Finance Board Director

The Organisation

St. Patrick's Festival is Ireland's official celebration of our national holiday, St. Patrick's Day. Its origins lie in honouring Ireland's patron saint, St. Patrick. Initially, it was a solemn commemorative feast day dedicated to paying tribute to the saint, but over the years, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a vibrant celebration encompassing the richness of Irish culture.

Established in 1996, St. Patrick’s Festival has grown from a single-day to a four-day event featuring music, performance, spectacle, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, food, wellness, community activations and much more. It is recognised globally as one of the world’s biggest festivals, with a global reach of over 600 million people in 2025.

The Festival is a key driver for the tourism industry, presenting a world class event that showcases the very best of Irishness and Ireland as a destination, platforming our incredible unique culture, heritage and traditions to a global audience through quality experiences.

St. Patrick's Festival continues to be a key driver of employment and opportunity for the creative sector, providing over 10,000 days of employment in 2025. The 2026 Festival will continue to provide these opportunities, driving employment through direct investment in these vital industries that uplift Ireland across the world.

St. Patrick’s Festival is an independent not-for-profit organisation with charity status, governed by a Board of Directors under the patronage of the President of Ireland.

For more information:            St. Patrick’s Festival

Board Directors:                     Board and governance | St. Patrick’s Festival

The Role

St. Patrick’s Festival is currently seeking a Finance Board Director to join the board. If you are a qualified accountant with an enthusiasm and engaged interest in culture, and with capacity to commit, we would like to hear from you.

Role requirements and key responsibilities include:

1. Financial Expertise and Board-Level Engagement
   The Finance Board Director should be a qualified accountant with board experience in either executive or non-executive capacities. 
2. Participation in the Audit and Risk Committee
   The Finance Board Director will participate in the Audit and Risk Committee, leveraging their expertise to shape financial strategy and strengthen risk management practices.
3. Governance and Compliance Leadership
   The Finance Board Director’s oversight will help maintain transparency, accountability, and regulatory compliance across all financial practices.
4. Strategic Financial Planning  The Finance Board Director will oversee the development of financial strategies, ensuring the organisation is well-positioned to secure funding that meets its needs.

Skills and experience required:

1. Qualified accountant, preferably currently working in practice at Director or Partner level.  Tax knowledge would be an advantage.
2. Board experience, either in an executive or non-executive capacity, is desired.
3. Good communication skills in order to engage effectively with fellow board members and stakeholders.
4. Capacity to dedicate sufficient time for board and committee meetings, and active involvement between meetings is essential.
5. Compliance: a strong understanding of, and commitment to, ensuring the organisation’s operations adhere to governance standards, such as the Charities Regulator's Governance Code, fundraising principles, and internal controls.

Charities Regulator’s General Duties of a Charity Trustee:

• Comply with the Charity’s governing document.
• Ensure the charity is complying with its charitable purpose for the public benefit.
• Act in the best interest of the charity
• Act with reasonable care and skill
• Manage the assets of your charity.

Board Meetings

The board meets 6 to 8 times a year mainly in-person in St. Patrick’s Festival office at Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.  Meetings usually take place in the morning and run for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Committee Meetings:

There are three board subcommittees:

• Audit & Risk
• Nominations
• Fundraising & Sponsorship

Committee meetings last one hour.