DAFM - Assistant Secretary (Head of Seafood and Marine) (1 vacancy)

The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) is a major Government Department, playing the lead role in promoting competitive and sustainable economic development in the agriculture, food, forestry, and fisheries sectors, including overall responsibility for public policy and administration.  The Department’s mission is to lead, enable and regulate the sector in a way that optimises its contribution to social, economic, and environmental sustainability.  The Department plays a key role in advancing European farming and fisheries policies, as well as leading on agri-food trade and relevant environment policies at national, European, and international levels.  In 2022, the Department is responsible for a gross budget of some €3 billion of national and EU funds. 

Reporting to the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary, Head of Seafood and Marine, has a key role in the leadership and management of the functions of the Department which operate from the National Seafood Centre, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. The area covers a number of sectors relating to Sea Fisheries, Aquaculture, Seafood Development & Marketing, Training, Fleet management, Seafood Processing, Fisheries Resource Management, Harbour Infrastructure capital development, Fishery Harbour Management and Marine Research. The Assistant Secretary is involved in National and International matters related to Fisheries and Aquaculture policy and all matters relating to the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The ideal candidate will have:

• proven experience, at a senior level, in the strategic and operational management of a large complex organisation;
• a proven high level of management and organisational skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams and staff based across multiple locations;
• experience of interacting with sectoral representatives;
• a knowledge of the marine or food industries or rural development;
• a clear understanding, or the capacity to develop quickly an understanding, of the role of the seafood sector in supporting economic, rural and social development of coastal communities and the importance of effective governance and policy functions as a contributor to this.

Further information on this opportunity, including details on how to apply, is available on www.publicjobs.ie 

This is a Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) position. 

If you feel you would benefit from a confidential discussion about this role, contact Sinead Coleman on sinead.coleman@publicjobs.ie   

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 15:00 on Thursday, 5 January, 2023.

For more information please see the information booklet here.