Board Director with legal expertise sought

(role includes chairing the Governance Board and Development sub-committee)

Expressions of interest are sought for a board director who is passionate about women’s rights and has strong legal expertise of the Irish context. This role also involves chairing the Governance Board and Development sub-committee.

ActionAid works with women and children who are excluded and live in poverty, as they take the lead in claiming their human rights, and changing systems in society that are unjust. The women in these communities take the lead – they decide their priorities, and we support them as they engage with the rest of their community and the wider power structures in society, to bring about change for the better that benefits the whole community. We also work together to hold governments and international institutions to account, campaigning side by side with women to achieve meaningful long-term change.

ActionAid Ireland’s strategy 2022-2027 is to create a just and caring world where women’s human rights are respected through addressing the structural causes of Gender Based Violence (GBV), promoting women’s leadership in humanitarian contexts and amplifying feminist alternatives on economic and climate justice, and effectively mobilise sustainable and diverse resources. ActionAid Ireland’s strategy also makes clear commitments to anti-racism, shifting power and decolonisation, embedding learning and evaluation and safeguarding. Human rights based approaches are at the heart of ActionAid’s work.

The ActionAid Board of Directors are responsible for setting and monitoring the strategic direction of the organisation, monitoring compliance, ensuring the efficient and effective use of resources and the establishment of policy.
ActionAid Ireland has achieved the “triple-lock” of good governance and reporting standards: the Board of Directors monitors compliance with the Charities Regulator Governance Code, the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) under FRS102.

The role
Expertise of the Irish statutory and legal frameworks are essential for our governance and ensuring we follow and maintain the highest standards in compliance and oversight. We are seeking someone with a legal background to provide a legal perspective on a range of organisational issues, assisting on legal aspects of the organisation and ensuring we follow best practice.

The appointed person will also chair the Committee that focuses on Governance and Board Development. This sub-committee of the Board of ActionAid Ireland reports directly to the Board through the committee Chair. The Governance and Board Development Committee ensures governance policies and the Governance Handbook are reviewed, ensures compliance with the Charities Regulatory Governance Code, provides oversight of the annual ActionAid International assurance process, ensures timely recruitment, selection and induction of new members, including the ActionAid International board representative, and managing the exits/debriefing of outgoing Members, ensures board self-assessments and a CEO annual review occurs.
No remuneration is paid to Directors for their services on the Board. Directly incurred expenses are reimbursed if claimed.

Directors need to believe in and share both ActionAid Ireland’s and ActionAid International’s values, vision, mission and strategy, should be able to work at a governance or policy-making level, and have demonstrated the ability to function effectively as part of a diverse strategic group.

Application process
Interested parties should submit a CV and statement of interest to CEO, Karol Balfe, karol.balfe@actionaid.org by 24th July 2023.