Deputy Director of Cartels

Point of entry on this salary scale may differ from the minimum point of the scale if thesuccessful candidate is a current public or civil servant.

Employing Authority: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)

Office Location: Bloom House, Railway Street, Dublin 1, D01 C576

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Hybrid / Agile / Remote Working: You will be required to attend the office for at least 40% of your timeand can avail of remote working up to 60% of your time. This is subjectto business requirements.The CCPC generally operates on a fully remote basis during the monthof August and over the Christmas period. This arrangement is subject tobusiness requirements.

Annual Leave: 30 days per annum

Tenure: Wholetime, Permanent

Job description: Please see detailed job description for this role below

Required competencies: The required competencies for this role can be found here .

Terms and conditions: Please see terms and conditions linked to the recruitment process here .

The Cartels Division delivers the CCPC's administrative competition enforcement function in relationto horizontal breaches of competition law. The Division investigates suspected breaches ofcompetition law involving anti-competitive agreements between competitors including bid-rigging,price-fixing and market-sharing cartels and other forms of horizontal explicit and tacit collusion.These investigations may result in enforcement action under the new administrative competitionenforcement regime introduced by the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 or under the criminalenforcement regime provided for under Part 2 of the Competition Act 2002. As a result of the newpowers conferred by the 2022 Act, the CCPC, through independent adjudication officers, can imposeadministrative financial sanctions (fines) on businesses found to have breached competition law. TheDivision also investigates the offence of merger gun-jumping.

The division is led by the Director of Cartels at Principal Officer (PO) grade and is supported by DeputyDirectors with responsibility for key areas of the Division's work. Deputy Directors work collaborativelyacross the Division's broader priorities, including case pipeline development, investigative activity,criminal enforcement matters and divisional projects.

Deputy director of Cartels The Deputy Director of Cartels will lead the Investigation and Enforcement Section within the Cartelsdivision and play a key leadership role in the delivery of the CCPC's administrative competitionenforcement mandate in a sophisticated and evolving regulatory landscape. This is a uniqueopportunity to play a leading role in the development of Ireland's administrative competitionenforcement regime and to oversee significant and often novel investigations with the potential toshape future competition enforcement practice.

The Investigation and Enforcement Section is primarily responsible for progressing investigations thatmay result in enforcement outcomes under the administrative enforcement regime introduced by the2022 Act. This work is central to the CCPC's mandate and directly contributes to competitive marketsand consumer welfare.

A core component of the role is the ability to develop and drive enforcement and case strategies,including case prioritisation, the identification of theories of harm, the assessment of complexevidence and the coordination of multidisciplinary teams. The Deputy Director will oversee the use ofthe CCPC's investigative and enforcement powers, including executing search warrants, conductingstatutory interviews, issuing legally binding requirements for information, and overseeing thepreparation of key enforcement documents including Statements of Objections, Investigation Reportsand recommendations for decision-makers. The Deputy Director must ensure that all casework isrobust, evidence-based, procedurally compliant and aligned with the CCPC's strategic priorities.

The role requires the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships across the CCPC'scompetition enforcement portfolio and the wider CCPC, including with the other Deputy Directors ofCartels, the Director of Cartels, the Senior Director of Competition Enforcement, the Competition LegalDivision, the Forensic Technology and Data Analytics Division, the Commission and other specialist andcorporate functions, in order to progress investigations and determine appropriate enforcementoutcomes.

As a senior manager in the CCPC, the Deputy Director will also contribute to cross-divisional projects,and the development of internal capacity, including mentoring and building the capability of staffwithin the Cartels Division.

The successful candidate The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they are self-driven, can leadmultidisciplinary teams, manage competing priorities and oversee complex investigations andenforcement projects to a high standard and successful and timely outcomes. They will demonstratea proven record of strong leadership, sound judgement, and excellent analytical and drafting skills.They will be comfortable leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams and fostering acollaborative, supportive and high-performance culture. They will have a strategic focus with the abilityto anticipate the wider implications of investigative decisions. The role requires an individual who canbalance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational demands, managing a diverse and complexportfolio of matters while maintaining focus, clarity and a strategic approach in a challenging anddynamic environment.

The ideal candidate will have experience working on complex legal, regulatory, compliance orenforcement matters involving large volumes of information, detailed analysis and challengingprocedural issues. They will possess excellent analytical and drafting skills and the ability to criticallyassess evidence, legal arguments, investigation findings and formal recommendations. Experience inlitigation, administrative decision-making, regulatory enforcement or other legally complexenvironments would be particularly valuable.

In addition to the immediate appointment from this campaign, an order of merit may be established.This may be used to fill any future vacancies at the same level within this or other Divisions of the CCPCwhere roles have similar responsibilities and/or similar skills are required.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the Director of Cartels in the strategic management and leadership of the Division.
• Lead and manage the Investigation & Enforcement Section, providing strategic direction,prioritisation and project management oversight of administrative investigations.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary investigation teams, ensuring effective peoplemanagement, performance management and capacity development.
• Work collaboratively with other Deputy Directors to allocate resources, manage casepipelines, and ensure coherent delivery across all workstreams in the division.
• Direct investigative and enforcement strategies, including case prioritisation, investigativeplanning, evidence-gathering approaches and the progression of investigations in a timelyand efficient manner.
• Oversee the exercise of the CCPC's investigative powers and the preparation of keyenforcement documents, including Statements of Objections, Investigation Reports andother case-related recommendations.
• Implement effective project management and case management practices to ensure thetimely, efficient and robust delivery of administrative and criminal enforcement outcomes.
• Work closely with the Director of Cartels, the Senior Director of Competition Enforcementand the Commission to support key decisions relating to investigations, settlements,commitment agreements, adjudication referrals and criminal enforcement pathways, whereappropriate.
• Participate in investigative actions including search operations, witness interviews, summonshearings and other investigative activities, as required.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, includingnational and international enforcement partners, the European Commission, the EuropeanCompetition Network, the International Competition Network and other regulatory and lawenforcement bodies. Representing the CCPC, as required, at meetings, working groups orother forums
• Contribute to the management of divisional risks, the continuous improvement ofinvestigative policies, procedures and systems, and the development of investigative bestpractice within the CCPC.
• Promote the Mission, Vision and Values of the CCPC and contribute to the achievement ofdivisional and organisational strategic objectives through participation in cross-divisionalinitiatives and projects.
• Deputise for the Director of Cartels and undertake such other duties as may reasonably beassigned.
• A graduate or postgraduate qualification (NFQ Level 8 or above) in a relevant field such aslaw, economics, business, public policy or other related discipline.
• A minimum of four years' experience of successfully leading and managing people andteams in a legal, economic, regulatory, compliance and/or enforcement setting or a relatedprofession.
• Knowledge of, or professional experience in, enforcement, regulatory or administrativedecision-making processes.
• Experience in leading a multidisciplinary cross functional team.
• Strong analytical and drafting skills including experience in analysing complex information;identifying key issues and risks, drafting decisions, findings and recommendations in a legal . click apply for full job details