Policy and Legislation Officer

Policy & Legislation Officer

Location: Rathkeltair House, Market Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6AJ
Pay: £47,304 per annum
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday to Friday (Flexi available)
Contract: Temporary ongoing
Hours: 37 per week

Staffline Recruitment Ireland is currently recruiting a Policy & Legislation Officer for a large public sector organisation based at Rathkeltair House, Downpatrick.

This is an excellent opportunity to work within a key government policy area, supporting legislative development, stakeholder engagement, and compliance across EU and domestic frameworks.

The Role

You will support the development and implementation of policy and legislation, working closely with legal professionals, stakeholders, and government officials. The role involves interpreting legislation, drafting regulations, managing projects, and contributing to the delivery of policy initiatives in line with departmental priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Interpret EU and domestic legislation to assess compliance and operational compatibility
• Work with legal professionals and legal teams to resolve legislative and legal queries
• Support the introduction of regulations and primary legislation through the Northern Ireland Assembly and/or Westminster
• Draft regulations and assist with the transposition of EU legislation
• Contribute to policy and legislative development through research, stakeholder engagement, co-design, and evaluation activities
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Support project management activities and ensure strong governance arrangements are maintained
• Provide regular updates on progress, risks, and issues to management and colleagues

Essential Criteria

Applicants must have:

• A degree and a minimum of 1 year's experience leading a team delivering policy or legislative work
• The ability to work independently and provide feedback on ongoing progress and issues to management and staff
• Experience interpreting EU and domestic legislation to assess legislative and operational compliance and compatibility
• Experience working with legal professionals and legal teams to resolve legal queries
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong project management experience
• Excellent communication and presentation skills

Desirable Criteria

• Experience introducing regulations or primary legislation through the Northern Ireland Assembly and/or Westminster
• Experience drafting regulations
• Experience transposing EU legislation
• Experience developing policy and legislation through evidence-based research, policy option appraisal, stakeholder engagement, co-design, and evaluation
• A working knowledge of the Windsor Framework Agreement, or a willingness to develop this knowledge

Additional Information

To be shortlisted for this role, applicants must meet the essential criteria. This assignment is expected to commence on 4 June 2026 and run until 4 October 2026, subject to business requirements and worker availability.

Please note that successful candidates may be required to provide evidence of eligibility and complete any necessary pre-employment checks.

How to Apply

If you are interested and available for this position, please submit your CV via the application link or contact Hannah Fitzsimons on

Skills:
Policy and legislative development Interpretation of EU and domestic legislation Drafting regulations legislative documents Stakeholder engagement relationship management

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