JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Clinical Governance Manager
Location: MQI Head Office, 24 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8 and travel to all MQI services across Ireland.
Role Purpose: The Clinical Governance Coordinator supports the Deputy Head of QRC in coordinating and monitoring the organisation’s Clinical Governance Framework, ensuring safe, effective, person-centred and compliant services.
Reports to: Deputy Head of Quality, Risk Compliance
Contract Type: Contract of Indefinite Duration
Weekly Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Principle Objective: The role provides coordination and assurance across clinical risk, incidents, audit, quality improvement, clinical standards and governance reporting, working closely with clinical and operational teams.
Team Purpose, Who We Are –
Merchants Quay Ireland is a national voluntary organisation who helps people who are Homeless and those caught in addiction. We provide frontline services, practical supports, pathways towards recovery and innovative responses to the issues of drug use and homelessness in Ireland.
Our Vision is one of an “inclusive society” where the integration and well-being of all is supported and everyone is treated with Dignity and Respect. Our Mission is to work as a collaborative community to reduce the harm caused by addiction and homelessness. We provide accessible, high quality and effective services, which meet the complex needs in a non judgemental and compassionate way.
The position acts as the link between clinical services and the corporate Quality, Risk Compliance function, ensuring governance arrangements meet legislative, professional and contractual/service level agreement requirements.
Current MQI Clinical services include:
Primary healthcare servicesoperated from the MQI premises at Riverbank House. These include general and psychiatric nursing services, dental services, counselling and mental health services. GP services are provided by independent providers which include addiction support, community detox, and Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) treatment. MQI operates a women’s weekly GP clinic at our Jane’s Place service, this clinic is operated via a third party.
The Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF), a hygienic, safe, medically supervised healthcare environment where people can inject drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health professionals. The service operates seven days a week and is staffed by qualified nurses and project workers.
Clinical Detox operates at our eight-bed residential unit at St Francis Farm, Tullow, Co. Carlow. Admissions are a combination of clients detoxing from the following substances: methadone and benzodiazepine, methadone only, benzodiazepines only, and suboxone.
Main Duties/Responsibilities
Reporting to the Deputy Head of Quality, Risk Compliance for individual support, regular supervision, and performance appraisal.
Clinical Governance Assurance
- Coordinate clinical governance activities, workplans, meetings and action trackers.
- Monitor implementation of governance actions and escalate significant concerns.
- Support preparation of clinical governance reports and assurance dashboards.
- Support inspections, regulatory reviews and organisational assurance processes.
Clinical Risk Incident Management
Support maintenance and review of clinical risk registers.
Monitor clinical incidents, adverse events and near misses.
Support incident investigations, RCA and learning reviews.
Analyse trends and escalate significant or recurring risks.
Track corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to completion.
Clinical Audit Quality Improvement
Coordinate the annual clinical audit programme.
Support audits of clinical records, medication, care plans, IPC, consent, safeguarding and other priority areas.
Monitor audit findings and improvement actions.
Support Quality Improvement Plans and continuous improvement initiatives.
Clinical Standards Compliance
Coordinate development and review of clinical policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines (PPPGs).
Monitor compliance with relevant HSE requirements, National Clinical Guidelines, HIQA standards where applicable, professional standards and organisational policies.
Support evidence preparation for inspections, audits and external reviews.
Monitoring Reporting
Analyse clinical governance information including incidents, risks, audits, safeguarding, medication events, complaints and quality actions.
Maintain governance dashboards and performance indicators.
Provide regular reports and exception reporting to the Deputy Head of QRC.
Coordinate relevant Clinical Governance meetings and monitor actions.
Key Working Relationships
Work collaboratively with the Deputy Head and Head of QRC, clinical and service managers, nursing, healthcare and clinical professionals, Safeguarding/Project workers, Harm reduction services, operational teams and other QRC colleagues.
Operational managers and clinicians retain responsibility for service delivery and professional clinical practice; QRC provides governance oversight, monitoring and assurance.
Person Specification
Essential:
Relevant qualification in healthcare, nursing, social care, quality, clinical governance or related discipline.
Circa 5 years post qualification clinical experience of delivery of clinical services in the areas of social care or similar services.
Knowledge of clinical governance, risk, incident management, audit and quality improvement.
Strong analytical, organisational, communication and report-writing skills.
Ability to identify, monitor and appropriately escalate governance concerns.
Strong Microsoft 365 and information-management skills.
An excellent working knowledge of relevant regulations, guidelines and legislation.
Full Clean Driving Licence and access to a vehicle.
Desirable:
Experience within an HSE-funded/Section 39 organisation.
Experience in homelessness, addiction, mental health or community healthcare.
Training/qualification in quality, risk, clinical audit, governance or incident investigation.
A passion for, and record of, working to create trauma informed and inclusive services.
Key Competencies
What does MQI Offer as an employer?
Salary: €53,933 - €66,093 dependent on experience
Paid Family Leave, where applicable (Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive, Force Majeure and Compassionate Leave)
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Educational Assistance (Study and Examination Leave, Scholarship Foundation)
Minimum 27 days Annual Leave
Death In Service (from commencement of employment)
Defined Contribution Pension Scheme
Group VHI scheme
Competitive Salaries
Bike to Work
If you are interested in applying please do so by 15th September 2026.
This job description is intended as a summary of the primary responsibilities of and qualifications for this role. The job description is not intended as inclusive of all duties an individual in this position might be asked to perform based on requirements either now or in the future.
Merchant’s Quay Ireland is an equal opportunities employer
