The Antitrust Division is responsible for delivering the CCPC’s competition law enforcement mandate in relation to anti-competitive agreements and concerted practices (excluding cartel conduct) and abuse of dominance across the Irish economy. The Division is also responsible for the CCPC’s functions arising from the EU Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925) (DMA) and the European Union (Contestable and Fair Markets in the Digital Sector) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 117/2024).
The Division operates through two core workstreams:
Investigation & Enforcement, which conducts formal investigations under the Competition Act 2002 and the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, including exercising formal investigative powers such as dawn raids, requirements for information, statutory summons hearings and the preparation of statements of objections and investigation reports;
Screening, Case Pipeline & Early Intervention, which triages complaints, undertakes ex‑officio monitoring, and resolves issues through early compliance tools such as warning letters or undertakings. Leadership for each of these workstreams is shared across the Deputy Directors and overseen by the Director of Antitrust. Deputy Directors may have primary responsibility for particular areas at a given time, while working collaboratively across the full range of the Division’s activities.
The Role:
The Deputy Director of Antitrust will provide senior leadership across the Division’s work, including Investigation & Enforcement and Screening, Case Pipeline & Early Intervention activities, ensuring the effective delivery of high‑quality competition law outcomes in a sophisticated and evolving regulatory landscape. This work is central to the CCPC’s mandate and directly contributes to competitive markets and consumer welfare. A core component of the role is the ability to develop and drive enforcement and case strategies, including the identification of theories of harm, the design of evidence‑gathering plans, and the coordination of multidisciplinary teams.
The Deputy Director will oversee the use of the CCPC’s investigative and enforcement powers, where required such as executing dawn raids, conducting statutory interviews, issuing legally binding requirements for information, and preparing key case and enforcement documents including case screening memos, investigation initiation memos, Statements of Objections and Investigation Reports. The Deputy Director must ensure that all casework is robust, evidence‑based, procedurally compliant and aligned with the CCPC’s strategic priorities. The role requires working closely with the other Deputy Director of Antitrust, the Director of Antitrust, the Senior Director of Competition Enforcement, the Competition Legal Division, and the Commission in shaping enforcement pathways and determining appropriate outcomes. These may include voluntary undertakings, settlements, statutory commitment agreements, or referral for adjudication and possible sanctions.
As a senior manager in the CCPC, the Deputy Director will also contribute to cross‑divisional projects, and the development of internal capacity, including mentoring and building the capability of Antitrust Division staff.
The Successful Candidate:
The successful candidate will be an experienced leader with sound judgement, strong analytical capability and the ability to oversee and progress complex work to successful and timely outcomes. They will be comfortable leading teams and fostering a collaborative, supportive, and high‑performance culture. The role requires someone who can balance strategic priorities with day‑to‑day operational demands, managing a diverse and complex portfolio of matters while maintaining focus, clarity and a strategic approach. The ideal candidate will have experience working in roles that require analysing information and distilling key issues into clear, practical findings and recommendations that support senior decision‑making within the organisation. While they do not need prior experience in competition law, they should have the capacity to understand new legal and economic concepts and apply them to real‑world situations with support from their team. In addition to the immediate appointment from this campaign, an order of merit may be established. This may be used to fill any future vacancies at the same level within this or other Divisions of the CCPC where roles have similar responsibilities and/or similar skills are required.
Key Responsibilities:
Assist the Director in the strategic management and leadership of the Division.
Lead and manage significant areas of the Division’s workstreams and casework, including Investigation & Enforcement and/or Screening and Early Intervention activities, as required.
Provide strategic direction, prioritisation and project management oversight of cases.
Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams, supporting capability and capacity development.
Work collaboratively with other Deputy Director to allocate resources, manage case pipelines, and ensure coherent delivery across all workstreams.
Oversee preparation of key enforcement documents (Case Screening Memos, Statements of Objections, Investigation Reports).
Guide the application of competition law frameworks including market definition, dominance, and theories of harm.
Manage engagement with parties under investigation, third parties, and legal representatives.
Contribute to the negotiation of settlements or commitments where appropriate.
Build and maintain relationships across the CCPC, with external stakeholders, the European Commission and international counterparts.
Identify and manage divisional risks and contribute to continuous improvement of processes.
Represent the CCPC domestically and internationally as required.
Promote the Mission, Vision and Values of the CCPC.
Deputise for the Director as required.
Other ad‑hoc duties as may reasonably required.
Qualifications:
A graduate or postgraduate qualification (NFQ Level 8 or above) in a relevant field (law, economics, business, public policy).
Minimum 4 years’ experience successfully leading and managing people and teams in a legal, economic, regulatory, compliance and/or enforcement setting or related relevant profession.
Experience in leading a multidisciplinary team.
Strong analytical and drafting skills, including writing decisions / findings / recommendations in a legal, economic, regulatory, compliance and/or enforcement setting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong influencing skills and ability to build effective working relationships.
Ability to make sound decisions and remain calm under pressure.
Additional relevant qualifications or experience beyond the essential criteria.
Knowledge of or professional experience in competition law.
Knowledge of or professional experience in administrative enforcement regimes or administrative investigations.
Professional experience in advising and managing litigation.
A postgraduate qualification in leadership and/or management.
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