Senior Director – Advocacy & Mergers

Senior Director – Advocacy & Mergers

CCPC – Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

Dublin, Ireland

Starting Salary: €114,104 plus a Director’s allowance of €15,513
Location: Office in Dublin 1/Agile (Hybrid) working available
Closing date: 3pm, Monday, 29^th September, 2025

Division Overview

The Senior Director will lead on [Advocacy & Mergers] under the direction of the Commission. They will work closely with and report to a Member of the Commission and oversee the following divisions in the CCPC: Research, Advocacy & International (RAI), Mergers, Adjudication and the Chief Strategic Advisor.

Mergers Division:

The Mergers Division examines mergers notified to the CCPC to determine if they would result in a substantial lessening of competition in any market for goods or services in the State. As a result of powers introduced by the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022, the CCPC can initiate merger reviews by calling-in mergers that have not been notified but may have effects on competition in the State. The Mergers Division ensures that mergers which threaten to result in a substantial lessening of competition only proceed where measures are put in place that address the CCPC’s competition concerns. Where that does not happen, the CCPC can prohibit the merger. In any given year, the Mergers Division can consider transactions with a cumulative value of several billion euro. In recent years, the CCPC has conducted more in-depth reviews of transactions and has prohibited more deals.

Research, Advocacy & International Division:

The Research, Advocacy & International (RAI) Division directly contributes to the CCPC’s Strategic Goal 3: “We will be the leading voice in promoting open and competitive markets and representing the interests of consumers.”

This is a particularly important objective given recent technological and international developments which are shaping markets and consumer outcomes and require a strong approach to advocacy. This division has advocated for significant reform of markets such as the legal services market in Ireland and has conducted high profile reviews into issues of key strategic significance.

The Division oversees our research function, including market studies, in order to ultimately produce strong advocacy outcomes that will make markets work better for the Irish economy and consumers. It is also responsible for ensuring the CCPC has a leadership position on the international stage which requires engagement with senior individuals in key international stakeholders such as the European Commission, other EU national competition and consumer protection authorities, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the US Federal Trade Commission.

Adjudication:

The Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 established a landmark new administrative enforcement regime in Ireland for breaches of EU and Irish competition law. This created a new administrative adjudication regime under which the CCPC, through independent adjudication officers, has the power to make decisions concerning alleged infringements of competition law. The Adjudication team oversees this function, working closely with the CCPC’s Chief Adjudication Officer, to ensure a robust system is in place to deliver quality decisions while maintaining appropriate independence from the CCPC’s investigation units.

Chief Strategic Advisor:

This post involves leading on the delivery of strategic projects which do not have direct divisional ownership and so require senior level oversight to ensure their delivery and the success of the CCPC’s strategic plan. In addition, this post involves overseeing the Economic Regulators Network and providing senior level targeted advice on cases.

Please note that the exact divisional structure of the organisation may be subject to change over time.

The Role

The Senior Director will play a pivotal role in driving the operational success of the CCPC in Advocacy and Mergers.

They will have an active role in the senior management team collaborating with others to ensure that the strategic vision of the CCPC is implemented in an efficient and effective manner. They will lead the international work of the CCPC and be an important decision maker on Phase 1 mergers.

They will be accountable for delivering successful outcomes across the Advocacy and Mergers portfolio and strategic projects. They will be pivotal in enhancing the CCPC’s reputation as a leading voice in promoting open and competitive markets and representing the interests of consumers. This will be achieved through high quality market intelligence, expert market analysis and influencing the implementation of recommendations on market reforms which deliver measurable benefits for consumers and the economy. Strong advocacy and communication skills will be required to influence senior stakeholders and design high impact messaging.

They will also be a key figure in Irish merger control and continue to build and develop a team that is respected as a strong defender of competitive markets nationally and internationally. The role will require strong market analytical skills and the ability to oversee multi-disciplinary teams including lawyers and economists to produce robust decisions against tight deadlines.

Senior Directors will be effective and visible leaders capable of inspiring and motivating others and playing an active role as part of the CCPC’s senior management team in shaping and leading the organisation. This will include implementing effective performance management, coaching and supporting their direct reports to enhance their impact. It will also involve inputting into the organisation wide strategic approach to workforce planning, recruitment and L&D.

