Secretary General

Job summary

The Secretary General is responsible for providing advice to the Minister and Ministers of State, for ensuring the effective implementation of policy, for the overall stewardship of the Department and its agencies and is accountable for the proper discharge of the Exchequer and EU funding allocated to the Department.

This senior position requires the office holder to take responsibility for the strategic leadership of the Department. This will involve focussing on delivery of the Department's key policies and programmes, with particular emphasis on the Programme for Government

Main Duties of the job

It will be the role of the Secretary General to provide visible leadership to the Department and its agencies in delivering the sectoral strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-food, fisheries and forestry sectors and deliver on national economic objectives.

Key relationships for the Secretary General include the Ministers, managers and staff of the Department, statutory and other bodies, EU interlocutors, as well as other Departments and public bodies.

Much of the agenda requires cross-Departmental engagement and contributing to whole of Government objectives.

The Successful candidate will:

• have a proven track record as a leader and senior manager in a large and complex organisation, and have a knowledge of , or capacity to quickly acquire a broad understanding of the Department's wide ranging responsibilities, at national and international level.
• have the ability to set and drive the strategic direction and develop a vision for the work of the Department, having regard to the policies and programme priorities, and the external environment, including the international , EU, and broader public policy context.
• demonstrate sound judgement on complex, interlinked issues across a range of public policy areas, and on the implications of different approaches.
• as Accounting Officer and Head of the EU Paying Agency, have proven ability to manage a large budget and diverse EU finds.
• have excellent communication skills, excellent negotiating skills, and a proven track record in managing relationships, providing developmental leadership and managing for results.

Information about the Organisation

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's vision is of a sustainable, innovative and competitive agri-food, forestry and seafood sector.

The Department's mission is to lead, enable and regulate the sector in a way that optimises its contribution to social, economic and environmental sustainability. The agri-food sector is globally-orientated, exporting almost ninety percent of the food produced. The Department also has primary responsibility within government for animal and plant health and animal welfare policy, and for policy relating to the forestry and sea fisheries sectors.

With just over 4,000 staff, the Department operates from six large regional locations across the country, with a presence also in a further sixteen regional operational offices, six fishery harbour centres, and a large number of other locations countrywide.

In 2025, the Department is responsible for a gross budget of some €3.2 billion of national and EU funds.

Selection Process Details

This is a Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) position.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday 10 th July 2025.

If you feel you would benefit from a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Ciarán Oman at

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.