Head of Government Relations & Strategic Partnerships – 1 Year fixed term Contract

Head of Government Relations & Strategic Partnerships 1 Year fixed term Contract

(Internal Position to Rethink Ireland Staff ONLY)

Contract: 1 Year fixed term contract full-time

Based: Dublin or Cork with travel within Ireland

Salary: per annum (Dependent on experience)

Benefits: 24 days of annual leave

Pension: Pension contribution

Hybrid working: Hybrid with travel around Ireland. Attendance at meetings and events is a regular part of the role including some evening events.

JOB PURPOSE

To lead Rethink Irelands government relations and strategic partnerships strengthening the organisations income influence and impact at both national and regional levels. The role willbe responsible fordeveloping and managing high-level political and donor relationships securing sustainable funding and positioning Rethink Ireland as a trusted partner to government corporates and philanthropic stakeholders. This role will also provide strategic leadership for regional engagement in Munster and contribute to the overall direction of the organisation.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Government Relations & Policy Engagement

Lead Rethink Irelands engagement with government political representatives and senior civil servants.
Shape and deliver lobbying strategies manifesto inputs and policy submissions aligned to organisational goals.
Oversee the design and execution of government-facing events briefings and strategic communications.
Negotiate and secure multi-million eurogovernment contracts and funding agreements.

Strategic Partnerships & Fundraising

Develop and manage relationships acrossHigh Net Worthindividuals corporates and trusts/foundations.
Secure significant and sustained funding to meet and exceed agreed income targets.
Provide national leadership on donor stewardship and partnership development.
Identifyand pursue new strategic partnership opportunities to diversify income.

Leadership & Organisational Representation

Serve as Rethink Irelands senior spokesperson for Munsterrepresentingthe organisation in media political and donor circles.
Build Rethink Irelands profile and credibility as a partner of choice among stakeholders including political leaders and major donors.
Contribute to organisational strategy as part of the senior leadership team.
Lead coaching and knowledge-sharing initiatives across the business development team and wider organisation.

Operational & Financial Oversight

Partner with relevant areas of the organisation (Operations PMT and Finance) to oversee fund compliance and fund budgets.
Provide input into tendering processes and ensure compliance with contractual requirements.
Monitor and report on performance metrics ensuring delivery of agreed outcomes.

Experience

Essential Experience

Proventrack record(10 years) in government relations public affairs fundraising or strategic partnerships at senior level in Ireland
Demonstrated success in securing and managing multi-million eurogovernment contracts and/or major donor relationships.
Experience influencing policy and engaging with Ministers senior civil servants and political stakeholders.
Evidence of exceeding fundraising or income generation targets across multiple channels (HNW corporate foundations).
Leadership experience including managing teams mentoring or acting at Director level.
Familiarity with Irish political and funding systems particularly DRCD and other relevant government departments.

Desirable Experience

Previousexperience in the not-for-profit social impact or philanthropic sector.
Regional leadership experience in Munster or other key powerbroker political constituencies.

Key Skills & Attributes

Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills with senior external and internal stakeholders.
Strong strategic thinking and ability to influence organisational direction.
Excellent communication and public speaking skills including media representation.
Financial acumen and ability to oversee budgets and contracts.
High resilience adaptability and political awareness.
Team player but self motivated
Strong commitment to Rethink Irelands mission and values.

Our Values

We work with our hearts and our heads we value compassion passion and fun.
We take smart risks and we allow permission to fail because we know that innovation and risk are two sides of the same coin.
We believe that social change is a team sport. We build trusted relationships and we choose to collaborate to achieve our goals.
We are curious and hunger to learn.
We value bold ideas and bold leadership and we develop remarkable people.

COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY

We are an equal opportunity employer. We believe that diversity and inclusion drive success and help us to achieve our highest potential as an organisation. We are committed to Respect Equality Inclusion and Diversity both in our workforce and in our engagement with others. We strongly welcome applications from members of minority and marginalised communities.

In line with Irelands Equality Legislation we actively oppose discrimination on the following 9 grounds:

Gender.
Civil status: single married divorced etc.
Family status: if youre the parent or person responsible for a child over 18 or if youre the main carer or parent of a person with a disability.
Sexual orientation.
Religion.
Age.
Disability.
Race.
Traveller community.

We also actively oppose discrimination on the grounds of socio-economic disadvantage.

HOW TO APPLY

Application deadline:
Submit applications by 5pm on Monday 5 January 2026

Required Experience:

Director