Osborne are delighted to be partnering with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in the recruitment of a dynamic person for the role of Human Rights and Equality Public Information Manager (Assistant Principal) who can bring strong organisational, information management and communication skills, and a commitment to human rights and equality, to this crucial role.  

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is Ireland’s national human rights and equality institution. It was established in November 2014 under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 with a statutory mandate to:

• Protect and promote human rights and equality.
• Encourage the development of a culture of respect for human rights, equality, and intercultural understanding in the State.
• Promote understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights and equality in the State.
• Encourage good practice in intercultural relations, promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity in the State and respect for the freedom and dignity of each person, and,
• Work towards the elimination of human rights abuses, discrimination and prohibited conduct.

The Organisation

IHREC’s strategy and policy is determined independently by the fifteen members of the Commission who are appointed by the Head of State, President Michael D. Higgins. The diverse membership of the Commission broadly reflects the nature of Irish society.

The Director of the Commission is responsible for the leadership and management of staff and the work of IHREC in accordance with the strategy and policies of the Commission. The staff of the Commission currently work in six teams: Policy & Research, Strategic Engagement, Legal, Monitoring & Compliance, Corporate Services and Office of the Director. Permanent staff of the Commission are civil servants in the service of the State.

IHREC’s work ranges from operating at the policy level to review the effectiveness of human rights and equality law, policy and practice in the State and within public bodies, protecting and promoting human rights and equality within the courts system, and working with communities and civil society to monitor and report on people’s real-life experiences of human rights and equality in practice. Whether addressing individual concerns, engaging with government or public bodies on policy and practice issues or raising awareness with public audiences on human rights and equality, our mission is to build a just and inclusive society that protects and promotes human rights and equality in Ireland.

The Role

The purpose of this role is to ensure the provision of high quality, accessible and authoritative information on human rights and equality law in Ireland to the public, in a manner which meets the needs of vulnerable and marginalised communities in particular.

IHREC is currently at the start of a new strategic cycle from 2025-2027. The Human Rights and Equality Public Information Manager (Assistant Principal) will play a key role in the strategic development of IHREC’s public information service (known as ‘Your Rights’).

Your Rights provides information to members of the public on rights under equality and human rights law in Ireland. It is not a legal advice service. (see www.ihrec.ie/your-rights/)

The Your Rights service is currently going through a process of significant development and transition. The role of the Human Rights and Equality Public Information Manager will be to lead on the development of the service and to manage its transition to a service with the following aims

• Provision of high quality authoritative and accessible information on human rights and equality law in Ireland;
• Delivery of information to everyone – in particular, effective delivery to marginalised and vulnerable communities, including through partnerships with key organisations;
• Visibility - providing information to the public in ways that they can easily access, including via new technology and social media pathways, and meeting the need for information provision in a range of accessible formats etc.;
• Development of an efficient and effective information service that meets real needs and that adds value, rather than duplicating the work of other actors; and
• Ensuring that the role and purpose of the information service is clearly positioned within the IHREC brand and complements and supports the work of other teams within IHREC.

This is a new role to lead the transition and development of the Your Rights service, and a critical element of this role will be developing the service to best meet the needs of targeted populations. This role will require leadership and adaptability throughout the transition process.

Your Rights is part of the Legal Team but it is not part of the Commission’s legal practice.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Head of Legal.

The responsibilities outlined above should not be regarded as comprehensive in scope and may be added to or altered as required, in line with the requirements of IHREC.