Senior Technical Executive, Food Imports & Exports

Job description

We are delighted to be recruiting a Senior Technical Executive, Food Imports & Exports for our client The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. This is a Fixed Term Contract to 31^st May 2026. Closing date for applications is 5pm on the 5^th of August 2025.

TITLE

Senior Technical Executive, Food Imports & Exports

AREA

Regulatory Affairs & Compliance Building (RACB)

REPORTS TO

Regulatory Affairs Manager, or other nominated person

SALARY

Point 1 of the Senior Technical Executive salary scale i.e. €70,647 on a pro rata basis

LOCATION

The FSAI currently operates on a hybrid-working basis which provides clarity around remote working and attendance at head office in The Exchange, George’s Dock, IFSC, Dublin D01 P2V6.

JOB ENVIRONMENT

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is a statutory, independent and science-based national agency, dedicated to protecting consumers’ health and interests by leading a collaborative food safety community to continuously raise food standards and create a culture of compliance. Core FSAI objectives are to ensure, through regulation and engagement, that food produced, consumed, distributed or marketed in Ireland is safe and meets EU standards.

JOB PURPOSE

The person appointed will be working in the area of food imports and exports as part of the Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Building (RACB) area of the FSAI. This area provides strategic leadership for regulatory affairs; supports the official agencies in the regulation of the food industry; prepares and issues guidance on enforcement and compliance with food law; and provides advice to Government on food safety policy, regulatory issues and food legislation.

The RACB area also deals regularly with food business in relation to food legislation including compositional, food supplements, labelling, e-commerce and import/export requirements and provides training services for both official agencies and industry.

This post will involve developing effective and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders to support the official controls system on food imports and exports which the FSAI has statutory responsibility for oversight of. The post holder will play a leading role in supporting Government in the development of food safety policy and legislation in relation to food imports and will work with food businesses to build compliance with their legal obligations in relation to the import and export of safe and trustworthy food.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The key accountabilities of the role will be:

• Support, and deputise for, RACB management. Supervise the work of the (Food Imports and Exports) team to ensure delivery of the FSAI statutory remit and corporate objectives in relation to official control system of food imports and exports. This will include representing the FSAI at meetings and events including with the Government Departments, industry and other key stakeholders and contributing to the development of FSAI policy, advice and opinions on import and export related areas.
• Lead the FSAI Import control working group on foods of non-animal origin with the Health Service Executive, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Revenue.
• Lead on providing advice and support to the Departments of Health and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to development of legislation and policy areas for to food imports and exports.
• Lead on supporting the state agencies responsible for food imports and in relation to export control issues.
• Attending EU meetings, provide advice on legislation, keep the official food agencies updated on changes to the legislation and providing interpretation on legislative issues relating to EU and national food legislation.
• Support the wider FSAI team in relation to food imports and exports including food incidents, training, service contracts and audits.
• Contribute to the development and use of data systems to support data-led decision making in relation to food imports and exports.
• Contribute to identifying any potential issues to consider for food safety, food legislation and official controls of food from third countries.
• Support the FSAI engagement with UK food regulatory authorities.
• Prepare opinions, advice and guidance for FSAI staff, the FSAI advice line as well as external stakeholders including industry and official agency inspectors. Participation in cross functional area projects within FSAI.
• Keep up to date on developments in areas of specialisation and in job accountabilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• An honours degree (Level 8) preferably in Food Science, Veterinary Medicine, Environmental Health or other relevant discipline.
• A relevant specialist post graduate qualification would be an advantage.
• A proven track record of relevant experience of not less than 4 years in a regulatory, audit, industry or other relevant environment.
• Experience in the development and of collaborative stakeholder relationships and lead multidisciplinary stakeholder groups.
• Knowledge of EU and Irish food law and the official controls relevant to food imports and exports to ensure protection of consumer health and interests.
• Experience of working effectively in a multidisciplinary environment and handling multiple priorities within often very tight time frames.
• The person must be a self-starter, capable of working on their own initiative and also within a team environment.
• A high level of communications and presentation skills as well as project management and organisational skills are essential.
• Good IT skills and familiarity with the standard business software in the FSAI, Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise and Microsoft Office 365.

