Director of Energy Safety

Who We Are The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is Ireland's independent energy and water regulator. CRU employees play an important part in delivering safe and secure supplies of energy and water, protecting and empowering customers and the deployment of renewable and low-carbon solutions across Ireland. Since 1999, CRU has played a vital role in Irish society, impacting homes and businesses nationwide by ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for all customers.

Description We are currently seeking a Director for the Energy Safety Division with significant experience, nationally or internationally, in the energy or the utility industry, in a relevant regulatory or other public body.

The Position

Title: Director of Energy Safety

Location: The Exchange, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24

Starting Salary: €171,518 (Salary scale: €171,518 - €196,205). The successful candidate will start on the first point of the salary scale.

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Hybrid working: Up to 3 days per week remote working available

Closing Date: 12 October 2026, 12:00 noon

Tenure: Appointment will be on a permanent basis, subject to successful passing of the probationary period.

About the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is Ireland's independent energy and water regulator. The work of the CRU impacts every Irish home and business, ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for the benefit of all customers.

Our Values are at the core of everything that we do.

1. Integrity: Trust is vital, so we act with integrity at all times and take balanced, evidence-based decisions that are fair and consistent.
2. Professionalism: We are professional in everything we do. We work as a team and always strive to develop our expertise. We are pragmatic and open to alternative processes.
3. Openness: We are committed to co-operation. We clearly explain who we are and what we do. Our processes are open, thorough and consider views from all stakeholders. We explain our decisions in clear language.
4. Accountability: We are accountable for our decisions and for the way we spend our resources. We are independent and open to scrutiny

Do our values speak to you?

Find out more about the CRU at:

The CRU's Energy Safety Role

The CRU has a key role in protecting public safety and the prevention of major accidents in Ireland's energy sector. This includes the safety regulation of:

• Gas (networks, supply, storage, use and liquefied petroleum gas distribution); and
• Petroleum (upstream (onshore and offshore) exploration and production of hydrocarbons).
• Gas installers and electrical contractors.

Our public safety remit also includes promoting customer awareness of safety as well as ensuring electrical contractors and gas installers operate to relevant national standards to protect life and property.

Our safety role is evolving to address developments such as the introduction of traditional, lower-carbon fuels into new sectors (e.g. biomethane injection into the natural gas network, compressed natural gas in transport). In addition, the CRU will have a new safety regulatory role over Private Wires as set out by the Government in the recently published Private Wires Bill 2025 - General Scheme.

The CRU is also being assigned other functions to regulate security of supply, notably as a competent authority in respect of the Network and Information Systems (NIS2) Directive and similar roles, in utility sectors, the implementation of which may form part of this role.

Director, Energy Safety Division

Reporting to the Commission, the Director is a member of the CRU's Senior Leadership Team. This critical senior leadership role underpins the delivery of core statutory functions, contributing to CRU decisions and operation and governance of the organisation.

The Director leads the Division in the formulation, implementation and operation of energy safety policy and other relevant functions that fall within the remit of the CRU. This includes providing leadership and direction to the CRU's Energy Safety Division, engaging with key stakeholders nationally and internationally and ensuring the delivery of the CRU's vision that energy is supplied safely.

The Director will be expected to keep up to date with developments in the energy industry that may impact CRU's energy safety remit and to ensure that CRU's approach to energy safety regulation is in line with best international practice. While this opportunity relates initially to Energy Safety, it is expected that the successful candidate would have the abilities and competencies to function effectively as a Director in any other of the CRU's Divisions.

The Director will be responsible for:

• shaping and delivering the CRU's strategic priorities as they relate to the Division and broader organisation, statutory objectives and wider EU regulatory frameworks;
• providing leadership, direction and mentoring to a multi-disciplinary technical and non-technical team of management, technical inspectors and analysts in the Division;
• managing and delegating appropriate responsibilities to Heads of Functions, Managers and Inspectors in the Division;
• supporting and advising the Commission on all aspects of energy safety-related functions and policy, its wider regulatory remit and emerging regulatory frameworks, as required;
• protecting the public interest through the Gas Safety Framework and the Petroleum Safety Framework, including assessing safety cases, issuing Safety Permits (as applicable) and implementing compliance assurance activities such as audits and inspections;
• overseeing the activities of the electrical and gas safety supervisory bodies, prosecuting unregistered gas installers and electrical contractors and implementing the decision to extend the Registered Gas Installer regulatory scheme to include non-domestic gas works;
• increasing public awareness of safety issues regarding electrical and gas issues through public awareness campaigns highlighting these issues, in collaboration with other stakeholders;
• reviewing and implementing new functions assigned to the Division;
• taking responsibility and accountability for actions and decisions assigned to them as Director in accordance with the CRU's Corporate Governance Framework and assignments under the Delegation of Authority Framework;
• inputting to, reviewing and approving annual work plans, budgets, risk registers, workforce plans for the Division;
• driving cross-functional collaboration across the CRU;
• Supporting the Commission and representing the CRU at senior-level engagements (CEO, key Government Officials, other national competent authorities' (NCAs) leadership, etc.);
• Leading engagement and effective collaboration with relevant industry groups and national and international agencies and bodies in related fields;
• Carrying out such other functions as may be required from time to time to support the Commission and fulfil the business objectives of the CRU.

Note: The CRU has commenced an Organisational Transformation Programme, which may result in changes to the current organisational structure and will involve the development of a new target operating model. The mandate of Divisions may undergo changes as part of the Programme. The Director will have an important role to play in implementing and driving this change across the CRU and within their Division.

While successful candidates will initially be posted to specific roles within the current organisational structure, all roles and responsibilities within CRU may be subject to change arising from the ongoing Organisational Transformation Programme.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

1. A minimum of an NFQ Level 8 degree in a relevant discipline;
2. Significant (minimum 9 years) experience, nationally or internationally, in the energy or the utility industry or in a relevant regulatory or other public body;
3. Significant senior leadership experience (minimum 5 years) in energy, utility or other regulated sectors, leading teams, managing and developing people in challenging and dynamic working environments;
4. Policy/strategy development and operational experience relevant to the CRU.

Desirable Requirements

1. A postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline;
2. Experience in leading and managing technical and non-technical teams, including consultant and sub-contractor management;
3. Policy/strategy development and operational experience relevant to the safety remit of the CRU;
4. Deep (or ability to quickly develop) knowledge of energy safety, including major accident hazards.
5. Experience in leading and motivating in a rapidly expanding organisation to deliver on a wide range of strategic goals and objectives, coupled with the drive and ability to contribute to the CRU's strategic vision and mission;
6. Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the statutory, governance and policy framework within which the CRU operates.

For more information on Core Competencies, please see the Informtaion Booklet attached.

The Package

Salary

Starting salary of €171,518

Salary scale: €171,518 - €196,205
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