Clinical Director

Part Time/Full Time

Salary: €65,000-€70,000 pro rata (depending on experience)

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Direct Reports: Clinical Manager, overseeing Clinical Team

Location: Co-Located Bray and Arklow

Please send your CV and Cover Letter to recruitment@livinglifecounselling.com by the 13th of September 2026.

Person Specification

Essential

• Accredited Psychotherapist with current membership and accreditation in good standing with a recognised Irish counselling or psychotherapy professional body (ie. IACP, ICP, IAHIP, etc.)
• Accredited Clinical Supervisor for Psychotherapists with current membership and accreditation in good standing with a recognised Irish counselling or psychotherapy professional body (ie. IACP, ICP, IAHIP, etc.)

• Significant senior leadership experience in counselling, mental health, health or social care services.
• Demonstrable experience leading clinical governance, quality assurance, safeguarding and risk management.
• Experience developing and implementing organisational or service strategy.
• Strong understanding of professional, ethical and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• The ability to demonstrated understanding of volunteer engagement, support and mentoring, with the ability to foster commitment, retention and professional development within a volunteer-based service.

Desirable

• Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Experience of accreditation, quality standards, inspections or regulatory compliance programmes.

Role Purpose

The Clinical Director is the senior clinical leader of Living Life Voluntary Counselling CLG and is responsible for providing strategic leadership, clinical governance oversight, and professional assurance across all counselling and psychotherapy services.

The postholder will ensure that services are safe, effective, ethical, evidence-informed and aligned with organisational objectives, regulatory requirements and sector best practice. While the Clinical Manager is responsible for day-to-day service delivery and operations, the Clinical Director provides organisational leadership in relation to strategy and growth, clinical governance, quality assurance, risk management, workforce development and service innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Governance and Quality

• Lead the organisation’s clinical governance framework and quality improvement agenda.
• Provide oversight and assurance regarding clinical quality, client safety, safeguarding and professional practice standards.
• Monitor clinical outcomes, audit findings, incidents, complaints and service performance to drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure learning from audits, reviews, incidents and safeguarding concerns is embedded across the organisation.
• Chair the Ethics Subcommittee.
• Lead GDPR compliance through our CRM (Training will be provided).

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the organisation’s clinical strategy in support of its mission and strategic objectives.
• Advise the COO and Board on clinical developments, emerging risks and opportunities.
• Lead service innovation, development and future readiness in response to changing client, regulatory and sector requirements.
• Promote evidence-informed practice and a culture of excellence, learning and accountability.

Clinical Risk, Compliance and Professional Standards

• Maintain strategic oversight of clinical risk management and safeguarding.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legal, ethical, professional and regulatory standards.
• Oversee the development and review of clinical policies, procedures and governance systems alongside the Clinical Manager
• Lead organisational preparation for accreditation, inspection and regulatory requirements in line with CORU and psychotherapeutic professional bodies.

Workforce and Professional Leadership

• Senior clinical authority within the organisation.
• Provide professional leadership and support to the Clinical Manager, supervisors and clinical teams.
• Ensure appropriate systems for supervision, competency assurance, professional development and workforce governance.
• Promote a positive culture of reflective practice, continuous learning and professional excellence.

Board and External Relations

• Attend Board meetings to provide regular assurance and reports to the Board on clinical governance, quality, safeguarding and risk.
• Represent the organisation on clinical matters with external stakeholders, professional bodies, funders and regulatory agencies.
• Build strategic relationships that strengthen clinical quality, workforce development and organisational impact.