Legal-Justice Support Manager

About Safe Ireland

Safe Ireland is a social change organisation focused on eradicating domestic, sex, gender and sexuality-based violence (DSGSBV), who provide two frontline services. We are also a network of 37 independent domestic violence refuges and support services who work collaboratively, to eradicate DSGSBV. Our mission is to address this systemic form of abuse by developing high-level analysis and translating it into action.

Position: Legal-Justice Support Manager
Reporting to: CEO
Line Management: Director of Operations
Salary: €66,077 per annum
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week
Contract Duration: Contract of Indefinite Duration (Subject to 6 months probation)
Annual Leave: 25 days per Annum
Location: Unit 3 Ground Floor, Marshalsea Court 22-23 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8. Some travel may be required in this role.

Safe Ireland is Committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

While our interview processes are explicitly competency-based, we actively encourage applications from individuals who have a wide range of experience and diverse capacities. If you are not sure whether you should apply, given our criteria – apply!

Safe Ireland’s Main Objectives for this role;

Safe Ireland wish to hire an experienced Legal-Justice Support Manager who is interested in further developing our work in eradicating coercive control, domestic violence and sex, gender and sexuality-based violences (DSGSBV) across the island of Ireland.

This is an emergent subject area, so while expert knowledge is not necessary, some familiarity with these areas of social justice is welcome. An active willingness to learn, engage and develop this distinct area of analysis and legal reasoning is essential. Our current focus is on engaging with the Justice system as-a-whole from this perspective. We engage with the Judiciary, Courts, Probation, Policing, and with relevant legislation, as it moves through the Oireachtas and public debate. We also attend closely to what is happening at frontline, as both frontline DV practitioners and victims come forward with new legal-justice issues.

Guiding Activities of Role – not exhaustive;

1. Make the legal aspects of domestic, sex, gender and sexuality-based violence, as a distinct form of abuse, critically visible to Government and the Public. An interest in developing this area will be critical.
2. Develop strong legal analyses – with capacity to contest retrograde Constitutional/Justice/Legislative systems at all levels.
3. Develop both substantive and accessible practical short/medium-term positions/responses to DSGSBV legal issues, as required.
4. Develop accessible, effective DSGSBV professional training supports for the specialist DSGSBV Services in our national frontline service network, as required.
5. Support the development of 21st Century responses to DSGSBV with the Safe Ireland Team and directly with our network.

The SI Legal-Justice Support Manager will;

1. Ensure Safe Ireland has informed and robust positions, with accessible responses, to relevant DSGSBV issues, as they arise in the SI network and public, governmental and Justice fora. The usual cycles of legislative consultations and submissions is part of SI work, so competence in this work will be necessary; formal consultations and submissions, Joint Oireachtas Committee appearances, membership of inter-agency bodies related to justice, and inter-agency working on specific topics with other NGOs.
2. Serve as a point of contact to relevant justice agencies, e.g., Department of Justice, AGS, Policing Authority, Courts Service, DPP, Family Justice Oversight Group etc. supporting policy development and related agency actions.
3. Development and delivery of training sessions, as part of SI Education and Training Dept. schedule, across different cohorts.
4. Working to progress Safe Ireland Justice-related projects
5. Ensuring that survivors’ voices are integrated into wider legislative considerations especially with regard to structural blocks to their freedom and perpetrator innovations and weaponisations of various legal mechanisms.
6. Support effective inter-agency working at local level with relevant agencies promoting service-user engagement throughout.
7. Act as the conduit for any legal issues or concerns which are raised by local DV service providers, and which need to be addressed at national or regional level, as appropriate.
8. Work actively with SI team to progress organisational objectives.

Key Competencies: 

Essential:

• Advanced understanding of mainstream Coercive Control and DSGBV legal issues
• Capacity, variously, in Jurisprudence and/or Constitutional Law and/or Property Law
• Understandings of the work and cultures of NGO Legal and Justice-focused work
• Familiarity with DV practice-based legal issues/family law at community level
• A successful record in building strategic relationships with stakeholders
• Proficient in the use of the full Microsoft Office packages.

Other Requirements:

• Work flexibly as required, with occasional out-of-hours work and travel
• Full driving license with access to a vehicle
• Subject to Garda Vetting

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential:

• Third level qualification in Law with at least 3 years project management experience
• Experience in researching and writing submissions.
• Demonstrable project-based achievements at senior management level
• Active willingness to develop new legal perspectives on traditional domestic violence work. Learning, developing and contributing to a distinct critical legal framework around domestic, sex, gender and sexuality-based violences
• Some experience in development and delivery of training

The Legal Support Manager works directly to Safe Ireland CEO, with reporting functions to the Safe Ireland Director of Operations. The role actively interfaces with other programme managers, project coordinators, administrators, and communications staff.

Our office is based in Dublin 8, Ireland

Applications in the form of a CV and Cover letter can be forwarded to recruitment@canavanbyrne.ie

Closing Date: Fri 20th Dec

Safe Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.