Women in Sport Manager

Job description

We are delighted to be recruiting for our client Sport Ireland for a Women in Sport Manager to join their team.

Job Purpose

This is a key role ensuring that Sport Ireland acts authoritatively and strategically as the expert public agency to develop and promote women and girls’ involvement in sport. This role will contribute to the delivery of Sport Ireland’s vision for women in sport where women and girls have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. A key output for the successful candidate will be to manage and implement the objectives and actions as set out in Sport Ireland’s Policy on Women in Sport.

Reporting to: Director of Strategic National Governing Body Programmes

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee the on-going management, implementation and monitoring of Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport Policy as a key element of Sport Ireland’s role.
• Management and/or coordination of all ongoing Sport Ireland projects relating to women in sport, e.g. Her Moves, Women in Sport Week, research projects.
• Secretary role and other duties for the Women in Sport Steering Committee and Women in Coaching and Officiating Working Group.
• Develop, implement and manage projects, programmes or initiatives that fulfil the objectives and actions as set out in the Sport Ireland Policy on Women in Sport.
• Ensure that Sport Ireland is positioned as the expert agency in its role to lead, develop and promote the participation of women in sport in Ireland.
• Provide support and manage funding application processes such as the Women in Sport funding programme.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with various stakeholders at both a national and local level.
• Support the auditing and evaluation of currently funded initiatives under the Women in Sport Programme.
• Work closely with other Units and staff in Sport Ireland, e.g. National Governing Body, Participation, Marketing and Communications, Research, Safeguarding and Ethics, Organisational, Development and Change, to support NGBs, LSPs and others in the development and delivery of women in sport projects and campaigns.
• Advise on the development of future initiatives which will enhance the topic of WIS and the wider area of inclusion in sport.
• Develop and/or manage partnerships and working relationships with others in the public and private sector including partners consistent with overall strategy to advance the work of Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport policy and so as to position women in sport and the interests of Sport Ireland on the working agenda of such partners.
• Support the development of annual budgets and corporate plans in line with Sport Ireland Women in Sport Policy objectives in collaboration with the senior management team.
• Support the other Units of Sport Ireland in the implementation and delivery of policies for example, the Diversity and Inclusion Policy, the Volunteer Strategy.

The above is not an exhaustive list and the role will include any duties required by Sport Ireland from time to time which are appropriate for the position and the needs of the organization.

Person Specification:

The post-holder will be expected to have at least three years’ experience in programme management in the area of sports participation, strategy development and implementation, and should be within a large organisation operating at national level.

The post-holder will have:

• A third level qualification ideally related to sport.
• A high level of experience and understanding of women in sport, the barriers and challenges they may encounter as well as programmes and initiatives that have been implemented in the past.
• A high level of experience and understanding of the sports sector, policy implementation, evaluation and monitoring.
• The ability to operate effectively at strategic and policy levels and to contribute analytical depth to Sport Ireland strategy and policies.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• A sound understanding of sport and the local and national infrastructure that influence women’s involvement in sport.
• A strong back-ground in building and developing partnerships and alliances with a range of stakeholders.
• The ability to think and express complex issues clearly.
• Well-developed skills in listening, communicating, facilitating and negotiating.
• The knowledge and experience to lead diverse activities through effective management systems and a sustained focus on long-term goals.
• Excellent people skills evidenced through the ability to lead and motivate.
• Broad knowledge of sports environment (policy, provision and practice) and of how to access the detail.
• Understanding of Sport Ireland’s work across women in sport.

The post-holder will have a track record of significant relevant achievement which should include:

• Proven ability to develop and implement strategies, programmes and initiatives which deliver tangible outcomes.
• Evidence of excellent abilities in general management.
• Evidence of the effectiveness of sophisticated communication skills capable of influencing and negotiating at all levels within a large organisation and with key external stakeholders.

Additional Information:

Contract: Full-time, 13 Month Maternity Cover Contract

Salary Scale: HEO Standard Scale. The appointment will be made on this scale at a point in line with current Government Pay Policy. New entrants to the public sector commence on the first point of scale.

Location: Sport Ireland Campus, Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

If you would like to apply for this position, please send your CV in confidence to sportirelandjobs@orangerecruitment.ie . Closing date for applications is Monday 2nd March, 2026 5pm.

Sport Ireland is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of the workforce. Sport Ireland is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals.

We actively welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on any protected groups. If you require reasonable accommodation for the interview, please let us know and we will do our best to assist.

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