Vacancy: Deputy Director of Cartels

Job Title: Deputy Director of Cartels

General information

Closing date: 3pm, 15th October 2026

Starting Salary: *€91,229

*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: You will be required to attend the office for at least 40% of your time and can avail of remote working up to 60% of your time. This is subject to business requirements. The CCPC generally operates on a fully remote basis during the month of August and 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.

Apply here

About the role

Division overview

The Cartels Division delivers the CCPC’s administrative competition enforcement function in relation to horizontal breaches of competition law. The Division investigates suspected breaches of competition law involving anti-competitive agreements between competitors including bid-rigging, price-fixing and market-sharing cartels and other forms of horizontal explicit and tacit collusion. These investigations may result in enforcement action under the new administrative competition enforcement regime introduced by the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 or under the criminal enforcement regime provided for under Part 2 of the Competition Act 2002. As a result of the new powers conferred by the 2022 Act, the CCPC, through independent adjudication officers, can impose administrative financial sanctions (fines) on businesses found to have breached competition law. The Division also investigates the offence of merger gun-jumping.

The division is led by the Director of Cartels at Principal Officer (PO) grade and is supported by Deputy Directors with responsibility for key areas of the Division's work. Deputy Directors work collaboratively across the Division’s broader priorities, including case pipeline development, investigative activity, criminal enforcement matters and divisional projects.

Deputy director of Cartels

The Deputy Director of Cartels will lead the Investigation and Enforcement Section within the Cartels division and play a key leadership role in the delivery of the CCPC’s administrative competition enforcement mandate in a sophisticated and evolving regulatory landscape. This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the development of Ireland's administrative competition enforcement regime and to oversee significant and often novel investigations with the potential to shape future competition enforcement practice.

The Investigation and Enforcement Section is primarily responsible for progressing investigations that may result in enforcement outcomes under the administrative enforcement regime introduced by the 2022 Act. This work is central to the CCPC’s mandate and directly contributes to competitive markets and consumer welfare.

A core component of the role is the ability to develop and drive enforcement and case strategies, including case prioritisation, the identification of theories of harm, the assessment of complex evidence and the coordination of multidisciplinary teams. The Deputy Director will oversee the use of the CCPC’s investigative and enforcement powers, including executing search warrants, conducting statutory interviews, issuing legally binding requirements for information, and overseeing the preparation of key enforcement documents including Statements of Objections, Investigation Reports and recommendations for decision-makers. The Deputy Director must ensure that all casework is robust, evidence-based, procedurally compliant and aligned with the CCPC’s strategic priorities.

The role requires the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships across the CCPC’s competition enforcement portfolio and the wider CCPC, including with the other Deputy Directors of Cartels, the Director of Cartels, the Senior Director of Competition Enforcement, the Competition Legal Division, the Forensic Technology and Data Analytics Division, the Commission and other specialist and corporate functions, in order to progress investigations and determine appropriate enforcement outcomes.

As a senior manager in the CCPC, the Deputy Director will also contribute to cross-divisional projects, and the development of internal capacity, including mentoring and building the capability of staff within the Cartels Division.

The successful candidate

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they are self-driven, can lead multidisciplinary teams, manage competing priorities and oversee complex investigations and enforcement projects to a high standard and successful and timely outcomes. They will demonstrate a proven record of strong leadership, sound judgement, and excellent analytical and drafting skills. They will be comfortable leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams and fostering a collaborative, supportive and high-performance culture. They will have a strategic focus with the ability to anticipate the wider implications of investigative decisions. The role requires an individual who can balance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational demands, managing a diverse and complex portfolio of matters while maintaining focus, clarity and a strategic approach in a challenging and dynamic environment.

The ideal candidate will have experience working on complex legal, regulatory, compliance or enforcement matters involving large volumes of information, detailed analysis and challenging procedural issues. They will possess excellent analytical and drafting skills and the ability to critically assess evidence, legal arguments, investigation findings and formal recommendations. Experience in litigation, administrative decision-making, regulatory enforcement or other legally complex environments would be particularly valuable.

