Financial Product Governance Lead

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

An exciting opportunity has opened up in the Risk team within the Compliance Dept. In the role, the successful candidate will:

• The Financial Product Governance Lead is responsible for embedding and overseeing robust Financial Product Governance across Davy Group, in line with MiFID II regulations and the Central Bank of Ireland’s Product Lifecycle requirements.

Product Governance Oversight & Regulatory Compliance

• Monitor developments in Product Governance regulation and support implementation and adherence to regulatory change and Central Bank of Ireland expectations
• Work with the Risk team to assess the impact of Davy’s product manufacturing and distribution activities on the Group’s risk profile
• Prepare Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Product Governance risk metrics
• Act as the primary point of contact for the Product & Service Approval Process and Product Governance queries between:
• Second Line of Defence (Compliance, Risk, Legal)
• First Line business units, operations, and central functions

• Determine whether proposed initiatives fall within scope of product governance frameworks
• Operate within Davy’s “Three Lines of Defence” model

Embed & Manage Product Governance Practices

• Embed and maintain Product Governance policies, procedures, templates and processes across all Davy entities
• Provide Product Governance training to teams involved in:
• Product manufacturing
• Product distribution
• Relevant Committees
• Product Design & Delivery

• Assist business managers in establishing clear accountability and responsibility for Product Governance within their teams
• Oversee and manage the end‑to‑end Product & Service Approval Process workflow, from proposal intake to approval, ensuring customer protection, fair client outcomes and vulnerable client considerations are embedded at all stages
• Provide effective challenge to Business Units on regulatory, conduct, and operational risks
• Monitor and drive Product Governance reporting across:
• Product manufacturing
• Distribution activities
• Exceptions management
• Risk appetite
• Identify, document, and escalate Product Governance concerns to the relevant internal Committee

Product Distribution & Supply Chain Governance

• Act as a subject matter expert and central point of contact for Product Governance queries
• Coordinate Product Governance requirements with third‑party manufacturers and distributors
• Monitor the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of Product Governance reporting, including:
• Product specifications (European MiFID Template – EMT)
• Target market data
• Sales data
• Complaints and issue management

• Review product sales and distribution data to proactively identify risks and issues
• Ensure all product teams understand and appropriately act on product or sales complaints in line with Group complaint-handling processes
• Maintain Product Governance as a standing agenda item in service review meetings with third‑party manufacturers and distributors

Committee Support

• Collate and present the quarterly Product Governance Report, covering all Davy legal entities, including:
• Sales performance versus target market
• Complaint notifications and trends
• Current and emerging issues
• Approval conditions, remediation actions and outcomes
• Provide assurance to the committee that Product Governance regulatory requirements are being met, highlighting any emerging threats

New Product & Change Governance

• Support product sponsors in navigating Product Governance policies and procedures for:

• New product manufacturing proposals
• New distribution arrangements
• Assess and present relevant Product Governance information to internal Committees to support approval or decline decisions

Monitoring, Reviews & Assurance

• Maintain the Central Product / Service Register and Product Lifecycle Review schedule
• Oversee and coordinate Post‑Implementation Reviews (PIRs) and Product Lifecycle Reviews (PLRs)
• Review PIR and PLR outputs for adequacy, challenge findings, and escalate issues where required
• Support periodic assurance reviews and regulatory inspections

Regulatory Compliance & Advisory

• Monitor and assess compliance with MiFID II, MiFIR, CBI regulations, and relevant EU and Irish legislation
• Provide regulatory advice and guidance to business units on day‑to‑day compliance matters
• Interpret regulatory developments and support implementation of regulatory change
• Assist in maintaining the firm’s regulatory obligations matrix and compliance frameworks
• Identify compliance risks, control weaknesses, and instances of non‑compliance
• Maintain accurate compliance records and audit trails
• Support the development and delivery of compliance training programmes

Requirements:
About you

• 5 years + experience in a product governance role within a MiFID Investment Firm
• Strong knowledge of financial products
• Strong understanding of conduct risk and customer protection
• Proven experience working in a regulated, compliance‑driven financial services environment
• Knowledge of MiFID II regulations
• Risk consulting experience (advantageous)
• Chartered Accountant qualification or equivalent professional experience (advantageous)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organisational and administration skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently
• Proactive, solution‑oriented approach to problem identification and resolution
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment toward common goals
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships across all levels of the organisation
• Comfortable engaging with external third parties (manufacturers and distributors)
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous personal and professional development

Benefits:
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 and we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We value diversity both in background and in experience. You might not meet all of the requirements outlined in the above job description, but we would still like to hear from you. We review all applications received.

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.