Head Of Unit – Investigations and Enforcement (Assistant Principal Officer)

Job Title: Head Of Unit – Investigations and Enforcement (Assistant Principal Officer)

General information

Starting Salary: *€83,113  

*Point of entry on this salary scale may differ from the minimum point of the scale if the successful candidate is a current public or civil servant.

Employing Authority: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)

Office Location: Bloom House, Railway Street, Dublin 1, D01 C576

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Hybrid / Agile / Remote Working: The successful candidate will be required to attend the office for at least 40% of their working time and may avail of remote working for up to 60% of their working time, subject to business requirements. The CCPC generally operates on a fully remote basis during the month of August and fully remote over the Christmas period.  This arrangement is subject to business requirements. 

Annual Leave: 30 days per annum

Tenure: Wholetime, Permanent

Job description: Please see detailed job description for this role below

Required competencies: The required competencies for this role can be found here.

Terms and conditions: Please see terms and conditions linked to the recruitment process here.

Closing date: 3pm, Wednesday, 25th November 2026

Apply here

About the role

Division overview

The Consumer Enforcement Division (CED) is responsible for ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of, consumer protection law. CED conducts onsite and online inspections to monitor compliance with the relevant statutory provisions, carrying out investigations and taking enforcement action, as appropriate. CED also engages with the business community and other stakeholders to promote compliance and best practice. This includes traders across all sectors, from small and medium-sized firms to global corporations operating in consumer markets.

There are currently three units in CED:

• Assessment and Inspection Unit;
• Investigations Unit; and
• Compliance Unit.

While each unit has its own specific area of expertise and responsibility, they collaborate with each other and with other teams to deliver on the goals of CED and the wider CCPC.

CED works closely with the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) with both divisions primarily responsible for exercising the CCPC’s functions in consumer protection and ensuring that traders comply with the relevant pieces of consumer protection legislation.

The Role

The Head of Unit - Investigations and Enforcement at Assistant Principal (AP) grade will lead the Investigations Unit and play a key role in managing and supporting the work of the Consumer Enforcement Division. This is a high-impact opportunity to lead major and complex investigations into potential breaches of consumer protection law, shape enforcement strategies and oversee cases from initial assessment through to enforcement action. The role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of consumer protection, influence outcomes of significant public importance and collaborate with specialist colleagues and external agencies on challenging and varied work.

The Investigations Unit within CED investigates potential breaches of consumer protection law using the CCPC’s criminal and regulatory investigation and enforcement powers. Its purpose is to deliver robust, proportionate and evidence-led investigations that support effective enforcement outcomes and protect consumers.

The Head of Unit - Investigations and Enforcement will occupy a senior position with responsibility for the leadership and management of the Investigations Unit, as well as engagement with a variety of Divisions within the CCPC, participation in cross-divisional projects and engagement with external agencies. The role may occasionally involve both national and international travel.

Key responsibilities

• Manage, direct and drive forward criminal and regulatory investigations of potential breaches of consumer protection law, from strategy through to effective outcomes.
• Lead, motivate and develop the team through support, training and mentoring.
• Set high investigative standards, applying CCPC procedures and national and international best practice, and adapt to emerging risks and technologies.
• Analyse evidence and guide the team in making timely decisions and recommend realistic courses of action.
• Prioritise and manage a caseload of ordinary and complex investigations, allocating resources and managing risk effectively.
• Develop new case pipelines using the helpline, intelligence, market research and stakeholder engagement to detect emerging harms.
• Take forward investigations that test previously untested provisions of consumer protection legislation, in ordinary and complex cases.
• Contribute to the leadership and management of the Division.

The successful candidate

The successful candidate will have substantial experience of conducting, managing or advising on criminal, regulatory or compliance investigations and enforcement, including leading or advising on complex investigations and gathering or assessing evidence to an enforcement standard. They will be a solutions-focused and collaborative leader who can hit the ground running and shares the CCPC's commitment to public service. They will welcome the challenge of leading an operational unit in a dynamic and important regulatory field.

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 at the same level within this or other Divisions of the CCPC where roles have similar responsibilities and/or similar skills are required.

Essential

• Relevant degree or equivalent in economics, law, regulation or compliance, or professional legal qualification, and three years’ experience of conducting, managing or advising on criminal, regulatory or compliance investigations, enforcement or related litigation.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in team leadership and managing others in an investigative, regulatory, or compliance environment.
• Experience of conducting, managing or advising on investigations and enforcement actions in a criminal, compliance or regulatory environment with demonstrable knowledge of the rules of evidence.
• Project management and/or case management experience including knowledge and experience of best practice in case, record, file and document management.
• Experience of conducting investigative interviews, obtaining or assessing witness accounts, or advising on interviewing or witness evidence, with an understanding of safeguards applicable to that work.
• Experience of preparing, assessing, presenting or testing evidence for criminal, regulatory or administrative enforcement actions or for court or other judicial proceedings, including through investigations, litigation, advocacy or legal advice.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work on one’s own initiative.
• Excellent drafting skills and attention to detail, with a proven ability to lead and deliver on parallel projects or cases within tight timeframes and with cross-functional participation.
• Demonstrable communication and influencing skills including the ability to build effective working relationships.

Desirable

• Established knowledge and/or experience of Consumer Protection legislation OR a demonstrated interest in this area.
• Experience of conducting digital investigations, including investigations involving online platforms or online marketplaces, and/or working with digital forensics.
• Knowledge of the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly the obligations applying to online platforms and online marketplaces, and/or experience of investigating compliance with those obligations.
• Knowledge of, or experience in, investigations supporting the imposition of consumer protection fines or other administrative financial sanctions.
• Knowledge and experience of e-investigation tools or techniques, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), investigative databases and analytical software tools.
• An understanding of Data Protection law requirements.
• Full driving licence.

Application process

Please apply using the button below, which will take you to our recruitment partner. Please submit an up-to-date CV, no longer than two pages, and a cover letter (maximum 500 words).

The cover letter should provide specific examples demonstrating how the applicant meets the essential criteria. Examples should clearly describe the applicant’s role, the actions taken and the outcomes achieved.

Applicants should note that canvassing will result in your exclusion from the process.

Apply here

Shortlisting

Candidates are responsible for ensuring their application is complete, accurate and clearly demonstrates how their skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Should the information not be clearly provided, the application may not progress within the shortlisting process.

Although candidates may meet the essential criteria, it may not be possible to invite everyone to interview. The interview board will assess applications against the requirements of the role and identify the candidates who appear to best meet those requirements. Please note that this does not mean that other applicants are unsuitable or unable to perform the duties of the role; rather, it means that some applicants have demonstrated more relevant experience in their applications.

Interview process

There will be two interviews for this role; the first-round interview will take place in early December 2026, and the second-round interview will take place in early January 2027.

During the first-round interview, the CCPC will conduct competency style interviews based on the Assistant Principal Officer competencies below:

• Leadership
• Management And Delivery of Results
• Judgement, Analysis and Decision Making
• Drive And Commitment
• Interpersonal And Communication Skills
• Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self-Development

Full details of these competencies can be found on this page. 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.

Equal opportunities

The CCPC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to championing an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects modern Ireland and the people we serve. We strive to create a culture where everyone has equal access to opportunity and feels comfortable and confident to be themselves at work. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, if required, during this process. To discuss and request reasonable accommodations in confidence, please contact ccpccareers@cpl.ie.

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