Position Title: Director of Organisational Support (Full-Time)
Organisation: St. John Ambulance Ireland
Reporting to: Commissioner and the Board
Number of Direct Reports: 2 plus HR oversight of the Training Team of 3 lead by a Head of External Training
Location: 29 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin4
Employment Type: Full-Time (5 days a week, 39 hours)
Application Deadline: 17:00 on Friday 10th April 2026
Overview of St. John Ambulance Ireland
St. John Ambulance Ireland is a volunteer-led charity which provides the highest professional standards of pre-hospital and related care and training in the community at local, regional and national level in a professionally run, volunteer-based, organisation. St John Ambulance is an international organisation with upwards of 500,000 volunteers in over 20 countries worldwide (. St John Ambulance Ireland has over 100 years’ experience in the delivery of emergency first aid Training and the provision of Event Cover throughout the country. The organisation is run by unpaid volunteers at all levels up to and including our Commissioner, supported by a small paid staff and governed by a Board of Directors as a registered Charity. We are a national organisation with groups (Divisions) across the country supporting the delivery of our services.
St. John Ambulance Ireland provides Event Medical cover throughout Ireland and is a PHECC-Approved Organisation which delivers pre-hospital care at all clinical levels, including Cardiac First Response, EMT, Paramedic & Advanced Paramedic levels. We also work collaboratively with event organisers and statutory agencies to provide medical cover at events across Ireland. We are also one of the leading first aid training organisations with thousands of participants being trained annually. We are a recognised training institution with the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council registered to provide recognised courses such as First Aid, Cardiac First Response, Emergency First Response and Emergency Medical Technician as well as Baby & Toddler, Manual Handling and Fire Warden. Our national medical and training faculty ensures each course content reflects best practice and is in line with National and International standards. It also oversees the level of Medical and Clinical Governance that guides our Event Medical Cover – St John Ambulance being a world-wide organization with the highest levels of Medical and Nursing clinical leadership.
Job Description: Director of Organisational Support (DOS)
The role of the Director of Organisational Support (DOS) is to lead the provision of strategic, administrative and financial support to the volunteer Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Board and Membership of SJAI. The DOS will support and advise the Senior Leadership Team of St John Ambulance alongside the Commissioner who leads the volunteer membership and will join Board meetings to update the Board on financial and operational matters.”
Overall Duties
o Lead the NHQ staff complement in supporting the Board and Senior Leadership Team of the organisation.
o Manage the HR dimension, including performance reviews, of employees.
o Ownership of the end-to-end finance operations including the accounting function, banking arrangements, annual audit, insurance policies, purchases etc. ensuring a robust controls environment is maintained through effective risk management practices.
o Preparation of monthly management accounts, Cashflow statements and associated KPI reports and monitoring of these against annual budget.
o Support the individual Divisions across the country in their operations in conjunction with Director of Regions and Divisions (to include advising on how to implement relevant policies such as finances, fleet maintenance and so on.
o Support the Events Management Director .
o Advise and support all Departments within the organization with each Department led by an SJAI volunteer.
o Management of Company assets.
o Maintain a close, dynamic working relationship with the Commissioner and Board Chairperson, in particular, including attending and supporting Board meetings where required.
o In conjunction with the Commissioner, Monitor compliance with the Charities Code of Governance.
o Liaise with Order of St John, St John UK and NI in consultation with the Commissioner.
o Refer any Child Protection enquiries received into NHQ to the National Child Protection Officer.
o Support Chancery (i.e. The Order of St John in Ireland) at administrative level as requested from time to time by the Head of Chancery).
o Other duties assigned from time to time by the Commissioner or Board.
Qualifications
Essential
· A qualification in Financial Management or Accounting or related leadership discipline.
· Experience in budgeting, financial management and HR/staff relations.
· Understanding the dynamics of a volunteer-led organization.
· Understanding, or ability or acquire a full understanding, of the regulatory obligations of a registered Charity and CLG.
Desirable
· Prior experience in the charity/volunteer sector.
· Team leadership experience.
Personal Attributes
· Strong people skills.
· Initiative-taker.
· Ability to work independently.
· Demonstrable team leadership skills.
· Good negotiating skills.
· Competent in business ICT packages.
Terms & Conditions
Base salary of €75,000. Pension and sick leave entitlement are also available in the package.
The successful candidate will work full-time typically during normal business hours; however, s/he will be expected to work on evenings and weekends from time to time in agreement with the Leadership of SJAI. Time in Lieu is available for such scenarios and arrangements for working time will be agreed with the successful candidate during the appointment stage.
A Blended-Working arrangement can be considered with a strong preference for frequent onsite attendance.
Application and Selection Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and a cover letter outlining their relevant experience and motivation for applying to staff.recruitment@stjohn.ie. Please include "Director of Organisational Support" in the subject line.
The selection process may include shortlisting of candidates. The selection criteria will be based on the requirements of the position as set out above. It is, therefore, important that you provide a detailed and accurate account of how you believe your qualifications, skills and experience to date meet the requirements for the position of Director of Organisational Support. This should be contained in a short document (maximum 2 pages) accompanying your CV. Candidates who have been successful at the shortlisting stage will be invited to an interview focused on seeking to establish the extent to which applicants possess and can demonstrate the skills required for the role.
SJAI is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to creating an equal, diverse and inclusive environment for all employees.
