Job Title: Risk and Internal Assurance Lead
Location: Dublin
Job Type: Permanent Full-Time
Reports to: Chief Risk Officer
ABOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is the State's affordable housing delivery body. Its main role is to acquire and develop State and other land to deliver affordable homes, supporting the creation of thriving communities and delivering ongoing positive social impact. It is overseen by an independent Board of Directors and has total capitalisation of up to €8.75bn. To date €6.25 billion of equity capital has been committed by Government and a further €2.5bn capitalisation is permitted under legislation from other sources/debt.
The LDA is active on more than 20 State Land sites and has a delivery pipeline in excess of 25,000 homes. The Agency also works in partnership with the country's largest and most experienced homebuilders and will deliver a further 8,000 homes under its Project Tosaigh initiative.
Additionally, the LDA is working on large-scale longer-term strategic areas by master-planning and bringing forward planning applications in locations such as Limerick Colbert Quarter, the Digital Hub in Dublin and Sandy Road in Galway.
Fuelled by an ethos of public service, the LDA is underpinned by a positive, collegiate, 'can do' culture based on our core values of Integrity, Results, Collaboration, Sustainability and Innovation. Our team is around 260 people and growing rapidly.
Role Summary
The LDA is a property developer and a landlord that operates in a multi-faceted complex risk and control environment. At the LDA we believe that the effective management of risk and a strong internal control environment are both essential for success. The Risk and Internal Assurance (R&IA) Lead role is a critical leadership position for guiding the LDA in managing risk and maintaining an effective internal control environment. The role requires a risk management and internal assurance subject matter expert with leadership experience to guide the Board, executive and senior leadership teams in their management of risk and decision making.
Key Responsibilities:
General
* Deputise for the CRO as required including at the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC)
* Represent Governance, Risk and Compliance on the Senior Leadership Team
* Maintain and improve R&IA policies and procedures
* Maintain a high level of awareness amongst staff of R&IA topics including the provision of training as required
* Develop and deliver key activities related to R&IA such as annual work plans, surveys and reporting amongst others
* Ensure the Risk Management Working Group fulfils its terms of reference, is effective and chair the working group in the absence of the CRO
* At every opportunity, work collaboratively to continually improve the LDA's internal control environment
* Support the drafting of the LDA Annual Report including the Statement on Internal Control, risk management sections and others as required
Risk Management
* Maintain and implement the risk management framework including the effective implementation of the policy
* Integrate risk management into the LDA's culture by bringing the risk management framework and three lines of defence model to life
* Support the Board, Senior and Executive Leadership Teams with risk appetite development
* Work with stakeholders to support the completion of an annual strategic risk review
* Oversee and maintain the LDA third party risk management framework
Internal Assurance
* Oversee the development and maintenance of the LDA controls register including, as required, assessments of control effectiveness
* Consult on the control environment impacts of key change programmes including those relating to organisational, technology and delegation of authority changes
* Support colleagues prepare for audits as required
Internal Audit (IA)
* Oversee contract management of the LDA's outsourced IA function
* Support the delivery of the annual IA plan including tracking and reporting on costs versus budget
* Report on the progress of IA action closure against agreed target dates
Risk Management and Internal Control (RM&IC) Attestations
* Oversee the execution of the bi-annual RM&IC attestation process and annual third-party risk and assurance assessment including documenting and correlating attester feedback
* Support the Chief Executive and Risk Officers in the drafting of their RM&IC attestation reports
Requirements:
* Third level degree and/or professional qualification in a relevant discipline
* Minimum of 10 years' experience in a similar role or in practice
* In-depth knowledge of recognised enterprise risk management standards/methods (e.g. COSO II, ISO is essential
* Strong knowledge of public sector and international auditing standards (e.g. Global Internal Audit Standards)
* Excellent attention to detail, high standards and good financial acumen are essential
* Experience of applying artificial intelligence technologies to improve control environments is desirable
* Experience of public sector risk and compliance obligations is desirable
* Familiarity with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 and associated guidance is desired
Person Specification:
The R&IA Lead is required to foster an environment of managed risk-taking within the limits set by the Board and is required to demonstrate the following personal specifications and behavioral characteristics:
* Leader with a strong, solutions focused approach to collaboration who works to position R&IA at the centre of LDA decision-making
* Works to ensure senior leaders understand the link between managing risks and organisational success
* A collaborative problem solver especially in risk, control and strategic areas
* Open mindset with a willingness to be flexible in how they think
* Trusted and supportive colleague and advisor
* Ability to work independently, form own judgement/opinions, provide insights, implement change, prioritise and work on multiple assignments simultaneously
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills
* Excellent internal and external stakeholder relationship management skills
* Structured and analytical approach towards work
* Delivery focused approach to work – create a plan and commit to delivering it
To Apply:
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 6th of March 2026
The Land Development Agency is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promote and support a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we endeavour to provide reasonable accommodation as required.