Overview of the Agri-Food RegulatorAn Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) is an independent statutory Office established in December 2023 under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023. The Agri-Food Regulator is concerned with promoting fairness and transparency in the agri-food supply chain. It's statutory remit and focus is on business-to-business relationships within the supply chain.The 2023 Act assigns two main areas of work to the Regulator: the enforcement of unfair trading law in business-to-business relationships in the agri-food supply chain Under the 2023 Act, the Agri-Food Regulator has been designated as the Enforcement Authority for the purposes of Directive (EU) 2019/633 of 17 April 2019 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain. To coincide with the establishment of the new Office, the Unfair Trading Regulations (SI 625 of 2023) were introduced and, from that date, the provisions of SI 198 of 2021 introduced as part of the initial transposition of the Directive into Irish law were revoked. The Unfair Trading Regulations provide legal protection against 16 specific unfair practices for any supplier of agri-food products subject to their annual turnover being lower than the buyer's turnover once the buyer's annual turnover is greater than €2m.the collection, analysis and publishing of reports on price and market data relating to the agricultural and food supply chain in the State and to publish regular analysis and reports on contingency issues regarding the agricultural and food supply chain. Following a request from the Board of the Agri-Food Regulator, new regulations granting the Agri-Food Regulator the power to compel the provision of price and market information from businesses were signed by Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 16th December 2025. The new Regulations (SI 629/2025) have been published and can be found here.Under these Regulations, the Regulator will have the ability to compel information impacting upon price and margins from a business within the agri-food supply chain in cases where that business has not complied with a request for information voluntarily.Background to the RoleAs the Agri-Food Regulator continues to develop and expand its statutory functions, there is a growing need to strengthen in-house legal and research capacity to support effective regulation, enforcement and policy development. To meet this need, the Regulator is establishing a new Legal and Research Unit, combining legal advisory and research functions during the organisation's current phase of growth, with the expectation that these functions may evolve into standalone units over time. As part of this, the Regulator is looking to recruit a Head of Legal and Research to join the organisation for an exciting opportunity as part of the proposed new Unit. The successful candidate will lead this new Unit, with an anticipated focus of approximately 75% legal and data protection functions and 25% research activity.The role will provide comprehensive in-house legal advice across the three currents units of the Regulator (Corporate Services, Price and Market Data Analysis and Unfair Trading Practices Compliance and Enforcement), supporting efficiency, value for money and the development of internal legal expertise. A key element of the role will be responsibility for statutory data protection activities and oversight in the organisation, thus enabling the Regulator to transition away from reliance on externally procured data protection services. Since establishment, the Regulator has procured legal services. It is expected that an external resource will continue to be available where necessary.In addition, the role will oversee research activities that support the Regulator's statutory remit, including legal and policy research related to enforcement powers, data collection and transparency objectives. By consolidating legal, data protection and research functions within a single senior role, the Regulator aims to enhance organisational resilience, responsiveness and capacity to meet evolving legislative and stakeholder expectations. The successful candidate will report to the CEO and will become a member of the Senior Management Team which currently comprises the CEO and the Heads of the three existing units. The successful candidate will have at least one staff member reporting to them. The post is located at the Government Campus, Backweston, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. Role and ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities of the Head of Legal and Research post include but are not limited to:providing legal advice and assistance across the organisation as required regarding the Regulator's statutory functions and responsibilities pursuant to relevant legislation as outlined above.providing advice on any other legislation, including EU legislation, as they may relate to the Regulator's functions generally and such other relevant legal issues or developments that may arise from time to time.overseeing the development, implementation and oversight of buyer guidelines.drafting documentation including legal documentation and draft Regulations.managing the procured legal service.acting as the Data Protection Officer.assisting in the preparation of various reports as the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023 requires.managing procured research services where applicable and leading the ongoing development and execution of annual supplier surveys, including the design of survey methodology, analysis of results and the identification of areas for improvement.working across units to integrate learnings and promote opportunities for actions to be taken on foot of research conducted.effectively managing direct reports.represent the organisation at external events as appropriate – potential for overnight travel.as a new role to the Regulator, undertake additional duties (relevant to the role and/or skill sets required) that emerge as the role establishes within the organisation.Note: The functions and responsibilities initially assigned to the position is based on the current organisational requirements and may be changed from time to time.Essential CriteriaPlease note: In order to satisfy the shortlisting panel that you meet these criteria, you must explicitly reference how you meet same in your application. Failure to demonstrate these may prevent your application progressing to future shortlisting stages. Candidates must meet the following requirements at the time of the competition closing:Be admitted and enrolled as a Solicitor or Barrister in the Republic of Ireland.Minimum of 5 years' post-qualification legal experience, including significant experience in administrative, regulatory, and/or public law.Have a minimum of 2 years' people management or supervisory experience including responsibility for prioritising workloads, managing multiple projects and delivering outputs within tight deadlinesDemonstrated strong expertise in public sector law and regulatory compliance, including experience of legislative interpretation and drafting.Have in-depth knowledge and practical experience of national and European data protection laws.Demonstrated proven ability to provide clear, practical, and propionate legal advice on complex issues, including the preparation of high-quality briefing material for senior management.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including legal drafting and plain language writing.Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and engage constructively with internal and external stakeholders.Demonstrated discretion, integrity, and judgement in handling sensitive matters.Possess strong IT and digital capability, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience using data or document management tools relevant to legal or research functionsDesirable CriteriaPlease note: Should further shortlisting be required after essential criteria above, a selection of the following may be assessed. The ideal candidate will also have:experience of handling cases from investigation to prosecutionexperience of working with a procured legal service providerknowledge and practical experience of implementing corporate governance legislation such as, but not limited to, Freedom of Information, Procurement, Ethics, Protected Disclosure etcexperience with data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)an interest in, knowledge and understanding of the agri-food industry and the wider food supply chain.RemunerationSalary Grade: Assistant PrincipalSalary Scale:€81,475 – €84,475 – €87,518 – €90,569 – €93,617 – €95,375 – €98,449 LSI1 – €101,535 LSI2 Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) rate. This salary is payable to an individual who is required to make a personal pension contribution (PPC) to their main pension (in general those persons whose initial appointment to the Public Service is on or after 6th April €78,700 - €96,457Non-Personal Pension Contribution (non-PPC) rate. This salary is payable to an individual who is not required to make a personal pension contribution (PPC) to their main pension scheme. Annual Leave:29 days per annum. This leave is on the basis of a five day week and is exclusive of the usual public holidays. Note:entry will be at point 1 of the salary scale and will not be subject to negotiation;different pay and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment, the appointee is already a serving Civil Servant or Public Servant;the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.Contract: Permanent Probation:There is a 12-month probationary period – additional detail is provided in the ImportantCandidate Information Booklet (referenced below). Selection ProcessPrior to completing your application, please read the Important Candidate Information Booklet on our careers page here:How to ApplyPlease submit your application in one single word document or PDF referencing "Head of Legal and Research - An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) in the subject line of the email to with the following:1. A comprehensive cover letteroutlining why you wish to be considered for the post and where you believe your skills and experience meet the requirements for the role; and2. A comprehensive CV (not to exceed 3 pages).Please note that omission of any or part of the two requested documents, as set out above, will render the application incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the next stage of the selection process. Closing DateThe closing date and time for applications is strictly 12pm (noon) on Friday February 20th 2026. Applications received after the specified deadline cannot be accepted. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your application within two working days of applying, please email