Head of Risk and Compliance

Football Association of Ireland•Dublin, OH

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is the national governing body for football in Ireland, driving the growth, promotion, and development of the game at all levels. We are passionate about inspiring participation, supporting talent, and celebrating the power of football to unite communities across the country. With a proud history and an ambitious vision for the future, the FAI is committed to fostering excellence on and off the pitch, ensuring the game is inclusive, accessible, and a source of national pride. The Head of Risk & Compliance is responsible for leading the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the FAI’s enterprise risk management and compliance frameworks. This role exists to provide robust governance oversight, ensure regulatory compliance, strengthen organisational transparency, and support a culture of accountability across Irish football. Working closely with the Director of Legal & Governance, this role safeguards the organisation’s integrity and supports informed decision-making at all levels.

Requirements

Experience in risk management, compliance, audit, governance, or regulatory oversight roles.
Proven experience designing and managing corporate risk frameworks or compliance programmes.
Strong understanding of governance codes, regulatory compliance, and organisational controls.
Experience reporting to senior leadership and supporting board-level committees.
Excellent analytical, critical-thinking, and communication skills.
A highly analytical, detail-oriented professional with strong judgement and integrity.
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex governance requirements into practical, operational solutions.
Excellent communicator capable of influencing at all levels, including Board and senior leadership.
Confident, proactive, and resilient, with a strong commitment to high-quality governance and ethical standards.
Values-driven, discreet, and able to handle sensitive information with professionalism.
Strong knowledge of risk frameworks, methodologies, and reporting tools.
Excellent understanding of regulatory compliance, governance standards, and organisational controls.
Ability to analyse complex information and present it clearly to executive and board audiences.
High proficiency in policy development, risk registers, and compliance systems.
Strong interpersonal, advisory, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities with accuracy and attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in sport, public-sector, non-profit, or similarly regulated environments.
Relevant professional qualifications (e.g., Risk Management, Compliance, Internal Audit, Governance, Legal).
Knowledge of Sport Ireland Governance Code, UEFA/FIFA requirements, or similar oversight frameworks.
Experience supporting external audits, forensic reviews, or regulatory investigations.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of the FAI’s enterprise risk management framework, ensuring alignment with Sport Ireland, UEFA, FIFA, and broader governance standards.
Manage the FAI’s corporate risk register, including risk identification, assessment, mitigation planning, reporting, and escalation processes.
Support the Director of Legal & Governance in ensuring compliance with all regulatory, statutory, and policy obligations.
Oversee compliance monitoring activities across safeguarding, data protection, financial controls, governance obligations, and operational standards.
Coordinate risk and compliance reporting for the Board, Audit, Risk & Finance Committee (ARFC), Executive Leadership Team, and external stakeholders.
Develop and maintain organisational risk policies, procedures, and guidance materials.
Lead internal awareness and capability-building in risk management and compliance, including training, workshops, and advisory support.
Conduct compliance reviews and thematic risk assessments to identify gaps, vulnerabilities, or process weaknesses.
Support the monitoring and implementation of recommendations arising from external audits, internal audits, KOSI reviews, Sport Ireland requirements, and oversight bodies.
Maintain robust incident reporting, whistleblowing, and investigation processes, ensuring timely escalation and resolution.
Partner with business units—including Football Operations, P&C, Finance, Competitions, Commercial, and Grassroots—to embed strong compliance practices and enhance risk culture.
Support organisational preparedness and response processes for crises, business continuity, and resilience planning.
Ensure the FAI remains up to date with regulatory changes, governance developments, and best practice in risk management.
Provide specialist advice to senior leadership on emerging risks, compliance matters, and control improvements.
Lead the management of the FAI’s insurance portfolio, including identification of insurable risks, assessment of coverage requirements, oversight of insurance providers, and ensuring appropriate levels of cover, scope, and renewal across all organisational activities.