The following skills are desirable:

• Familiarity with the work of the FSAI, of the food industry and the food regulators

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Leadership

• Works with the team to facilitate high performance, developing clear and realistic objectives and addressing and performance issues if they arise
• Provides clear information and advice as to what is required of the team
• Strives to develop and implement new ways of working effectively to meet objectives
• Leads the team by example, coaching and supporting individuals as required
• Places high importance on staff development, training and maximising skills & capacity of team
• Is flexible and willing to adapt, positively contributing to the implementation of change

Judgment, Analysis and Decision Making

• Gathers and analyses information from relevant sources, whether financial, numerical or otherwise weighing up a range of critical factors
• Takes account of any broader issues, agendas, sensitivities and related implications when making decisions
• Uses previous knowledge and experience in order to guide decisions
• Uses judgement to make sound decisions with a well reasoned rationale and stands by these
• Puts forward solutions to address problems

Management and Delivery of Results

• Takes responsibility and is accountable for the delivery of agreed objectives
• Successfully manages a range of different projects and work activities at the same time
• Structures and organises their own and others work effectively
• Is logical and pragmatic in approach, delivering the best possible results with the resources available
• Delegates work effectively, providing clear information and evidence as to what is required
• Proactively identifies areas for improvement and develops practical suggestions for their implementation
• Demonstrates enthusiasm for new developments/changing work practices and strives to implement these changes effectively
• Applies appropriate systems/ processes to enable quality checking of all activities and outputs
• Practices and promotes a strong focus on delivering high quality customer service, for internal and external customers

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Builds and maintains contact with colleagues and other stakeholders to assist in performing role
• Acts as an effective link between staff and senior management
• Encourages open and constructive discussions around work issues
• Projects conviction, gaining buy-in by outlining relevant information and selling the benefits
• Treats others with diplomacy, tact, courtesy and respect, even in challenging circumstances
• Presents information clearly, concisely and confidently when speaking and in writing
• Collaborates and supports colleagues to achieve organisational goal

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

• Has a clear understanding of the roles, objectives and targets of self and team and how they fit into the work of the unit and Department/ Organisation and effectively communicates this to others
• Has high levels of expertise and broad Public Sector knowledge relevant to his/her area of work
• Focuses on self development, striving to improve performance

Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values

• Strives to perform at a high level, investing significant energy to achieve agreed objectives
• Demonstrates resilience in the face of challenging circumstances and high demands
• Is personally trustworthy and can be relied upon
• Ensures that customers are at the heart of all services provided
• Upholds high standards of honesty, ethics and integrity

This job description is subject to change from time to time, in line with the FSAI’s work requirements.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGINING

The FSAI is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities. The FSAI’s vision is to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, (DEI&B) in the Irish public sector. The FSAI and its staff is committed to:

• Treating all people equally and respectfully
• Being equitable and fair by working to attract and develop a diverse workforce and ensuring that individuals feel valued in their workplace.
• Being inclusive and seeking out and learning from multiple perspectives.

FSAI STRATEGY AND VALUES

The FSAI’s current strategy sets outs our vision, purpose, values, strategic goals and objectives for the period 2025-2029.

Our Vision

Safe and trustworthy food for everyone

Our Purpose

As Ireland’s independent regulator and the central competent authority for the enforcement of food safety legislation, we will protect consumers’ health and interests by:

• Building a culture of food safety
• Improving food safety within a risk analysis framework
• Leading a robust food safety control system
• Continuing to drive organisational excellence

Our Values

• We develop and inspire people to build a better organisation through teamwork
• We act with integrity and are honest, open and independent in all we do
• We are passionate about protecting consumers
• We act with respect and take personal responsibility
• We recognise and value collaboration with our partners
• We are transparent and open, and we communicate clearly

More information can be found at https://www.fsai.ie/strategy/