Governance Framework Manager

About The Land Development Agency

The Land Development Agency (LDA) is a key Government Commercial State Body that delivers social and affordable housing on State and other lands. Recently provided with an additional €2.5bn in funding by Government this brings the LDA’s total funding capacity to €8.75bn. The LDA will be the largest home builder in Ireland by the end of 2028. 

The LDA has commenced construction on various state sourced lands and has a direct delivery pipeline in excess of 21,000 homes with over 6,500 homes constructed or currently under construction. The LDA is also delivering affordable housing by working with the private sector on an initiative called ‘Project Tosaigh’, which will yield 8,000 homes by the end of 2028. Recently the LDA has secured planning permission for hundreds of new homes at locations such as the Limerick Gasworks, Corrib Causeway in Galway, Anglesea Terrace in Cork and in Dublin; Bluebell Waterways and Dundrum Central.  Additionally, the LDA is working on large-scale longer-term strategic areas by master-planning and bringing forward planning applications in locations such as Limerick Colbert Quarter, the Digital Hub in Dublin and Sandy Road in Galway. 

Fuelled by an ethos of public service, the LDA is underpinned by a positive, collegiate, ‘can do’ culture based on our core values of Integrity, Results, Collaboration, Sustainability and Innovation. Our team is around 300 people and growing rapidly. The LDA is overseen by an independent board of directors.

Role Summary

As a Commercial Semi-State company, the LDA adheres to a broad spectrum of public sector and statutory obligations. In support of its independent Board, the LDA also operates corporate governance good practice standards. The Governance Framework Manager is a key second line of defence role that supports the design, maintenance and implementation of the governance framework. The governance framework is a critical influencer of organisational culture and encapsulates organisational policies, procedures, obligations, compliance monitoring and reporting.  The LDA aspires to achieve ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems) certification for the governance framework.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain and seek to continually improve the Register of Policies and Procedures (P&Ps) and the Register of Obligations including periodic reviews, updates and approvals of both as required.
• Monitor the internal and external environment to identify emerging and new obligations, assess their impact on the LDA and if required liaise with the responsible stakeholders to update the Register of Obligations and P&Ps.
• Support the responsible Business Units (BUs) in the updating of existing and the development of new P&Ps.
• Develop, maintain and contribute to the delivery of the governance framework annual work plan.
• Advise stakeholders on P&P drafting to ensure P&Ps are accurate, comprehensive, concise and easy to understand where required, draft P&Ps.
• Manage the end to end P&P governance path for review and approval.
• Report on the status of the governance framework including P&Ps to the Leadership Team, Board and Committees as required.
• Monitor compliance with P&Ps ensuring non-compliance is recorded and reported to the Senior Governance Framework Manager.
• Support the Senior Governance Framework Manager and Chief Risk Officer with the planning and administration of the GRC Working Group as required.
• Ensure comprehensive and accurate record keeping of governance framework artefacts.
• Develop, maintain and deliver governance framework training for LDA staff as required.
• Liaise with the Learning and Development team to maintain the register of mandatory training.
• Coordinate the publication and communication of updated or new P&Ps including associated obligations to relevant LDA staff.
• Maintain the Glossary of Terms and perform review of all updated and new P&Ps, to ensure that the definitions used are consistent with the Glossary of Terms.
• Support the Senior Governance Framework Manager in the development of the LDA’s Quality Management System to achieve and maintain ISO 9001:2015 certification.
• Monitor the governance framework for opportunities to improve the internal control environment.
• Ensure the governance framework captures and documents key LDA controls and supports the assurance mapping and quality assurance programs.
• Liaise with and support the LDA’s external, statutory and internal auditors in the delivery of their annual work plans. Also, support colleagues in the prompt closure of audit recommendations relating to the governance framework. 
• As required, represent the governance framework on working groups and projects and ensure effective cross Agency collaboration relating to the framework .

Requirements:

• Third level degree and/or professional qualification(s) in relevant disciplines.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role or in practice.
• A strong knowledge of Irish public sector, corporate and other governance frameworks is essential, including the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
• Excellent attention to detail, high standards and good financial acumen are essential.
• Experience implementing quality management systems is desirable.
• A knowledge of public sector and international auditing standards is desirable.
• Experience of applying artificial intelligence technologies to governance frameworks is desirable.

Person Specification:

The Governance Framework Manager is required to support the development and maintenance of a governance framework that fosters an appropriate balance between effective control, risk management, compliance and business operations. As such the Governance Framework Manager is required to demonstrate the following personal specification and behavioural characteristics:

A solutions focused and collaborative individual who demonstrates a ‘can do’ approach:

• An exceptional communicator (written and verbal) who can communicate complex concepts simply.
• Collaborative problem solver especially in governance, compliance, risk and internal control.
• Open mindset with a willingness to be flexible in how they think.
• Trusted and supportive colleague and advisor.
• Ability to work independently, form own judgements/opinions, provide insights, implement change, prioritise and work on multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Excellent internal and external stakeholder relationship management skills. 
• Structured and analytical approach towards work.
• Delivery focused approach to work – create a plan and commit to delivering it.

To Apply: 

The closing date for applications is 5pm on November 2nd 2026

The Land Development Agency is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promote and support a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we endeavour to provide reasonable accommodation as required.