Legal Advisor – Wholesale x 2

ComReg are looking to recruit 2 Legal Advisors, 1 Permanent, 1 Fixed Term Contract ( 14 months).

ComReg Overview

The statutory body responsible for regulating electronic communications, postal and premium rate services in Ireland, ComReg is a professional, multi-disciplinary organisation, operating in a dynamic environment.

Electronic communications networks and services are at the heart of enabling communications for personal or work purposes and essential to running a business, consuming news and entertainment or interacting with public services. At ComReg we work to ensure that consumers and businesses in Ireland have affordable, high-quality, and widespread access to secure communications services and applications that support their social and economic needs. As an economic regulator, our role is to ensure that communications markets operate in the interests of end-users and society.

Our vision is through effective and relevant regulation, to facilitate the development of a competitive communications sector in Ireland that attracts investment, encourages innovation and empowers consumers to choose and use communications services with confidence. We do so by setting rules to promote effective competition, upholding consumer rights, creating an environment that supports investment and innovation, and making sure that regulated entities comply with the rules.

Wholesale Division

The Wholesale Division’s key role is to set to set rules promoting effective competition and investment in electronic communications networks, under the EU framework for electronic communications networks and services, and ensure compliance with the regulatory rules and with competition law. This includes the analyses of electronic communications markets using competition law analytical tools and the imposition and enforcement of appropriate market remedies on telecoms operators with a view to improving levels of competition and reducing barriers to entry.

The Role

The primary role of the Legal Advisor is to provide clear, solution-focused legal advice and support the projects and the general functions of the Wholesale Division, assimilating complex legal and factual situations. This may involve briefing external solicitors and barristers and managing the interface with them.

The Legal Advisor works within a multi-disciplinary team in the Wholesale Division, which includes business analysts, industry experts, engineers, economists, accountants and other lawyers. The Legal Advisor reports to the Head of Legal, Wholesale Division.

Role Description

·      Provide clear, concise, practical and strategic legal advice to inform and guide the Division, the Commission and its staff by identifying the key legal issues, process and procedural requirements, the available options, and the associated legal risks;

·      Support the Wholesale Division’s compliance team in ensuring investigations and enforcement cases meet legal requirements;

·      Assist and advise in the development of practices and procedures that meet statutory and other requirements in respect of the adoption of decisions and compliance investigations;

·      Review key documentation prepared in the Division or by external consultants prior to publication, and identify legal weaknesses and/or necessary changes;

·      Draft regulatory instruments such as secondary legislation and decision instruments and draft elements of public consultation documents, including regulatory impact assessments;

·      Prepare legal briefs for external lawyers, particularly in the context of litigation, and manage the ongoing provision of external advice;

·      Contribute to the management of litigation as required, particularly in the context of appeals/judicial review and enforcement, including review and advice on correspondence, affidavits, expert reports and other documents required in the context of Court proceedings;

·      Provide analysis and input on any proposed national or EU legislation impacting ComReg’s responsibilities;

·      Liaise with legal and other staff in government departments, public bodies and national regulatory authorities as required;

·      Contribute to organisation-level legal and regulatory policy issues, including by participating in cross-Divisional advisor meetings led by ComReg’s General Counsel.

Qualifications and Experience 

Essential

·      Admitted and enrolled as a Solicitor or Barrister in the State, or equivalent;

·      5+ years’ post-qualification experience or equivalent experience and competencies in regulatory law, competition law, EU law or public administrative law;

·      Experience in drafting or reviewing all aspects of public consultation papers and regulatory decisions or legislation or pleadings or equivalent;

·      Proven ability to operate collaboratively at all levels within an organisation providing accurate and timely advice on a variety of legal topics.

Desirable

·      Experience in a top-tier legal practice or as in-house counsel in a competition or sector-specific regulator or in a regulated industry sector;

·      Administrative or civil or criminal litigation experience including adjudication, judicial review, appeal and white-collar crime litigation;

·      Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team;

·      Proven experience of operating at a management level including briefing senior management.

Core Competencies and Skills for the Role

In addition to your legal qualifications and experience, you will bring professional competencies and skills in the following core areas:

Communicating & Influencing: Communicates clearly, confidently and respectfully. Engages, persuades and convinces others to follow a particular course of action. Ensures all relevant parties are appropriately updated and notified.

Decision Making & Judgement: Effectively builds evidence base to support the decision-making process. Assesses alternative options. Uses judgement to adapt to specific and challenging requirements of the organisation.

Drafting: Uses a logical structure to draft documents. Communicates complex and technical information clearly and concisely. Ensures key messages are understood and have the desired impact on the target audience.

Planning & Organising: Establishes and monitors priorities, systematically differentiating between urgent, important and unimportant. Manages activities to deliver results. Meets objectives within predetermined time frames.

Teamwork: Promotes and enhances team performance through working collaboratively and in cooperation with others to achieve goals. Interacts in a manner that builds respect and fosters trust.

If you meet the criteria and are interested in applying, we would love to hear from you.

Our Package

We are offering an attractive package:

•           Salary €81,852.59 to €102,331.45 * (Pay increases will be awarded annually subject to satisfactory performance)

•           Dublin city centre location – IFSC

•           Blended working environment

•           28 days Annual Leave per year increases with service

•           Fully paid Maternity, Paternity and Parent’s leave

•           Income protection scheme

•           Education assistance and Training Opportunities

•           Professional membership fee pay

•           Attractive pension scheme

•           ComWell Wellbeing Programme

•           Travel tax saver scheme, Access to Cycle to Work Scheme

•           Access to Employee Assistance Programme

•           Access to a members run sports and social club

*(entry will be at the minimum point and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.)

Interview Process

For this role there will be two rounds of interviews, which will include a written task should you be brought forward for the 2^nd round.