Central Bank of Ireland ploughs on with recruitment plans

With all the gloom encircling Ireland's banking sector currently, it's slightly reassuring - from a recruitment perspective - to see that the Central Bank of Ireland is continuing to release new roles as it looks to hire 150 people this year.

The latest batch of roles the regulator is recruiting for are within its Consumer Protection Department and within its Retail Banking Supervision function. It's not exactly a huge recruitment spree - just 5 positions in total - but in the current climate any growth should be viewed as a positive.

The positions are also relatively senior - the regulator is demanding at least five years' experience and ideally candidates need to come equipped with a Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA), Certified Insurance Practitioner or equivalent qualification.

"We are looking for experience in retail financial services at a senior level, particularly in the areas of consumer credit, including mortgages; sales of financial/investment products, including back-office processing; payments services; or, a senior compliance position overseeing all aspects of conduct of business compliance," said a Central Bank spokesperson.

So far, roles at the regulator have proven popular (and therefore highly competitive), attracting over 700 applications for its 20 supervisory positions created in 2009 and 1,500 candidates for the 150 posts on its graduate scheme this year.

This time around, despite a 17 September deadline, these roles have received just 30 applications. Either this reflects the specialist nature of the positions, or financial services professionals have a few more options available to them currently.