the Governance Programme Manager in embedding assurance considerations into strategic and operational decision making.
• Collaborate with risk management and compliance teams to ensure governance and assurance activities are aligned with enterprise risk priorities.

About You

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in assurance, internal audit, risk management or governance roles, with at least 2 years in a senior management or leadership capacity.
• Qualified to degree level or hold a professional qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with the ability to interpret complex legislation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience influencing senior leaders.
• Deep understanding of assurance methodologies, governance frameworks and risk management principles.
• Ability to multi task and prioritise under pressure of deadlines, whilst working independently.
• Experience in regulated environments or the energy sector is advantageous but not essential.

Closing date for applications
6 March 2026

We value potential as much as experience. If you believe you can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every requirement. We appreciate your patience-the response time may vary because we receive a high volume of applications and carefully review each one.

We are dedicated to diversity and inclusion at EirGrid. We recognise the strength that comes from having a diverse workforce and the importance of a supportive culture for all our people to achieve their potential. Our diversity and inclusion networks create an inclusive culture that enables everyone to feel a sense of belonging at work.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable accommodations are offered at every stage of our recruitment process.