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.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the Director of Cartels in the strategic management and leadership of the Division. 
• Lead and manage the Investigation & Enforcement Section, providing strategic direction, prioritisation and project management oversight of administrative investigations. 
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary investigation teams, ensuring effective people management, performance management and capacity development. 
• Work collaboratively with other Deputy Directors to allocate resources, manage case pipelines, and ensure coherent delivery across all workstreams in the division. 
• Direct investigative and enforcement strategies, including case prioritisation, investigative planning, evidence-gathering approaches and the progression of investigations in a timely and efficient manner. 
• Oversee the exercise of the CCPC’s investigative powers and the preparation of key enforcement documents, including Statements of Objections, Investigation Reports and other case-related recommendations. 
• Implement effective project management and case management practices to ensure the timely, efficient and robust delivery of administrative and criminal enforcement outcomes. 
• Work closely with the Director of Cartels, the Senior Director of Competition Enforcement and the Commission to support key decisions relating to investigations, settlements, commitment agreements, adjudication referrals and criminal enforcement pathways, where appropriate. 
• Participate in investigative actions including search operations, witness interviews, summons hearings and other investigative activities, as required. 
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including national and international enforcement partners, the European Commission, the European Competition Network, the International Competition Network and other regulatory and law enforcement bodies. Representing the CCPC, as required, at meetings, working groups or other forums 
• Contribute to the management of divisional risks, the continuous improvement of investigative policies, procedures and systems, and the development of investigative best practice within the CCPC. 
• Promote the Mission, Vision and Values of the CCPC and contribute to the achievement of divisional and organisational strategic objectives through participation in cross-divisional initiatives and projects. 
• Deputise for the Director of Cartels and undertake such other duties as may reasonably be assigned.

Essential criteria

• A graduate or postgraduate qualification (NFQ Level 8 or above) in a relevant field such as law, economics, business, public policy or other related discipline. 
• A minimum of four years’ experience of successfully leading and managing people and teams in a legal, economic, regulatory, compliance and/or enforcement setting or a related profession. 
• Knowledge of, or professional experience in, enforcement, regulatory or administrative decision-making processes. 
• Experience in leading a multidisciplinary cross functional team. 
• Strong analytical and drafting skills including experience in analysing complex information; identifying key issues and risks, drafting decisions, findings and recommendations in a legal, economic, regulatory, compliance and/or enforcement setting. 
• Strong case management and project management capabilities, including the ability to oversee multiple complex investigations or workstreams simultaneously and deliver timely enforcement outcomes. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly, concisely and effectively to a range of stakeholders. 
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships. 
• Ability to make sound, evidence informed decisions and remain calm under pressure.

Desirable

• Additional relevant qualifications or experience beyond the essential criteria. 
• Knowledge of or professional experience in competition law. 
• Knowledge of or professional experience in administrative enforcement regimes or administrative investigations.
• Professional experience in advising and managing litigation. 
• A post graduate qualification in leadership and/ or management.

Application process

To apply for this role using the link on the CCPC careers page, please submit : 

• An up-to-date CV, and
• A cover letter (maximum one A4 page) outlining suitability for the role, including your experience leading and managing teams, analysing complex issues and information, and delivering outcomes in legal, economic, regulatory, compliance, litigation and/or enforcement settings. 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 role requirements and identify candidates who appear to meet them best. Please note that this does not mean that other applicants are unsuitable or unable to perform the duties of the role, but it rather means that some applicants have demonstrated more relevant experience in their application.

Interview process

There will be two interviews for this role that are likely to take place in early November 2026.

During the first-round interview, the CCPC will conduct competency style interviews based on the Deputy Director competencies below:

• Strategic Awareness
• Persuasive Communication
• Decision Making
• Resilience
• Leading People
• Results Orientation

Full details of these competencies can be found on the Deputy Director Competencies 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.

Job applicant privacy notice

Our job applicant privacy notice can be found here.

More information