Trustee with Legal or HR experience

Role overview

The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland is seeking a trustee with expertise in legal matters or human resources to support the leadership of its charity work. The organisation, established in 1987 and registered as a charity in Ireland, is part of The Donkey Sanctuary group and has spent almost 40 years rescuing, rehabilitating, and caring for abandoned and neglected donkeys and mules across Ireland.

To date, the charity has provided lifelong care to more than 5,600 donkeys from around the country. At present, over 1,200 donkeys and mules are in its care, with nearly 300 living in Guardian homes and the majority based across three farms in the Liscarroll area. The charity also supports private owners with advice on donkey care topics including castration, microchipping, veterinary treatment, and farriery.

One of the farms contains the veterinary hospital and intake unit for new arrivals, while another is home to the head office and visitor centre. The organisation is staffed by a team of 90 people and is guided by a vision of a world where every donkey enjoys a good quality of life, alongside a mission to improve donkey welfare every day.

What the role involves

• Help maintain strong governance standards and ensure the charity follows the rules and regulations that apply to it.
• Support the board in shaping, reviewing, and tracking the charity’s strategic direction.
• Contribute to careful oversight of resources and ensure they are managed in line with approved policies.

Experience and background

Applicants should be committed to animal welfare and to the charity’s purposes. The organisation is looking for someone with experience in at least one of the following areas:

• Legal: applicants must be qualified lawyers.
• Human Resources: applicants must be qualified HR professionals or specialists in employment law.

Useful additional experience includes prior board or committee service, or working closely with boards in an executive role. Knowledge of the charity sector is considered an advantage.

Core trustee duties

• Follow the charity’s governing document.
• Make sure the charity pursues its public-benefit purpose appropriately.
• Act in the best interests of the charity.
• Exercise reasonable care and skill in decision-making.
• Oversee the charity’s assets responsibly.

Board commitment

The board usually meets four times per year. Most meetings take place online during normal business hours, although at least one meeting each year is held in person at the charity’s headquarters in Liscarroll, County Cork, or in Dublin. Meetings generally last around 2.5 hours.

Trustees may also be expected to join regular update meetings with the Country Manager, and may occasionally be asked to take part in extra events or training sessions.

Values and personal qualities

The charity is looking for someone with excellent communication skills, strategic thinking ability, leadership experience, sound judgment, and the confidence to work constructively with staff and fellow trustees. The ideal candidate should be able to think independently, solve problems, safeguard confidentiality, act fairly, and contribute collaboratively.

A genuine interest in donkeys, a strong alignment with the charity’s values, and a clear understanding of its mission are essential. The board also values people who can communicate complex information clearly and sensitively, challenge constructively, and bring a positive, team-oriented approach.

Diversity and inclusion

The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and is working to make its board more diverse so that it better reflects the communities it serves and strengthens governance.

Other information

This is a voluntary trustee position and is not paid. However, reasonable travel and other approved expenses connected to the role will be reimbursed in line with Charity Regulator guidance and the organisation’s expenses policy.

The closing date is 17:00 on Monday, 27 July 2026. Interviews are scheduled to take place by conference call during the week beginning Monday, 10 August 2026. Applicants are asked to submit a CV and cover letter to Peter Armitage at Boardmatch Ireland.