Job Title: Head of Health Promotion, Information & Training
Location: Irish Heart Foundation, Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6 / hybrid
Job Status: Permanent, full-time
Report to: Janis Morrissey, Deputy CEO & Director of Services
The Irish Heart Foundation is Ireland’s national charity dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Every hour someone in Ireland suffers a stroke and every day hundreds of people are diagnosed with heart conditions. The lives of these people are often cut tragically short. Many are left with disabilities. Almost 10,000 people die from heart conditions and stroke every year in Ireland making cardiovascular disease one of the nation’s biggest killers. We work to turn this around – support people to live healthy lives and avoid cardiovascular disease, but also to support people living with heart conditions and stroke.
Our support services have grown rapidly in recent years in response to massive unmet needs among stroke survivors and people living with heart conditions. Their purpose is to enable everyone affected by cardiovascular disease to live the fullest and healthiest lives possible..
Our team currently is approx. 130 employees and up to 140 volunteers working towards the Foundation’s vision of a future where no hearts are broken by preventable heart disease.
The Role
The Head of Health Promotion, Information and Training leads the Irish Heart Foundation’s Empower strategic pillar, overseeing nationwide programmes focused on health promotion, prevention, and CPR training. This role ensures the delivery of high‑impact, evidence‑based initiatives that improve cardiovascular health outcomes and reduce health inequalities across Ireland.
The postholder will have the drive and experience to enable our health promotion and prevention services achieve the next stage of their development, leading service improvement, measuring impact and helping to secure funding streams. The postholder ensures that programmes run smoothly, meet targets, maintain quality standards, and reach priority populations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership of the Empower Pillar
- Translate the Irish Heart Foundation’s Empower strategic priorities and corporate objectives into operational plans, KPIs and measurable impact outcomes.
- Ensure alignment with national health policy priorities.
- Oversee development of new strategically-aligned interventions based on emerging evidence and technological innovations.
2. Health Promotion, Prevention and CPR Training Programmes
- Provide executive leadership for health checks, health information, children & young people and resuscitation training functions.
- Ensure programmes address health inequalities and reach disadvantaged communities.
- Lead data-driven decision making and service planning.
- Support the Resuscitation team to drive business development and income growth in CPR and training services.
3. Quality, Risk and Governance
- Ensure compliance with organisational policies including data protection, health and safety, clinical guidance, and safeguarding.
- Oversee implementation of public health best practice and health literacy standards.
- Develop and implement comprehensive risk management and mitigation plans.
- Management of delegated aspects of the department budget and financial delivery.
- Ensure compliance with funding agreements and regulatory obligations.
- Monitoring and benchmarking the Foundation’s services against new developments and international best practice.
- Responsible for ensuring that all Health, Safety and Welfare requirements are in place for the HPIT department and that individual managers within the team are aware of their duties and responsibilities in respect of same.
4. Impact and Reporting
- Develop evaluation, measurement and reporting frameworks for all Empower services.
- Ensure accurate, timely data entry into CRM and maximise use of CRM for reporting and planning.
- Provide regular updates and reports as required to the Deputy CEO & Director of Services.
- Work with the Deputy CEO & Director of Services to identify suitable research projects and prepare presentations and business cases for SMT and IHF Research Council.
5. People and Team Leadership
- Lead multidisciplinary teams across four functions: children & young people, health checks, health information, resuscitation.
- Support direct reports to achieve their goals in line with IHF Strategy
- Drive capacity-building, professional development, collaboration and innovation.
- Foster a culture in line with Foundation values.
6. Partnerships, Influence and Sector Leadership
- Build strong relationships with relevant partners.
- Represent IHF as required in regional and national fora.
- Media spokesperson for health promotion and prevention messages.
- Work with the Deputy CEO & Director of Service and Senior Management Team to secure funding for key HPIT services and activities.
7. Digital Innovation and Transformation
- Expand digital delivery models for health promotion and training.
