Full Time Permanent position
Hybrid role based in our City Centre offices

What we offer

We have embraced a hybrid working model for most of our positions, which means that you can enjoy a balanced approach of working from home for part of the week and working from the office for the remainder of the week.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including competitive salaries and bonuses, robust Learning and Development support, excellent Defined Contribution pension and comprehensive Wellbeing initiatives and support to name but a few.

Further details on our benefits package can be accessed here Benefits (life-careers.com)

At Irish Life, our purpose is to help people build better futures. Our company values shape everything we do and underpin our vision of being the driving force behind Ireland’s financial, physical, and mental well-being.

We believe in doing the right thing—acting with integrity and making fair, responsible decisions. We aim high, setting ambitious goals and find better ways to innovate and improve. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and we are dedicated to understanding their needs and exceeding their expectations. Achieving this is only possible when we work best together—in a supportive, collaborative environment where every idea and contribution is valued.

Role Overview

• In this role you will be responsible for a key senior governance adviser across all the Irish Life and Canada Life companies in Ireland, ensuring the highest standards of corporate governance, regulatory compliance and Board effectiveness. This is a high impact leadership role with significant exposure to a variety of regulated company boards, including insurance undertakings, MIFID companies, Fund companies and Investment Intermediary companies.

• This role sits within our Company Secretarial team and reports to our Group Company Secretary.

• This team has oversight/responsibility for the entire Irish Life and Canada Life portfolio of companies in Ireland. Managing an extensive and complex corporate structure.

What you will help us to achieve

• Providing ongoing legal direction and guidance to senior management, or providing full board support to the regulated boards and committees.
• Managing legal position and legislative requirements, or company secretarial governance to ensure regulatory and legal compliance. Ensuring the General Counsel and Company Secretary is kept informed of all relevant matters.
• Preparing or providing advice as appropriate on corporate legalisation / governance and regulatory matters to Group Directors, Officers and Non-Executive Directors.
• Implement and execute strategic objectives and/or operational targets for ILG, contributing to the development of operational plans.
• Continually review the operational performance of the areas under control.
• Initiate and direct the development of new systems and procedures to meet the changing requirements and anticipated future needs of the business.
• Provide leadership and talent management, create a vision that the team can understand, buy into and fully support. Lead, develop and motivate team members. Set goals and direction for team members and monitor performance.
• Drives a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the team and ensure all projects and programmes are in line with agreed budgets.

More specific responsibilities will include

• As Deputy Company Secretary, this role will involve day to day management of the Company Secretarial team. Lead and develop members of the company secretarial/governance team, fostering a high performance, service oriented culture.
• Take a leadership role in the governance of all entities within the Group including corporate structures, delegations, corporate actions and intra group arrangements. Maintaining a strong governance and control framework across the Group to meet all relevant regulatory and statutory obligations.
• Acting as Company Secretary to a number of entities regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
• Lead the planning and delivery of the Board and Committee annual cycle, including forward agendas, workplans, effectiveness reviews and action tracking.
• Draft and review high quality minutes, resolutions and formal Board/Committee documentation, ensuring an accurate record of discussions and decisions.
• Monitor and interpret developments in company law, corporate governance codes, regulatory requirements and best practice, and lead the implementation of necessary changes.
• Drive continuous improvement in governance frameworks, Board processes, Committee structures and reporting. Bringing harmonization and consistency of governance structures across the Group.
• Support the Group Company Secretary with Board composition, succession planning, performance evaluation and Director induction and ongoing development.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with the directors across the group and senior executives across a variety of companies.

What you will need to be successful in the role

The ideal candidate will have/be:

• Significant experience in a company secretarial, corporate governance or related legal/compliance role, ideally within a regulated or listed environment.
• Qualified Company Secretary (ICSA/CGI or equivalent) and/or legal qualification strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of company law, corporate governance codes and relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Outstanding written skills, with extensive experience drafting clear, concise minutes, Board papers and governance documentation or similar.
• Highly organised, resilient and comfortable working to tight deadlines across multiple Board and Committee cycles.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work closely with senior leaders and Directors.

Fitness & Probity

This role is a ‘controlled function’ as set out in the Central Bank Reform Act 2010 and defined by the Fitness and Probity Regulations and Standards 2011. Any appointment will be conditional on the company being satisfied that the appointee meets the requirements as set out in the Fitness and Probity standards issued by the Central Bank. This requires the company to complete prescribed due diligence to assess the appointee’s fitness and probity. Further details on this due diligence process are available from Human Resources.

About us

Irish Life is one of Ireland’s largest financial institutions with a presence across a range of financial services markets. We are one of Ireland’s leading financial services groups with over 1.5 million customers. For over 80 years, we’ve been helping people to look after their life insurance, pension and investment needs, and more recently their health insurance.

It is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.

We are proud of our culture of developing and supporting the growth and professional development of our people. The focus has resulted in a team of top talent with high standards, positioning us at the forefront of our industry.

The company reserves the right to draw up a shortlist as part of the selection process. Where Agency assistance is required the Irish Life Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to Irish Life by Recruitment Agencies will not be accepted for this role.

Irish Life is proud to be an Equal Opportunities employer. We have created an environment of inclusion and growth to help people achieve their potential, to ensure they can bring their whole selves to work and to feel valued. We celebrate diversity of thought and perspective and want all of our employees to feel valued, respected and supported.

We have built a culture that promotes equality and inclusion for all of our current and future employees and strive to ensure that our behaviours, processes and practices are aligned to this culture.

If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process please contact lifecareers@irishlife.ie and we will be delighted to ensure you are fully supported to be your best.

Irish Life Group Services supports Equal Opportunity.

Deputy Company Secretary

Benefits

Job Description