Role Context ESB is Ireland's foremost energy company, established as a statutory body under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927.As a strong, diversified utility, ESB operates across the full spectrum of the electricity market: including generation, transmission and distribution, and supply, in addition to using electricity networks to carry fibre for telecommunications, and other service offerings in retrofitting, energy project management, EV charging and home energy solutions. ESB is the leading Irish energy utility with a regulated asset base of approximately €15bn, a 24% share of generation and a 32% share of retail electricity in the all-island market, is the incumbent electricity company in the Republic of Ireland has considerable operations across GB and Northern Ireland. ESB's legal,regulatoryand operating environment is complex: ESB is the licenced onshore Transmission Asset Owner and Distribution Asset Owner in Ireland,ESB Networks is the licenced Distribution System Operator(DSO)inthe Republic of Irelandand NIE Networks (part of the Group)is the DSO for Northern develops andoperatesa portfolio of wholly-andjointly ownedelectricitygenerationassetsthroughout GB and Ireland, as well as retailing energy inthose geographies,andhas a significantenergy trading portfolio. EBITDA and Operating Profit (both before exceptional items) for 2025 were c €1.9 billion and€914 millionrespectively. The Group invested €2.7 billion in energy infrastructure in 2025 including in renewable provides significant employment both directly, with over 10,000 employeesat31 December 2025, and indirectly through contractors and service providers. Role Purpose TheGroupHead of Legalin ESBleadsand managesthe delivery ofbest-in-classlegal services acrosstheGroupthrough an in-house legal team of more than sixtypeople,andby engaging externalexpertiseasrequired. AsESB's principal legal adviser,the GroupHead of Legalprovidesstrategic, expert and commercially-informed legal guidance to the ESB Board, the Executive Committee and senior management, shaping and influencingcommercialtransactions andbusinessstrategies, ensuring that legal risk is appropriately identified, managed and mitigated, and that governance, compliance and decision-making across the Group are robust, ethical and aligned with legal and regulatory requirements. The role spans multiple legal disciplines,jurisdictionsandregulators, reflecting the scale,complexityand regulated nature of ESB's operations, and is central to ensuring that ESB meets its legal commitments and obligations,while deliveringtheGroup's Net Zerostrategy. The role ensures that legal risk is appropriatelyidentified,managedand mitigated, and that governance, compliance anddecision-makingacross the Group are robust,ethicaland aligned with legal and regulatory requirements. Key responsibilities: Group-wide Legal Leadership & Strategy Lead theLegalFunction across the ESB Group, ensuring thatexpertlegal adviceisprovided byin-houselegal staff, taking account ofregulatory structures, companystructureandstrategic delivery. Delivervalue to the Groupthrough expert opinion andbyimplementing improvements in service delivery and legal capability,includingmanagement ofESB's external legal panel frameworksfor the UK and Ireland. Set internal legal governance policies andadvise onthe impact of external legislative, regulatory and legal developmentson ESB'soperationsand obligations. Strategic Legal Advice & Risk Management Provide authoritative,expertand strategic legal advice to the ESB Board, ExecutiveCommitteeand senior management on all areas ofexisting and emerginglaw and matters arising from ESB's business activities. Evaluate and weigh multiple inputs and impacts of decisions or courses of action,anticipatinglegal and regulatory issues andconsideringrisks strategically. Identifyproactive solutions that eliminate or mitigate legal and associated risks. Governance, Compliance & Board Assurance Ensure that all submissions requiring Chief Executive or Board approval are reviewed for compliance withthelaw, ESB's Regulations,Board Authority levels,the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and ESB Group policies. Advise the Company Secretary on legal andgovernance relatedmatters arising from Board and Executivedecision-making. Advise on the development and maintenance of appropriateGroup-widepolicies. Litigation & External Legal Management Lead and direct the Group'sstrategicresponse to legal challenge, including litigation,involving ESB Group companies. Advise on the necessity for, andcoordinatethe procurement and management of, external legal advice whererequired, ensuring value for money and cost effectiveness. People Leadership & Capability Develop,motivateand direct the performance of the Group legal team. Provide advice, mentoring and support to legal managers leading centres of excellence, reviewing the operation of theLegalFunction on an ongoingbasisand making recommendations for improvement. Stakeholder Engagement Build trusted relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, external legal advisers,and other external parties. Provide management information and reporting on legal services, articulating value andidentifyingopportunities for continuous improvement. Skills, Knowledge & Experience: Ability to offer wise counsel to the Board, Chief Executive, ExecutiveCommitteeand senior managers,through clear, well-reasoned and practical advice. Uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity,evidencedby consistent, values-led decision-makingand a professional reputation thatreflects those standards. Have strong commercial awareness,demonstratedthroughproveneffective negotiationabilitiesin a complex business environment. Providetimelyand strategic legal advice to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, rules and regulations,evidencedthrough sound judgement, risk assessment and documented guidance. Apply proven leadership, relationship-building and negotiation skills to provide direction and leadership to a high-performing legal function,demonstratedthrough stakeholder feedback, deliveryoutcomesand team development. Experience in regulated sectors such as energy is advantageous but not a prerequisite. Qualifications Qualified lawyer with significant, demonstrablepost qualificationexperience, preferably gained in a commercial law firm and/or large commercial or multinational organisation,operatingat senior leadership level. Location This position will be based in 27 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, Dublin 2 (with occasional travel to otherjurisdictionsasrequired). Smart Working at ESB is designed to make 'in-person' time together as purposeful aspossiblewhile also enabling the effective use of digital tools and hybrid arrangements to preserve our commitment to successful candidate may work flexibly within thejurisdictionwhere they have been employed, with attendance at the workplace for in-person collaboration at leasttwo days per week. All Smart Working arrangements are subject to regular review based on the operational requirements of the role, the team, and the business. It is expected that in-person attendance would be greater during the initial 6-12 months of appointment to this role. Reporting to ESB Deputy Chief Executive Closing Date 3rd June 2026 Notes Your application will be held in reserve for 6 months should you be suitable for the role The successful candidate willbe requiredtoevidencetheir right to work in theRepublic of Irelandprior to commencement of employment Psychometric assessment will be a feature of this process ESB Data Privacy Notice As part of the recruitment process, your personal data will be processed by ESB and may be shared with our recruitment partner, AMROP, who are supporting the assessment and selection process for this role. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your information will be used for recruitment purposes in accordance with ESB's Privacy Notice, including sharing with trusted third-party providers engaged by ESB for this purpose. If you have any queries in this regard, please refer to the ESB Privacy Notices .buttontext4ebea33125a0ecd0 a{ border: 1px solid transparent; } .buttontext4ebea33125a0ecd0 a:focus{ border: 1px dashed #009DE0 !important; outline: none !important; } Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement ESB is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sections of society and ensure that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnicity or nationality, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other basis as protected by law. Applicants who anticipate requiring assistance or reasonable accommodations for any part of the application or interview process may contact, in confidence,. About ESB Join us in our mission to achieve a net-zero electricity system by 2040. ESB is Ireland's leading energy utility, with activities spanning electricity generation, transmission and distribution, energy supply, energy services and international consultancy. Operating in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, we invest over €1 billion each year to deliver a new energy future based on reliable, affordable zero-carbon electricity. To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process click the Continue to Application or Login/Register to apply button below.
TPBN1_IJ