Chief Operations Officer

Role Requirement 1

Operations & Service Excellence

• Provide leadership for Pobal’s Operations Directorates in line with the strategic plan and within approved operating and capital budgets.
• Oversee delivery and ongoing management of Pobal’s multi-programme portfolio, ensuring high standards of quality, consistency, control and assurance.
• Ensure programme management processes are efficient, high quality and deliver to agreed timelines and budgets.
• Maintain robust operational governance, risk management and assurance arrangements that meet public sector accountability requirements.
• Lead service excellence across Operations, using evidence and insight to improve accessibility, user experience and outcomes for communities and Government.
• Establish mechanisms for stakeholder learning and feedback to support continuous evaluation and improvement.
• Ensure value for money by regularly testing the cost and effectiveness of services and processes and identifying optimisation opportunities.
• Develop and implement an Operations resource plan, including governance and performance management of any outsourced services.
• Monitor operational performance through appropriate KPIs and reporting and escalate significant issues to the CEO and Board as required.
• Lead crisis and contingency planning for operational disruptions, ensuring resilience and continuity of service.
• Enhance Pobal’s reputation for high-quality programme and grant management through consistent delivery and strong operational controls.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of Pobal’s end-to-end operating model, ensuring effective integration across operational, corporate and enabling functions.

Role Requirement 2

Strategic Leadership, Governance and Risk

• Partner with the CEO and SLT to shape, implement and monitor Pobal’s strategic objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership that sets direction, purpose and accountability across operational systems.
• Lead complex change and transformation aligned with Government priorities, funding developments and sectoral needs.
• Anticipate emerging risks and opportunities and shape Pobal’s operational response proactively.
• Contribute to SLT decision-making with constructive challenge, insight and sound judgement, grounded in Pobal’s purpose and vision.
• Develop, with Operations Directors and SLT colleagues, the annual business plan and longer-term operations strategy.
• Provide assurance to the CEO, Board and Board Committees on operational controls, risk management and service delivery performance.

Role Requirement 3

People & Stakeholder Management

• Lead and develop high-performing Operations Directorates, fostering a culture grounded in Pobal’s values: Service Excellence, Collaboration, Integrity, Accountability, Transparency and Inclusion.
• Demonstrate personal leadership through self-awareness, resilience and ethical judgement.
• Empower senior managers and teams to deliver complex operational outcomes and navigate change with confidence, providing clear direction, support and challenge.
• Provide credible and agile leadership to direct reports, promoting staff wellbeing, resilience and engagement, particularly in the context of sustained organisational change and delivery pressure.
• Ensure effective workforce planning, succession planning and leadership capability development for critical operational roles.
• Build trusted, strategic relationships with Government Departments, community partners, service providers and oversight bodies.
• Communicate with clarity, diplomacy and impact, modelling organisational values at all times.
• Represent Pobal externally with professionalism, credibility and authority.
• The role requires leading large, geographically dispersed teams through sustained change, while maintaining engagement, wellbeing and service continuity.
• Ensure robust succession pipelines and leadership capability across critical operational and programme delivery roles.

Role Requirement 4

Data & Digital Information Management

• Provide strategic oversight for data, digital and information management and system strategies within operations in partnership with Pobal’s ICT, Data & Analytics and other technical specialist functions.
• Accountable for ensuring that operational systems and data support effective performance management, assurance, evaluation and decision‑making, working in partnership with ICT and Data & Analytics functions.
• Champion a digital first, data driven, efficient and user centred approach across operations, embedding automation, analytics and AI assisted solutions to processes where appropriate.
• Ensure that appropriate systems, data governance arrangements and information management processes are in place to support monitoring, evaluation, assurance and independent review.
• Promote digital capability, innovation and continuous improvement across operational teams while maintaining proportionate risk management.

The above is not intended as a comprehensive list of duties involved, and the Chief Operations

Officer may be asked on occasion to take on other responsibilities or perform other duties appropriate to the post, in line with Pobal’s Strategic Plan 2027+

Required Experience & Skills

Pobal seeks applications from high-calibre dynamic individuals with proven senior management experience and strong knowledge, strong understanding and experience of working in the area of social inclusion. The successful candidate will be an experienced, innovative senior manager, with energy, drive and high levels of vision, motivation and resilience, with a proven ability to deliver objectives and strategic goals, ensuring good organisation management as well as demonstrable capacity to lead high-achieving teams. 

• 7- 10 years senior management experience with significant experience in or demonstrable strong commitment to social inclusion.
• Significant experience leading large-scale data driven, complex operations, ideally within a public service, regulated or mission-driven environment.
• Demonstrated experience of leading organisational change in complex stakeholder contexts.
• Strong understanding and experience of governance frameworks, risk management, digital enablement and public sector accountability.
• Demonstrated track record of leading financial management and overseeing large‑scale service planning and delivery, including delivery of national programmes.
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, develop high-performing senior teams, fostering inclusion, collaboration and impact.
• Excellent strategic thinking, planning and execution capability, with a track record of delivering sustained organisational improvement.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including experience engaging constructively with Government, oversight bodies and external partners.
• Highly developed communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues clearly and authoritatively.

Desirable

• Experience of working across multi- disciplinary teams or matrix organisational structures
• Experience of service delivery in social inclusion, community, early years or related public policy areas
• Knowledge of the workings of the community/voluntary/public sector/Early Years
• Experience of mentoring, coaching and developing senior leaders

Qualifications

• A relevant third‑level qualification at NFQ Level 8 or above is essential.
• A postgraduate qualification (Level 9 or above) in areas such as public administration, organisational leadership, management, business, economics or a related discipline is desirable.

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