On 11th September 2024, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that he would establish an independent statutory inquiry into the murder of Mr Patrick Finucane on 12th February 1989. The Inquiry is being established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to enable the Government to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the ECHR in line with the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal judgment in July 2024. The inquiry will build upon the previous reviews and investigations which have already been conducted into this case, take specific account of the materials and information provided to and generated by them, and avoid unnecessary duplication of investigation.
The Chair of the Inquiry (once appointed) will be supported by a small secretariat, providing administrative and policy support to the Chair and other office holders.
The Inquiry is at the very early stages and this role offers an opportunity to make a real impact on the future direction of the Inquiry. As a member of a small team, you will have a varied role on a high-profile topic, working with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Delivering the Inquiry’s overall operations (including HR and finance, legal operations, contract management, estates and hearings, project management, and governance) is crucial to the success of the Inquiry. This role requires a diverse set of skills to oversee and lead the different functions, and the successful candidate will need to demonstrate they have the skills and experience to succeed in the role without necessarily being a professional in any one of the functions.
It’s an exciting time to be part of a growing and energetic team with lots of potential for development and growth within this role.
Please note this appointment will be made subject to HMT business case approvals.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:
This role, which can be based in either Belfast or London (with regular travel between both), will lead the Inquiry’s operational functions. This will include responsibility for HR and finance, legal operations, contract management, estates and hearings, project management, and governance.
The post-holder will also work flexibly across the wider secretariat team, providing support to the Secretary and taking responsibility for a range of daily issues and tasks while leading the implementation of the operations of the Inquiry.
Essential Criteria:
The post holder will need to demonstrate the following in their application and at interview:
Leadership – You are a credible leader who can command the confidence and trust of the Inquiry’s chair and statutory office holders, and other senior stakeholders. You enjoy building, leading and managing a team to deliver at pace, while remaining calm under pressure and setting a positive team culture where individuals are supported to be their best.
Communication skills – You are an excellent communicator, able to provide clear advice, briefings and other materials to senior stakeholders.
Relationship building and stakeholder management skills – You build and maintain strong and positive relationships with stakeholders at all levels, and you leverage those relationships to deliver your priorities. In particular, you will build and maintain relationships with external suppliers providing specialist services to the Inquiry (such as solicitors, barristers, bespoke information management services) and the sponsor team in the Northern Ireland Office.
Prioritisation – You are confident juggling a large number of issues and priorities at once. You work well under pressure, prioritise effectively, and maintain attention to detail.
Attention to detail – you have the skills and experience to set up key systems for finance, HR, legal and other operations, and lead a team managing them with a focus on accuracy, robust governance and accountability.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities; the precise job description will be subject to views of the Chair and Secretary once appointed.
Desirable Criteria:
Previous experience working on or with independent inquiries (or similar work)
● An understanding or experience of working on NI legacy issues (or similar work)
Behaviours:
We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours for Grade 7 level during the application sift and interview process:
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Developing Self and Others
How to apply:
You will be asked to provide a CV setting out your job history, with key responsibilities and achievements. You will also be required to provide a personal statement of suitability (no longer than two pages and no more than 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience to provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
Candidates’ applications will be sifted by the sponsor Department. If successful you will be shortlisted for a panel interview. The final appointment is subject to HMT business case approvals and confirmation by the Secretary (once appointed).
Please confirm with your manager that they can support a timely release if you are successful.
A reserve list of appointable candidates will be maintained for a period of up to 12 months after the initial appointment is made.