Director, Digital Forensics, Principal Officer

About This Role

Role Purpose

You will lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for monitoring platform behaviour, collecting and preserving digital evidence, and managing eDiscovery and document review for investigations. You will direct the technical strategies used to assess how the platform handles harmful content and ensure that all evidence is prepared to the standards required for legal disclosure.

About the Division

The Data and Technology Division is tasked with ensuring that Coimisiún na Meán makes effective use of data and technology in the discharge of its functions and to support its operations whilst providing essential insights into data science and the technologies employed by regulated entities. This Division employs advanced analytics and state-of -the-art technologies to oversee compliance, analyse trends, and provide critical insights to the various business units within Comisiún na Meán.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical aspects of investigations: Lead the investigations team in refining their questions to focus on the technical aspects of each case. Advising on the technical changes the platform may need to implement.

• Technical Forensic Engineering Leadership: Manage the deployment of test account suites and diverse personas to mirror different demographics and analyse real-time content delivery by recommender systems.

• Technological, legal and regulatory expertise: Establish clear end-to-end process guardrails to ensure evidence can be relied on in court. Serve as credible subject matter expert in court if required.

• OSINT/systemic risk analysis Integration: Lead the integration of open source intelligence (OSINT)/systemic risk analysis to bridge the gap between internal data and the external digital landscape. Identifying trending narratives that the platform may be failing to moderate.

• Automation & Machine Learning (ML): Drive the development of forensics focused automated tools and ML models designed to categorise content as offensive or neutral and identify patterns across various narratives.

• Evidence Governance: Develop, implement and enforce strict adherence to the formal evidence lifecycle – including collection, preservation, analysis, and disclosure. Ensuring all captured data, from screenshots to traffic logs, remains e secure, verifiable, and evidentially sound.

• Chain-of-Custody Management: Maintain a strict chain-of-custody and utilise secure data environments to ensure all evidence is legally defensible and protected from tampering.

The above is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to review.

What Success looks like (12-24 Months)

• Established a high-performing Digital Forensics function with clear operating models, robust governance structures and the appropriate balance between in-house capability and external specialist support.

• Developed legally robust and operationally mature digital evidence processes that ensure evidential integrity, defensibility and compliance with disclosure obligations across all investigations.

• Built trusted technical investigative capabilities that support the organisation’s supervision, enforcement and legal functions in assessing platform behaviour and systemic online harms.

• Implemented effective methodologies for monitoring and analysing recommender systems, platform integrity risks, harmful content trends and moderation gaps across large-scale digital platforms.

• Successfully integrated OSINT, forensic analysis, machine learning tools and automated investigative approaches into regulatory workflows, while maintaining appropriate human oversight and evidential standards.

• Established secure and reliable evidence lifecycle management processes, including collection, preservation, analysis, disclosure and chain-of-custody controls suitable for regulatory and legal scrutiny.

• Developed strong cross-functional relationships across legal, investigations, supervision, policy and technology teams, ensuring digital forensic capability is embedded into organisational decision-making and enforcement readiness.

• Built a psychologically safe, collaborative and high-performing team culture capable of attracting, developing and retaining specialist technical expertise in a highly competitive market.

• Positioned Coimisiún na Meán as a credible and technically informed regulator in relation to digital investigations, platform accountability and online safety enforcement.

• Delivered clear strategic priorities and measurable operational outcomes aligned with the organisation’s Strategic Statement, evolving statutory remit and public service values.

About You

Experience, Skills, Knowledge & Qualifications

Essential Criteria

• Deep experience in digital forensic analysis, the technical architecture of large-scale platforms and the regulatory space.

• Expertise in evidence management protocols, including the preservation of digital integrity and secure data handling.

• Ability to oversee the development of ML models and automated investigative tools.

• Proven ability to leverage OSINT/systemic risk analysis to identify emerging harmful trends and moderation gaps.

• 5+ years people management experience including managing managers.

• Proven experience influencing senior leaders and decision-makers, working across matrix governance structures, and bringing multidisciplinary teams together to deliver shared outcomes.

• Hold a recognised degree of at least Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications in Digital Forensics or Cyber Security

Desirable Criteria

• Experience analysing user journeys and traffic flows of e.g. reporting content

• Hold an additional recognised degree of at least Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications in Law

• Similar experience in law enforcement or another public sector body

Key Information

Benefits, Package & Pay

• This position is offered on a Permanent basis.

• Full time, 35 hrs per week

• Annual Leave: 30 days per annum

• The role will be a hybrid role combining home and office working. Our current hybrid policy is 2 days in the office.

• Our office is located at One Shelbourne Buildings, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, D04 NP20.

• For a full list of benefits see our website here.

• This position is graded at the Principal Officer scale.

• Successful candidates will be appointed on the first point of the scale

Application Process

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit:

• A CV (max 2 pages) and a Cover letter/personal statement (max 1 page) outlining why you believe your skills, experience and values meet the requirements of the position via the apply now button below.

• Appointment to this role is subject to the candidate's eligibility to work in Ireland. All positions require candidates to live in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

• Candidates who engage in canvassing will be disqualified and excluded from the process.

Late applications or applications not received through the correct channel, as indicated above, will not be considered. For queries related to the application or selection process related to this role, please contact cnam@cpl.ie.

Privacy Notice

Coimisiún na Meán (An Coimisiún, CnaM, we, our) processes the personal data arising as a result of its recruitment campaign. The Data Controller is CnaM, and the Data Processor appointed by CnaM to conduct the recruitment process is CPL. The Data Controller’s contact details are - Data Protection Officer, Coimisiún na Meán 1 Shelbourne Buildings, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, D04 NP20, Ireland.

Email:dpo@cnam.ie Phone Number : 01 963 7755

CnaM will process the personal data collected during the recruitment process for the purpose of the review, consideration and selection of applications and the contacting of applicants. Third party recipients may include CnaM representatives. CnaM does not transfer personal data outside of the EU or EEA.

CnaM’s legal bases for collecting and processing this data may include:

- Contract - where the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract, or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract

and/or

- Consent - where you have given explicit consent to the processing (e.g. reasonable accommodations)

The personal data processed will be stored securely. This data will be stored for a maximum of 12 months in the event of an unsuccessful application.

Applicants have the right to access their data and to rectify any inaccuracies in their data. To do this, please write to the Data Protection Officer at the address listed above. Applicants have the right, where appropriate, to the erasure of their data and/or a restriction on processing of their data. In addition, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission. Our full Data Protection Statement is available here: https://www.cnam.ie/governance/dataprotection-privacy/privacy-statement/

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations will be provided, if required, during the recruitment process. To discuss and request reasonable accommodations in confidence please contact amckiernan@cnam.ie.

Coimisiún na Meán is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and are committed to championing an inclusive and diverse workforce which reflects modern Ireland. We work to create a culture where everyone has equal access to opportunity and feels comfortable to be their authentic selves at work.

Closing Date: 18/06/2026, 3pm