The role provides a leadership position amongst the international competition and consumer protection community and requires the ongoing nurturing of relationships with the European Commission, European Competition Network (ECN), International Competition Network (ICN), International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) and academics, working closely with the Commission.

The Senior Director will be both professional and credible, capable of anticipating strategic risks and responding in an informed manner. They will engage with a wide variety of stakeholders and will represent the CCPC at national and international fora, conferences and on national media.

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 in this Role.

Key Responsibilities

• Building the CCPC into an internationally recognised body in advocacy, mergers and adjudication through delivering a track record of successful strategic outcomes e.g., via the successful implementation of CCPC policy recommendations;
• Decision maker on Phase 1 mergers ensuring high quality decisions are delivered to statutory timelines;
• Providing direction to key projects/cases and overseeing strong project and case management structures with clear reporting on milestones and timely escalation of key issues when necessary;
• Working with the Commission and the Senior Management Team to develop and drive the strategy and annual workplan process, providing strategic leadership, managing risk and pro-actively contributing to the CCPC achieving its strategic objectives;
• Acting as line manager to the Mergers, Research, Advocacy & International, Adjudication and Chief Strategic Advisor Directors;
• Developing and managing capability and capacity across a diverse team of economists, lawyers, investigators, and researchers through effective delegation, coaching and mentoring;
• Establishing a leadership role for the CCPC at national and international fora, such as ECN, ICN and ICPEN;
• Leading a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, reviewing and developing procedures and internal systems and setting high standards to drive the delivery of strategy;
• Fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders including within government, industry and international regulators and assisting in identifying opportunities for policy and legislative developments;
• Representing the CCPC on significant competition and consumer protection issues in national TV, radio and print media.

Essential

Please note: In order to satisfy the shortlisting panel that you meet these criteria you must explicitly reference how you meet same in your CV. Failure to demonstrate these may prevent your application progressing to future shortlisting stages.

• A relevant, Level 8 or above, third level qualification in economics, policy analysis, law, social science, or other demonstrably relevant discipline;
• At least 5 years’ demonstrable experience of leading and managing people/projects(s) in a legal, economic, regulatory and/or enforcement area;
• Strong legal/economic/advocacy drafting skills including the ability to understand and analyse information and deliver clear, focused reports;
• Strong leadership skills including working on strategy with senior managers and experience of change management projects;
• Strong advocacy skills in identifying and communicating policy recommendations and nurturing relationships and influencing senior stakeholders to bring about change;
• Proven ability to oversee case/project management structures that deliver robust outcomes within tight time frames;
• Excellent communication skills and experience of leading media campaigns.

Desirable

• Direct experience of merger control and/or market studies;
• Knowledge of competition matters including enforcement, policy, legislation, issues and challenges.

Application Process

To apply for this position, candidates must submit an up-to-date CV that clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Additionally, please submit a cover letter explaining your motivation for applying for this position and what you would offer in the role (maximum 300 words). Applications should be sent to [email protected]. Please note that canvassing will result in disqualification from the recruitment process.

Shortlisting

Shortlisting of candidates will be based on the information provided in their application. In order to satisfy the shortlisting panel, you need to clearly highlight within your application how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria. If this is not clearly displayed, it may prevent your application progressing to the shortlisting stage.

Interview Process

There will be two interviews for this role, the first round is likely to take place in late October 2025, and the second round is likely to take place in early November 2025. During the first-round interview, the CCPC will conduct competency style interviews based on the Principal Officer Higher (PO1) competencies below:

1. Strategic Awareness;
2. Persuasive Communication;
3. Decision Making;
4. Resilience;
5. Leading People;
6. Results Orientation.

Full details of these competencies can be found on the CCPC careers page under FAQ.

The second-round interview will involve an assessment using practical methods such as presentation skills, writing assignments or role play.

To find out more about what it is like to work in the CCPC, FAQ’s, terms and conditions and the benefits on offer, please visit our CCPC careers page.