Volunteer Role: Independent Non-Executive Director

Independent Non-Executive Director

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is the governing body of football, at all levels, throughout the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, the FAI is an affiliate of both FIFA and UEFA with responsibility for overseeing the development, administration and promotion of football. Connected with every community around the country, the FAI aims to have a positive impact - on and off the pitch - to foster the games continued growth & participation levels. The FAI is seeking to appoint an Independent Non-Executive Director to join the Board. In addition, we are establishing a panel of suitably qualified candidates from which future INED vacancies may be filled.

Position Overview

As an Independent Non Executive Director on the FAI Board, you will play a key role in providing strategic guidance, governance, and oversight. Working alongside a diverse and experienced Board, you will leverage your expertise to support the Senior Leadership Team on all the strategic goals for the Association.

While this current role has a focus on a financial skillset, we in parallel also looking to establish a panel of candidates with expertise in all aspects of Board operations, including commercial, governance, legal etc. and as such welcome a broad range of applicants even if your core skills are not specifically financial.

It is government policy that the Boards of publicly funded NGBs maintain gender balance, future vacancies will be filled in accordance with this policy where possible and in this instance we are seeking a female for this role.

The responsibilities of the FAI Board include:

• Setting the strategic direction of the Association and reviewing progress
• Overseeing the development, promotion and regulation of football matters
• Agreeing business plans and major plans of action
• Monitoring organisational and financial performance
• Agreeing and overseeing annual budgets
• Overseeing major capital expenditure and investment decisions
• Ensuring effective risk management and internal control processes are in place
• Appointing an effective Board Committee structure to support the Board in its role
• Ensuring legal, regulatory and governance obligations are adhered to

As well as sharing the passion of the Board for the development of Football in Ireland, candidates for this INED role will demonstrate skills in some or all of the following areas:

• football administration (or other relevant football experience)
• financial
• legal
• governance
• risk management
• board experience
• commercial experience
• business management
• human resource management

Qualifications & Experience:

• Proven track record at a senior executive level
• Board Experience: Previous experience serving as a director or advisor on a corporate, non-profit, or public sector board.
• Strategic Acumen: Demonstrated ability to contribute to an organisational transformation.
• Leadership: Ability to inspire and influence executive teams and stakeholders at the highest levels.
• Integrity: A commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, and accountability.

Financial Experience:

Candidates for this current vacancy must demonstrate evidence of experience, at an appropriately senior level, in the following areas:

• Accountancy, audit and/or corporate finance - including strategic financial management, regulatory compliance, and financial oversight
• Audit Committee involvement, demonstrated by either experience as a member of an Audit Committee or of having directly reported to/worked with an Audit Committee
• Management/operation of financial systems and the design or oversight of business information systems to support decision-making and reporting

The Financial Experience criteria above apply specifically to this vacancy. As noted earlier, we are also seeking to build a pool of candidates with broader skill sets (e.g. commercial, legal, etc.) and warmly welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional backgrounds

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker
• Collaborative and team-oriented approach
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Independent judgment and the courage to challenge the status quo

Time Commitment:

This role requires attendance at monthly board meetings (either in-person or virtually), active participation in committee work, attendance at AGM and ad hoc engagements as needed. You will need to be comfortable committing at least six hours per month in this role on a voluntary basis.

To apply for this role, please submit in strictest confidence a CV and Covering Letter detailing your experience. If you require additional information, please direct your inquiries to .

The Football Association of Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and as we are underrepresented in these areas; we welcome applications from women, individuals from Black and Minority Ethnicities, the LGBTQI community and anyone with a disability.

Closing date for applications is 12pm Wednesday 17th September 2025.