Justice Department seeks ‘transformational leader’

A person with a "stellar track record as a transformational leader" in a large, complex organisation is being sought to lead the Department of Justice.

A three-week window is being set to find the replacement for outgoing secretary general, Brian Purcell, who agreed to step aside following a damning external audit of his department.

The Toland review, published at the end of July, found a department with a “closed, secretive and silo-driven culture” and “significant leadership and management problems”.

It said management structures and processes were “ineffective” in holding agencies, such as the gardaí, to account.

The jobs spec for the position — put up in recent days on publicjobs.ie — sets out who the Government is looking for. “The ideal candidate for this role will have a stellar track record as a transformational leader in a large, complex organisation.”

The Public Appointments Service, which will carry out the interview process, said it “will also consider” expressions of interest from serving secretaries general.

It pointed out the difficult context for the department. “The justice sector in Ireland is coming through a tumultuous period, the details of which have been widely covered in the media.”

It said, in light of the Toland review “a major programme of transformation is to be implemented”.

The secretary general, in conjunction with the senior management team, would be responsible for developing, leading and ensuring the completion of a detailed transformation programme within the department. The spec said a person of “exceptional calibre” was wanted for the job.

The person would “galvanise the department and its people around a significant change agenda, and shape the future of the sector; whilst managing the ongoing significant, complex operations of the department and providing policy advice to the minister”.

The position attracts an annual, pensionable salary, of €176,350, or €185,350 if the person has his/her own pension.