Corporate Governance & Finance Compliance Specialist (EMEA Supply)

International. Sport-passionate. Collaborative team members. Stronger together through our driving force to bring people together through sports to make wellbeing accessible for all. 

At Decathlon Ireland, we offer Careers That Let You Play. As part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world's largest sports retailers headquartered in France, we specialise in creating and distributing sports products through online and physical stores across 56 countries with over 1,700 locations. With over 3 stores in Ireland our mission is to be the spirited champion of sports and healthier living in the nation!

As our new Corporate Governance & Finance Compliance Specialist, you will serve as the operational backbone and local gatekeeper for corporate meetings, legal compliance frameworks, and corporate administration within a major, large-scale international Supply Hub. In this vital position, you will safeguard local corporate governance integrity, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and act as a key driver in facilitating our upcoming international structural transitions. If you thrive at the intersection of precision and strategic evolution, this role is for you.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Finance Compliance & Regulatory Monitoring

• Monitor and ensure full compliance with the Irish Companies Act (2014) and the Sapin II framework, serving as the operational bridge between EMEA Supply and Group Legal Supply Team.

• Handle front-end legal compliance checkpoints, managing third-party and Know Your Supplier (KYS) vetting processes for the Supply Hub.

• Manage and update the Finance Compliance domain specifically dedicated to the Supply Hub.

Governance, Risk Mapping & Process Optimisation

• Assist management in documenting, tracking milestones, and implementing the 2026 Governance TOM bridging UK/Ireland Retail and EMEA Supply units.

• Map workflows and assist in drafting formal inter-company Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for shared services between business units.

• Update governance risk map and assist the manager in monitoring risks. Document unwritten corporate compliance workflows into clear SOPs and responsibility frameworks to eliminate single points of failure.

Corporate Governance & Internal Controls

• Act as a mandatory pre-sign filter, vetting incoming supplier, corporate, and operational agreements against strict compliance checklists prior to executive execution.

• Enforce pre-meeting documentation hygiene by collecting and distributing background files and risk assessments to board members ahead of sessions.

• Manage front-end legal validations and ensure seamless hand-offs to Internal Control Specialist for Level 2 post-execution audits.

Stakeholder Management & Statutory Filings

• Prepare and manage timely submissions to the Irish Companies Registration Office (CRO), including directorship changes, structural updates, and board resolutions.

• Coordinate the administrative compilation, scheduling, and portal submission for mandatory B1 Annual Returns and financial statements.

• Facilitate and maintain physical and digital logbooks tracking international directors' on-site attendance in Ireland for key decision-making sessions.

Network Building & Committee Secretariat

• Coordinate directly with external legal advisors on complex, localised Irish Company Law issues and structural split scenarios.

• Partner with international directors, senior executive council members, and Group Supply Legal teams on global contract compliance.

• Serve as the official secretariat for bi-monthly and quarterly specialist committees established by the CVO, owning all minuting and archiving.

Confidentiality, Record Keeping & Data Integrity

• Draft precise, highly confidential first-pass minutes and corporate resolutions for Board and International Governance Council meetings.

• Serve as the sole gatekeeper of the official company seal and legal proxies (DOAs & POAs) granted to international third parties.

• Manage the operational upkeep, population, indexing, and auditing of the centralised digital contract archive.

• Conduct regular matching reports cross-checking DiliTrust records against ERP vendor accounts to verify alignment of payment terms with signed agreements.

THE PROFILE WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

Qualifications & Experience

• You have a minimum of 3  years on a similar position 

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Corporate Governance, Business Administration

• You possess a comprehensive understanding of the Irish Companies Act 2014, coupled with a history of executing CRO submissions and overseeing statutory registers.

• You have significant experience governing legal milestones, managing digital repositories like DiliTrust, including performing ERP reconciliations to ensure financial data alignment.

• You demonstrate a great capacity for facilitating executive-level meetings, from organising pre-session documentation to compiling comprehensive board packs and producing meticulous, audit-compliant minutes.

Who you are: 

• You have a strong commitment to order and precision, proactively structuring compliance operations to mitigate operational vulnerabilities and ensure seamless process continuity.

• You are a highly articulate communicator, capable of drafting authoritative corporate frameworks, governance records, and sophisticated resolutions tailored for senior leadership review.

• You show a sincere, self-driven interest in the synergy between risk assessment, internal oversight, and business structures, viewing regulatory compliance as a strategic asset.

• You have an innate talent for fostering professional connections, adeptly engaging with legal consultants and international directors to navigate cross-border complexities and organizational evolutions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

This hybrid role would require the successful candidate to attend at least three days a week in our office in Dublin ( Ireland) 

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Candidates must already be eligible to work in the Ireland.

If you’re someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, a career at Decathlon could be a great fit. Our welcoming culture, rooted in values of vitality, responsibility, generosity, and authenticity—and brought together by a shared passion for sports—offers a truly enriching experience for everyone.

Get to enjoy the following benefits and perks:

• Monthly teammate bonuses, a profit-sharing scheme, and company share options.

• Get a €500 annual Sports Allowance to spend on your own club fees or activities, plus a 25% Staff Discount on all Decathlon gear.

•  Comprehensive Healthcare reimbursement and a PRSA Pension scheme to keep you covered.

• Enjoy Birthday Leave (an extra day off!) 

• Cycle to Work scheme to keep you moving.

• Top-notch training at Decathlon University with opportunities for regional and international mobility.

• The Little Extras: Free parking at our Ballymun & Limerick stores.

...and many more!