Practice Lead- Suitability & Regulatory Change

Description

About us

From day one, you’ll notice there is something special about working at Davy. Our success is built on nearly 100 years of forging strong relationships with our clients and developing the careers of Ireland’s future business leaders.

Established in 1926, the Davy Group sits at the heart of wealth and capital in Ireland, providing a broad range of services to high-net-worth individuals, self-directed investors, small-to-medium enterprises, credit unions, corporations, and domestic & international institutional investors.

Our culture is shaped around three values, which are at the heart of everything we do: client success, one Davy, and building a proud legacy. Sharing the same goals, we work together to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients. As part of a team of over 900, you will be encouraged to learn and to grow, both professionally and personally.

About the role

We are seeking a Practice Lead to take ownership of suitability and regulatory change initiatives across our wealth management business. This role is ideal for an experienced financial services professional with strong regulatory awareness and a passion for delivering high-quality client outcomes. While prior MiFID experience is beneficial, it is not essential support will be provided to develop subject matter expertise on the job. In the role, the successful candidate will:

Regulatory Leadership:

•   Act as the business lead for suitability and regulatory change across our Wealth Management businesses.
• Lead the firm’s response to evolving regulatory expectations, ensuring timely and effective implementation of change.
• Oversee strategic change projects from impact assessment through to delivery.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of regulatory trends and advise senior leadership on their implications.
• Develop and maintain implementation roadmaps and readiness assessments for regulatory change.

Operational Oversight:

• Design and implement efficient operational processes that embed suitability and disclosure requirements into daily activities.
• Partner with technology and operations teams to optimize systems and workflows.
• Ensure new business initiatives and product developments align with suitability expectations.

Stakeholder Engagement & Support:

• Ensure suitability principles are embedded in adviser training, onboarding, and ongoing development.
• Provide clear, pragmatic guidance on complex suitability queries.
• Partner with client-facing teams to support high-quality advice in sophisticated client scenarios.
• Share best practices and practical guidance across teams to elevate standards.
• Represent the suitability function in governance forums and cross-functional working groups.
• Collaborate with the three lines of defence to ensure oversight is robust, auditable, and aligned with internal risk frameworks.

About you

We are looking for somebody who has the following background and skills:

• Significant experience in a regulated financial services environment, ideally within wealth, asset management, or private banking.
• Proven ability to lead regulatory or operational change initiatives.
• Strong understanding of governance, risk, and control frameworks.
• Willingness and ability to develop subject matter expertise in MiFID-related requirements.
•  Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable solutions.
• Influential communicator who can build trust and alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments and elevates team performance.
• Detail-oriented and delivery-focused, with a strong sense of accountability and ownership.
• Passionate about continuous improvement and delivering high-quality client outcomes.

What we offer

We offer a range of benefits and experiences to support your professional and personal growth, whatever your career stage. Our benefits are not just a number. Yes, we offer competitive salary, annual performance-related discretionary bonus, annual flexible benefits, employer pension contribution, and multiple insurance coverage. But more than that, we focus on developing our people to be their best, professionally and personally.

Training support provided by award-winning Learning & Development Team, extensive sports & social programmes (including free on-site gym & fitness studio), flexible working options, employee assistance programme, enhanced leave options, and social & community care initiatives are just some of the ways our people can empower themselves to be their best.

Important Information

Davy is an equal opportunities employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We value diversity in both background and experience, and even if you don’t meet all of the requirements outlined in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. We review all applications received. As part of our commitment to creating an accessible environment, we want to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the interview process. If you require any reasonable accommodations, please let us know, and we will do our best to make the necessary arrangements.

Appointment to this role is subject to the candidate's eligibility to work in Ireland.

Where agency assistance is required, our Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to us by recruitment agencies will not be accepted for this role.

Davy Group is a member of the Bank of Ireland Group.