- Support CRM adoption and data-driven programme improvement.
- Pilot and evaluate new digital tools to support service delivery.
Skills and Experience Required
Essential
- Degree or equivalent demonstrable professional experience in Public Health, Health Promotion, Health Sciences, Nursing or Allied Health Profession, Psychology (with behaviour change focus), Education, Training or Social Sciences, or a related field with equivalent professional experience.
- At least 5 years’ senior leadership experience in health promotion, public health, education, training or prevention.
- Proven track record project managing large-scale national programmes.
- Strong understanding of cardiovascular risk, behaviour change, health inequalities and community health.
- Experience with evaluation, quality improvement and performance monitoring.
- Experience in the submission of written proposals, business cases and funding applications.
- Strong digital capability with a data-driven mindset.
- Willingness to collaborate and learn from colleagues and develop professionally
- Strategic leader with excellent programme development capability.
- Strong influencing, communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Empathic, values‑driven and able to inspire trust.
- Dynamic, innovative and evidence‑driven.
- Passionate about prevention, equity and building a healthier Ireland.
Desirable
- Public health, health promotion or education qualification.
- Registered IUHPE health promotion practitioner.
- Experience of working with HSE structures, health regions, policy processes or national clinical programmes.
- Knowledge of digital health, hybrid service delivery, health literacy methodologies and community‑based prevention.
Health & Safety
- Be familiar with and follow all health & safety protocols and risk management controls and ensure that appropriate steps are taken to protect the safety, health and welfare of oneself and that of staff, volunteers and people using the services that come under the areas of responsibility for this position.
The above is a guide to the nature of the work required. It is not wholly comprehensive or restrictive. This job description will be reviewed in line with business needs.
Benefits of working with Irish Heart Foundation:
We provide benefits to help you protect your health and financial security; and give you peace of mind.
- Up to 5% employee & employer contributions Pension scheme with employer from day 1 of service
- Life assurance of 4 times base salary with immediate effect
- Income continuance/disability benefit, at no cost to you from day 1 of service
- Paid Maternity leave
- Paid Paternity leave
- Company sick pay
- Company health checks
- Generous annual leave policy including additional company days and service days
- Bike to Work Scheme
- Excellent public transport links
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- A wonderful office we are proud of with excellent working, kitchen and changing facilities
- Events organised by social club and Health and Well-being Committee
- CPR Training for all employees
- Ongoing Training and Development initiatives to help you grow your career with us
Details of Role and Application process
This is a full-time role, Monday to Friday. The role is based in the Irish Heart Foundation’s offices in Rathmines, Dublin. Working under a Hybrid model (2 required days in office (Monday’s and Thursday’s) but option to work 5 days in office if preferred.
To apply please provide an up-to-date curriculum vitae and cover letter outlining how you suit the post by email to.
Email: [email protected]
Closing date: COB 15 July 2026
Please put in the subject line the post you are applying for.
The Irish Heart Foundation has a no smoking or vaping policy. Employees are not permitted to smoke whilst undertaking any duties on behalf of the Foundation.
Please be advised the IHF retains all candidate data for a period of 12 months after which it is deleted. Should you wish to have your details deleted earlier than this please contact HR directly to request us to do so.
Please find IHF Privacy Policy https://irishheart.ie/privacy-policy/
If you have any accommodation needs throughout the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]
The Irish Heart Foundation is an equal opportunities employer.
RCN: 20008376 | CRO: 23434
Pay: €63,240.00-€75,480.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bike to work scheme
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee assistance program
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- Do you have a proven track record project managing large-scale national programmes?
- Do you have a Degree or equivalent demonstrable professional experience in Public Health, Health Promotion, Health Sciences, Nursing or Allied Health Profession, Psychology (with behaviour change focus), Education, Training or Social Sciences, or a related field with equivalent professional experience?
Experience:
- senior leadership : 5 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rathmines, County Dublin
