The Centre

The ICEL is a Centre of the School of Law of Trinity College Dublin, constituted as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, with an independent Board. The Board chairperson is the Centre’s President, Advocate General Anthony M Collins.

It was founded in 1988 by Senator Mary Robinson SC (now the Centre’s Patron) as a membership-based association to further education and research in the law of the European Union and European human rights.

The Centre serves the legal professions, legal academics, law students, public institutions, the voluntary sector, businesses and the wider public.

The Centre organises conferences and seminars across the island of Ireland in various areas of EU law (in particular, environmental, public procurement, data protection, Brexit and competition law) and in human rights law. The Centre is also the Irish member of the European Law Association for Criminal Law and the Protection of the Financial Interests of the EU, which is run by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

The Centre has annual revenues of at least €120k and 2 part-time members of staff based in Trinity. The Centre has recently launched activities in Northern Ireland, and additionally has recruited a part-time Assistant Director for Northern Ireland based in Belfast.

The Role

ICEL is seeking a company secretary who will also be a volunteer director/charity trustee and secretary for the purpose of charities compliance.

The Secretary provides comprehensive legal and administrative support and guidance to the Board of the Centre.

The Secretary will be assisted by the Chief Executive Officer (and is currently also assisted by a Deputy Secretary) in carrying out her/his tasks.

Specific responsibilities:

• Leading and collaboratively working with the Board and CEO on implementation of the highest levels of governance and Board effectiveness, and advising the President and CEO on same
• Responsibility to ensure that the company, a charity, complies with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements (other than those for which the Treasurer is responsible)
• Ensure compliance by the Centre with all governance obligations and practices, including those set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Oversee administrative duties, such as drafting the Agenda of Board meetings and preparing and circulating the agenda and any other papers
• Ensure the taking of Minutes at Board, Committee and General meetings and make sure these are kept in a Minutes Book and circulated to other members of the Board promptly after the meeting
• Ensure all required records are maintained (including membership records)
• Act as Legal Counsel, assisting on legal aspects of the organisation and those pertaining to best practice in corporate and charitable governance, and advising the Officers and Board on all matters regarding such compliance.
• Follow up on decisions taken at meetings in consultation with the President and Deputy President
• Contributing to the strategic direction of the Centre with insight, oversight and experience of strategy formulation gained in other sectors
• Accounting to the Board and Audit & Governance Committee for the Centre’s compliance with legal obligations and best practice for charities and companies
• The Secretary will play a key role in development of the Centre's strategy, governance and activities, and will be committed to the charitable purposes of the Centre

General responsibilities will include the following:

• Providing input to the strategic direction of the ICEL and contributing with insight, oversight, and experience of strategy formulation in the sector
• Policy formation, planning and implementation as required
• Governance responsibilities, including service on Committees

Requirements

• A Qualified Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Secretary or Chartered Director with at least 5 years’ professional experience, or professional experience equivalent thereto.
• Expertise in areas such as employment law would be an advantage.
• Knowledge of the relevant requirements of company law, corporate governance principles, Irish charities legislation and the Charities Governance Code
• Experience of acting as a company secretary or equivalent, ideally with a charitable organisation, a public sector body or large company

General Trustee duties of a Charity Trustee

• Comply with the Centre’s governing document
• Ensuring the Centre is complying with its charitable purpose for the public benefit
• Acting in the best interest of the Centre
• Act with Reasonable Care and Skill
• Manage the assets of the Centre

Term

The Secretary will be appointed for 3 years, with the possibility of renewal.

Board Meetings

There will be 4 scheduled board meetings and 4 scheduled committee meetings a year. Board and Committee meetings are typically held online and otherwise are held in Trinity College, Dublin.

Diversity

The ICEL is committed to diversity in appointments to the Board and Committees, in terms of: gender; age; ethnicity; sexual orientation; the inclusion of members of the legal professions and those involved in legal education; geography in terms of residence or place of business on the island of Ireland (including both legal jurisdictions).

The Nomination, Employment and Remuneration Committee, chaired by Gerald FitzGerald, has been asked to have regard to the skills and diversity on the Board and to recommend appointments, where possible, on the basis of bringing the Board towards gender balance.