Position Title: Director of Organisational Support (Full-Time), a senior organisational leadership position within St. John Ambulance Ireland
Organisation: St. John Ambulance Ireland
Reporting to: Commissioner and the Board
Number of Direct Reports: 1.5 plus HR oversight of the Training Team of 3 lead by a Head of External Training
Location: 29 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4
Employment Type: Full-Time (5 days a week, 39 hours, hybrid arrangements available)
Application Deadline: 17:00 Monday 6th July 2026
Overview of St John Ambulance Ireland
St John Ambulance Ireland is one of Ireland's longest-established voluntary healthcare and community service organisations. Rooted in the Hospitaller tradition established in Ireland in 1171 through the Order of St John, the organisation has provided continuous service to communities across the island for 145 years.
Since 1881, St.John Ambulance has been at the forefront of community first aid, patient care, emergency response and public health support. The organisation established St. John Ambulance services in Ireland in 1903 and has since become a trusted partner to communities, voluntary organisations, businesses, sporting bodies and public authorities throughout the country.
Today, St. John Ambulance Ireland is a modern, volunteer-led charity supported by a dedicated professional staff team. Through its nationwide network of volunteers, it provides event medical services, community first aid support, emergency response capability, health and safety training,youth development programmes and public education initiatives.
As a PHECC-approved organisation, St. John Ambulance Ireland delivers pre-hospital care across all clinical levels, including Cardiac First Response, Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic and Advanced Paramedic services. Thousands of people complete St. John training programmes each year, helping to build safer workplaces, stronger communities and greater public confidence in responding to emergencies.
The organisation forms part of the global St John family, comprising more than 500,000 volunteers and supporters worldwide. Guided by the values of service, compassion, integrity and excellence, St John Ambulance Ireland continues a tradition of care that has supported Irish communities for generations while responding to the challenges and opportunities of modern healthcare and community resilience.
Joining St. John Ambulance Ireland offers the opportunity to contribute to a respected national institution with a proud heritage, a strong public reputation and a meaningful mission centred on saving lives, supporting communities and developing volunteers throughout Ireland.
Leadership Responsibilities
- A senior organisational leadership position within St. John Ambulance Ireland, key responsibilities include:
- Lead the NHQ staff complement in supporting the Board and Senior Leadership Team of the organisation.
- Participation in the Senior Leadership Team to contribute to both strategy development and operational performance.
- Manage the HR function, including performance management and appraisal, employee development and compliance & administration.
- 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.
- Preparation of monthly management accounts, Cashflow statements and associated KPI reports and monitoring of these against annual budget.
- 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.
- Support the Events Management Director.
- Advise and support all Departments within the organization with each Department led by an SJAI volunteer.
- Management of Company assets.
- Maintain a close, dynamic working relationship with the Commissioner and Board Chairperson, in particular, including attending and supporting Board meetings where required.
- 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 and Chancery.
- 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).
- Other duties assigned from time to time by the Commissioner or Board.
Qualifications
Essential
• A qualification in, or proven track record of, 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 interpersonal skills.
• Self-starter.
• Ability to work independently.
• Demonstrable team leadership skills.
• Good negotiating skills.
• Competent in business ICT packages.• Delivery-focused and forward-thinking.
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 and hybrid arrangements are available. Occasionally, s/he will participate in meetings outside-of-normal working hours (e.g. quarterly Senior Leadership Team meetings, a small number of annual events on a Saturday or Sunday etc.) . 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/Hybrid Working arrangement will be available 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.
