We are recruiting a Deputy Director of the Reports and Findings Team to support the leadership of the Findings Team. Working closely with the Director of the Reports and Findings Team, you will help to ensure continuity of direction, operational stability and high-quality delivery, building on the strong foundations already in place.
The role comes at an important time as the Commission transitions to become the Legacy Commission, offering the opportunity to support, shape and steady the Findings Team through this next phase of its work.
In this role you will work directly to Director of the Reports and Findings Team, supporting the Chief Commissioner, and the Independent Panel of Judges in the Legacy Commission to discharge their statutory duty to produce and publish reports. The Findings Team is responsible for testing and analysing the evidence at the conclusion of each investigation, making findings, and writing reports that record those findings consistently in the Commission’s style. The Team also manages the statutory representations process.
You will support the Director of the Reports and Findings Team to provide leadership across the team, comprising Senior Findings Officers, Findings Officers, Assistant Findings Officers and a team of paralegals, ensuring high standards of analysis, quality and consistency. You will help preserve the team’s independence while maintaining strong relationships with other teams across the Commission, including the Case Support team, Information Recovery team, General Counsel’s Directorate and Communications team.
Drawing on highly developed analytical and written capability, you will guide and mentor the team to analyse and evaluate evidence, supporting them to reach well-reasoned, defensible determinations.
The role carries responsibility for supporting the Director of the Reports and Findings Team in ensuring that robust systems and processes are consistently operated so that all statutory obligations are met, including handling sensitive information and seeking representations from those entitled to receive draft material or reports ahead of publication. You will play a key role in internal quality assurance, ensuring reports are written to a very high standard, deliver real value to requesting individuals, victims and survivors, and support the Commission’s principal objective of promoting reconciliation.
As a member of the Transitional Leadership Team, you will assist the Director of the Reports and Findings Team to contribute to strategic direction, governance, risk management, financial, resource and capability planning, and stakeholder engagement. You will help to maintain stability, performance and morale during a period of complex operational and legislative reform, maintaining clarity of purpose, team cohesion and delivery against statutory and organisational priorities.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and value the diversity of experience and perspective that this brings.
Key Responsibilities
* Support the Director of the Reports and Findings Team in providing clear and credible leadership to the Findings Team, ensuring reports and findings are robust and evidence-based.
* Build and maintain effective working relationships with the Chief Commissioner and Director of the Reports and Findings Team ensuring their preferences are reflected in the work of the Team and that outputs are aligned to the required style and standards.
* Support and mentor team members in testing and weighing evidence, reaching independent determinations and balanced resolution of competing accounts or theories of events.
* Ensure that robust processes are consistently applied for the management and disclosure of sensitive information, working closely with relevant teams and authorities as required.
* Support and, where appropriate, lead on aspects of the statutory representations process, ensuring representations are carefully considered and reasoned responses produced.
* Work with the Director of the Reports and Findings Team to oversee case allocation and workload management across the Team, maintaining visibility of caseload pressures and supporting effective forward planning and resource use.
* Establish and maintain strong, constructive and professional relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, supporting effective collaboration, while safeguarding the independence of the Team’s analytical work.
* Support and encourage the development and wellbeing of the team, creating an inclusive environment that values diversity and promotes learning and development, resilience and high performance
* Contribute to strategic leadership across areas including governance and risk, corporate planning, financial and resource management, and stakeholder engagement, escalating issues appropriately and supporting informed decision-making.
* Provide visible and steady leadership, deputising for the Director of the Reports and Findings Team when unavailable, maintaining operational continuity and delivery against statutory and organisational priorities.
* Model the values and behaviours set out in the Commission’s Code of Conduct, helping to sustain public confidence and trust.
Person Specification
* A high level of analytical capability and judgement, with experience of contributing to or leading robust, evidence-based determinations in complex or high-risk matters.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex and sensitive issues clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
* Significant experience in legal, policy, investigative, regulatory, oversight or similar analytical roles within a complex public or quasi-judicial environment.
* Proven experience of providing day-to-day leadership to high-performing teams, setting clear direction, supervising, mentoring and supporting delivery across competing priorities.
* Strong organisational capability, with experience of managing varied and complex workloads and implementing effective systems and processes to allow your team to do the same.
* Confidence and professional resilience to engage constructively with senior leaders and stakeholders, providing appropriate challenge while maintaining integrity.
* Experience of quality assuring written outputs and supporting defensible, well-reasoned decision-making.
* Demonstrable resilience when engaging with distressing, traumatic or sensitive material. Experience of handling sensitive information in line with governance, security or statutory requirements.
* A willingness to be assessed against the requirements for DV clearance if not already held.
* Unquestionable personal integrity and alignment with the Commission’s values.
* Qualified Solicitor or Barrister (or equivalent legal qualification) with experience in UK public law and/or criminal law.
* Experience within legal, human rights, policy or advocacy roles in a public, regulatory or oversight environment.
* Coronial, judicial or quasi-judicial experience, including involvement in determinations or oversight of investigative processes.
* Experience of engaging with victims, survivors or bereaved families in complex or high-profile contexts.
* Understanding of investigative methodology, evidential standards and assurance processes. Knowledge and understanding of the context within which the Commission operates.
* Existing SC or DV clearance.
Location
Our primary operational base is in Belfast, with an additional site in London. Staff are distributed across both offices, and applications are welcomed for either location. Candidates based outside these areas may be considered for hybrid remote working arrangements. Regular travel to London and Belfast will be required. In line with the Commission’s hybrid working policy, you may also work from your home address at times, with the agreement of your line manager.
Contract Type
This role is offered on a permanent contract, but fixed term contracts and secondment arrangements from other organisations may be considered.
Security Level
This role requires Developed Vetting (DV). Existing DV/SC clearance is desirable, however successful candidates with Security Check (SC) clearance or no level of security clearance will be required to obtain DV for the role. Candidates should familiarise themselves with the requirements of the DV process prior to applying.
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