Director of Corporate Services

Type: 3 months with possibility of extension

Location: Greater Belfast

Salary: £104,814

Hours of work: 37 Hours Per Week (Monday- Friday)

Limited opportunity for hybrid working may be available based on a business need.

Closing Date: 12 noon on 03/07/25

On behalf of the NI Assembly, MPA recruitment welcome suitable applications for the role of a Director of Corporate Services.

Job Purpose

The Director of Corporate Services reports directly to the Clerk/Chief Executive and is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). SMT provides collective strategic and operational leadership and advises and supports the Clerk/Chief Executive in her non-procedural duties. SMT comprises the Clerk/Chief Executive, the Director of Corporate Services, the Director of Legal, Governance and Research Services and the Director of Parliamentary Services. The Director of Corporate Services is responsible for the strategic management and leadership of approximately 140 staff in the HR, Finance, Equality, Building Services and Usher Services functions that support the work of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Job Description:

Delivery of services:

The Director of Corporate Services will be expected to deliver a wide range of services on behalf of the Assembly Commission. These services will include:

The provision of all HR services including recruitment and retention, learning and development, industrial relations (for example, the administration of discipline and grievance procedures), performance management and attendance management. In addition, a range of HR advice and support services are also provided to MLAs.
A full Finance function including the administration of the Assembly Commission's revenue and capital budgets, budgeting, monitoring and financial reporting including the preparation of the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts, the provision of a payroll services for Members, their staff and Secretariat staff and the administration of all aspects of financial support to Members.
The maintenance and management of accommodation for all building users including planned and reactive maintenance and major and minor capital works, and the delivery of Health & Safety, Sustainable Development and Support Services (which includes catering and cleaning services and the supply of office stationery and equipment).
"Front of house" visitor management and internal and external security functions in Parliament Buildings and liaison with the Stormont Estate Management Unit and also with a small PSNI unit who provide support to the security presence at Parliament Buildings; and
Support to the Assembly Commission in ensuring compliance with all the statutory requirements of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and Section 49 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 including the development and implementation of key plans/documents (such as the Equality Scheme, the Good Relations Action Plan and the Disability Action Plan) to ensure compliance with statutory obligations.

Contributing to Strategic Management:

Contributing to the strategic and collective leadership of SMT.

Leading on, or contributing to, the development of corporate policies to support the business of the Assembly Commission; and
Contributing to the development, monitoring and review of the Assembly Commission's Corporate Strategy, Corporate Plan and Annual Plans.

Managing People:

Providing dynamic and visionary leadership for staff, creating an enthused and responsive workforce that fully embraces change.
Ensuring that staff in the Directorate are appropriately qualified, experienced and skilled to deliver the services required by the Assembly; and
Delivering a culture in keeping with the Assembly Commission's vision, strategic priorities and values.

In addition, the teams in each of the functions within the Directorate are highly professional, and the Director of Corporate Services will need to ensure that each member of staff within each team is highly proficient and focused on delivering excellence in all aspects of the business.

General

Being responsible for the effective and efficient use of resources and sound financial management and provide the Accounting Officer (Clerk/Chief Executive) with assurances on governance and probity
Complying with all of the Assembly Commission's staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.

Managing information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements; and

You may also be required to carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

Essential Criteria:

At the closing date for applications, applicants must have:

Successfully completed the professional examinations and be a full, current member of one of the bodies listed below:
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

Membership of alternative accounting bodies, recognised as equivalent by the selection panel, will be considered.

A minimum of 4 years' senior management experience in a significant and complex organisation with responsibility for a range of corporate functions including finance, and developing, implementing and monitoring corporate strategies and effective operational plans.
Clear evidence of leading and developing a range of professional, highly- skilled, high-performance teams to deliver effective outcomes and performance improvements in line with customer requirements.
A track record of leading on and delivering significant service restructuring and improvement and demonstrating flexibility, adaptability and resilience under pressure.
A track record of building and maintaining effective internal and external relationships with a range of key stakeholders where differing views must be managed.

Senior management is defined as membership of or reporting directly to a team at the highest level of organisational management in the public, private or voluntary sector who have the day-to-day responsibilities of managing an organisation or company. For example, reporting directly to a Chief Executive, Director or to a company board.

A significant and complex organisation is defined as having a range of diverse business functions and a budget in excess of £10m.

Skills & Behaviours:

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Managing & Leading Self and Others

is setting high standards for ourselves. It is about guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance. It is about engaging others in delivering a corporate vision of excellence, expertise and innovation in support of the Assembly as a legislature.

Building relationships and effective communication

is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Delivering a quality service

is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.

Initiating improvement and delivering change

is looking for and being open to new and innovative ideas and improvements to the service provided. It is being flexible and adapting positively and professionally to sustain performance when the situation changes, workloads increase or priorities change. It is about forming sound, evidence-based decisions and being accountable for results.

How To Apply

To apply for this position please send your CV to

Or for further information and a confidential discussion on this post please call Chris at our Belfast office on

Please ensure your CV is accurate and updated with full personal contact details, education history, qualifications, and employment history.

MPA Recruitment are operating as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.

MPA are committed to providing equality of opportunity in employment and welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants irrespective of gender, marital or family status, religious belief, political opinion, disability, age, race, nationality, or sexual orientation.

Mpa Recruitment

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Director of Corporate Services