Interim Director of the Reports and Findings Team
11 hours ago
London
Interim Director of the Reports and Findings Team Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery 18-month fixed-term contract Salary - £120,000 Latest start date - early June 2026 Location - Belfast or London Application Deadline – Wednesday 25th March We are working with The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to appoint an Interim Director of the Reports and Findings Team. The Interim Director of the Reports and Findings Team will lead the Findings Team for approximately 18 months. You will provide full leadership and accountability for the Team during the period of cover, ensuring continuity of direction and delivery and building on the strong foundations already in place. The role comes at an important time as the Commission transitions to become the Legacy Commission, offering the opportunity to shape and steady the Findings Team through this next phase of its work. In this role you will work directly to the Chief Commissioner, and to the Independent Panel of Judges in the Legacy Commission, in support of the discharge of their statutory duty to produce and publish reports. The Findings Team is responsible for testing and analysing the evidence at the conclusion of each investigation, making findings, and writing reports that record those findings consistently in the Commission’s style. The Team also manages the statutory representations process. You will provide clear and principled leadership to the entire team, comprising a Deputy Head of Findings, Senior Findings Officers, Findings Officers, Assistant Findings Officers and a team of paralegals. You will need to preserve its independence while maintaining strong relationships with other teams across the Commission, including the Case Support team, Information Recovery team, General Counsel’s Directorate and Communications team. Drawing on substantial legal experience, you will guide and mentor the team to analyse and evaluate evidence, supporting them to reach well-reasoned, defensible determinations. The role carries responsibility for ensuring that robust systems and processes are in place so that all statutory obligations are met, including handling sensitive information and seeking representations from those entitled to receive draft material or reports ahead of publication. You will also have a vital role to play in the internal quality assurance process, ensuring that reports are written to a very high standard, deliver real value to requesting individuals, victims and survivors, and support the Commission’s principal objective of promoting reconciliation. As a member of the Transitional Leadership Team, you will contribute to strategic direction, governance, risk management, financial, resource and capability planning, and stakeholder engagement. You will drive stability and performance during a period of complex operational and legislative reform, maintaining clarity of purpose, team cohesion and morale and delivery against statutory and organisational priorities. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and value the diversity of experience and perspective that this brings. Key Responsibilities • Provide clear and authoritative leadership to the Findings Team, ensuring that reports and findings are robust, evidence-based and consistently reflected in high-quality reports to the Chief Commissioner’s standards, to deliver real value to those who requested them., • Lead and mentor the team in testing and weighing evidence, supporting independent determinations and findings that resolve competing accounts or theories of events through careful and balanced analysis., • Ensure that clear, robust processes are consistently operated for the management and disclosure of sensitive information, working closely with other teams and relevant authorities as required., • Lead the team during the statutory representations process, ensuring careful consideration of representations and the production of sound, reasoned responses while maintaining confidentiality., • Oversee the allocation and management of cases across the Findings Team, maintaining oversight of caseload pressures, forward planning and effective use of resources., • Establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with the Commissioner for Investigations and other relevant teams to support the effective the flow of cases, whilst maintaining the team’s independence., • Lead and support the development of the team, creating an inclusive working environment that values diversity and promotes learning and development., • Engage with victims, survivors and families fairly and compassionately., • Provide strategic leadership across areas including governance and risk, corporate planning, financial and resource management, and stakeholder engagement., • Provide stable and visible leadership during a period of complex operational and legislative reform, maintaining clarity of direction, sustaining team cohesion and morale and ensuring continued delivery of statutory and organisational priorities., • As a member of the Transitional Leadership Team, contribute to the vision, direction, governance and culture of the Commission and the Legacy Commission, helping to maintain public confidence and trust. Person Specification Essential Criteria • Qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister with a minimum of eight years’ post-qualification experience and (an extensive) knowledge of UK public law and/or criminal law., • This role requires Developed Vetting (DV). Applicants must already hold DV or SC clearance; candidates with existing DV are preferred, but those with SC will be required to obtain DV., • Outstanding analytical capability and judgement, with (substantial) experience of reaching and articulating robust, evidence-based determinations in complex or high-risk matters., • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to convey complex and sensitive issues clearly and persuasively with confidence and impact to diverse audiences., • Highly developed organisational skills, with the ability to establish effective structures and systems for both personal workload and that of the wider team., • Proven experience of building, leading and motivating high-performing, multidisciplinary teams, setting clear direction across multiple and competing operational, strategic and stakeholder-driven priorities., • Executive presence, resilience and professional courage to engage constructively with other senior leaders and stakeholders, providing robust and appropriate challenge while maintaining integrity, in line with organisational values and statutory responsibilities., • Experience of developing others through mentoring and quality-assurance of written outputs, ensuring consistently high-standards, defensible decision-making and professionally presented written work., • Highly developed organisational skills with the ability to set and implement structure for own workload and that of the wider team. Provide leadership and direction to multiple complex processes while managing competing operational and strategic priorities., • Proven resilience, particularly when engaging with distressing, traumatic or highly sensitive material, maintaining composure, objectivity, and sound decision-making in challenging circumstances., • Proven ability to provide visible, steady leadership during periods of operational and/or legislative change, adapting approach as required to sustain team cohesion, morale and delivery., • Experience of managing and handling sensitive information in accordance with governance, security or statutory requirements., • Unquestionable personal integrity and the ability to meet the values set out in the Commission’s Code of Conduct. Desirable Criteria • Senior-level experience within legal, human rights, policy or advocacy roles, ideally within a public, regulatory or oversight environment., • Previous coronial, judicial or quasi-judicial experience, including responsibility for determinations or oversight of investigative processes., • Experience of engaging with victims, survivors and bereaved families in complex or high-profile contexts., • A good understanding of investigative methodology, evidential standards and assurance processes., • Knowledge and understanding of the context within which the Commission operates. About Us The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery is an independent organisation that has been created for families, victims, and survivors of Troubles-related deaths and serious harm. We are a values-led organisation. We operate with integrity, impartiality, openness, accountability, and respect, as set out in our Code of Conduct. This is reflected in our fair and open recruitment processes. We encourage people to join us from all backgrounds, communities and faiths to help us deliver. The Commission is primarily based in Belfast, with further operational sites in Northern Ireland and London. Travel to all locations will be required, but hybrid working arrangements will help us support a range of flexible working patterns. The Commission is formed of seven Commissioners, the Chief Commissioner, Sir Declan Morgan, the Chief Executive Officer, Louise Warde Hunter and the Commissioner for Investigations, Peter Sheridan, as well as four Non-Executive Commissioners to provide challenge and scrutiny to the executive team. The Reports and Findings Team supports the Chief Commissioner in producing and publishing high quality written reports at the conclusion of every investigation. When the Commission transitions to become the Legacy Commission, the Reports and Findings Team will perform the same function to support the Independent Panel Judges to produce their reports. For a confidential discussion and application details please submit your CV or call Suzie Raffle at GatenbySanderson 07551 56 11 99. Please do not delay in contacting us if this is an opportunity that is of interest.
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