17 Chief Executive Officer jobs in Ireland

Job Title: Chief Executive Officer
Company : Gorta T/A Self Help Africa (SHA)
Location: Ireland
Contract type: Permanent
Reports to: Chairperson of the Board of Directors

About Self Help Africa

The Gorta Group, trading as Self Help Africa, is an international development organisation established in 1984. Itis dedicated to tackling hunger, poverty, inequality and climate change by supporting community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused agricultural development. The organisation believes that equitable economic growth is the key to lasting change, empowering communities to build better futures.

The Gorta Group is comprised of Self Help Africa, United Purpose, social enterprises Partner Africa and CUMO Microfinance (Malawi).

Working primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, the organisation helps communities gain access to nutritious food, clean water, decent incomes and employment, while protecting natural resources. Its work focuses on building resilient food systems and healthy communities, supporting sustainable businesses and jobs, responding to crises, and strengthening policies that enable long-term economic development.

The Role:

Reporting to the Chairperson and Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) holds ultimate responsibility for the strategic direction and day-to-day leadership of the organisation. The CEO is responsible for shaping and recommending the strategy of the organisation to the Board and leads its execution.

They will provide strong leadership to the senior management team, ensuring the organisation continues to deliver sustainable support to communities, smallholder farmers, and agri-focused enterprises across programme countries. In addition, the CEO will play a key role in strengthening relationships with stakeholders, funders, and donors across the private sector, NGOs, and institutional partners.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the Group through a period of transformation and restructuring to deliver on the global strategy and the ambition for lasting sustainable impact.

The Person:

The successful candidate will have significant experience at senior management level, in either the international charity or business sectors, with a strong strategic vision, exceptional leadership capability, and a proven record in developing, growing, or consolidating organisations. Candidates will have a strong understanding and experience of robust financial management alongside expertise in risk management, compliance, and regulatory requirements, complemented by excellent communication, presentation, and people skills. A deep commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the Gorta Group, along with the flexibility to travel internationally, is essential.

How to Apply:

This recruitment process will be managed by Barry Herriott Search and Selection.

Candidates should forward full career details in complete confidence to Barry Herriott Search & Selection at , stating how they meet the requirements for the post, preferably by 29th September 2025.

Please see below full contact details for Barry Herriott Search & Selection:

Self Help Africa is an international development charity and is committed to the safeguarding of all those who we come into contact with or through our work. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour relating to our workincluding sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and we are committed to promoting the welfare of children and the people we aim to assist with whom Self Help Africa engages. Self Help Africa expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviours outlined in theCode of Conduct andChild and Safeguarding Policy . We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Recruitment to all roles in Self Help Africa will include, and be subject to, a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checking. Self Help Africa is committed to the principles of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment during employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms her/his understanding of these recruitment procedures. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Self Help Africa is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.

Research shows that women and those from marginalised ethnic groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!

Self Help Africa is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

AuxiliaGroup is one of Ireland's foremost business consulting firms, offering multi-business function support, via our panel of over 700 high calibre, C-Suite level experienced professionals who are available for consultancy, project management or interim placements.

Our client is a long-established, family-owned business specialising in the distribution and installation of retail shop fit-out products.

The company enjoys a strong reputation for quality, responsiveness, ,innovation and reliability, serving a loyal client base of leading retailers, shopfitters, and facilities managers across Ireland and select international markets.

With current annual revenues of approximately €9 million and a dedicated team of 32 employees, the company is now entering a new phase of growth and strategic development. To lead this transformation, the Board is seeking an experienced and commercially driven Chief Executive Officer.

The Role

Reporting to the Board of Directors (comprising family shareholders and non-executive advisors), the CEO will have full P&L responsibility and will lead the company into its next stage of expansion.

The key responsibilities will include:

• Team Leadership : Inspire, develop, and align the senior leadership team to deliver high-performance results and a strong internal culture.
  
• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a growth strategy to increase market share, expand product offerings, and explore new customer segments or adjacent markets.
  
• Commercial Development: Build strong relationships with key customers and partners; oversee pricing, tendering, and contract negotiations.
  
• Operational Excellence: Identify and implement operational efficiencies across procurement, logistics, installation, and after-sales service to improve margins and delivery performance
  
• Value Realisation: Collaborate with shareholders to explore and execute options for realising shareholder value over the medium term (e.g., strategic partnerships, M&A or MBO.).
  

The successful candidate will be a proven business leader with experience in a commercially-focused, operationally complex organisation. Specific requirements include:

• Prior experience as CEO or Managing Director with full P&L accountability in a business of comparable or greater scale and complexity (minimum €9m+ turnover) is essential.
  
• Experience within distribution, retail equipment, construction supply, logistics, or light manufacturing/assembly sectors is an advantage.
  
• Strong strategic mindset combined with hands-on operational capability.
  
• Commercial acumen with the ability to build trusted relationships with customers, suppliers, staff, and shareholders.
  
• Proven and successful background in growing revenues, improving profitability, and enhancing operational performance is essential.
  
• Experience working with family-owned businesses or understanding of private ownership dynamics is an advantage.
  

This role presents an exciting opportunity to lead a respected, profitable business with significant potential for growth and transformation. The incoming CEO will play a pivotal role in shaping the future direction of the company and delivering tangible results for both customers and shareholders.