Recruitment competition launched for an Independent Chairperson for the Northern Ireland Search and Rescue (NISAR) Practitioners Group
Date published:
The Department of Justice has launched a competition to appoint a successor independent chair to the NISAR Practitioners Group.
The appointment is expected to be made in October 2025. The closing date for applications is noon on Thursday 28 August 2025. Interviews will be held from mid-September.
The NISAR Practitioners Group represents those involved in the provision of front-line search and rescue services and includes representatives from a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations. It is led by an independent chair who is also responsible for representing the Practitioners Group at meetings of the NISAR Policy Group. The Policy Group comprises those with a strategic interest in Search and Rescue and is chaired by the Department of Justice. The NISAR Practitioners Group has responsibility for advising the NISAR Policy Group on all operational search and rescue issues.
The position is not remunerated and is for a fixed term of three years with the possibility of reappointment for a further three years. The Department of Justice will pay reasonable travel and subsistence expenses, at civil service rates.
Announcing the competition, the Minister of Justice said:
Search and rescue services play a crucial role in saving lives across Northern Ireland each year. The groups involved are made up of volunteers embedded in local communities and who selflessly give their time to help others."
"The Practitioners Group represents the wide range of organisations involved in the delivery of operational search and rescue provision. I want to encourage anyone who feels that they have the required skills, and who is invested in enhancing this service, to consider applying for this appointment.
The closing date for applications is noon on Thursday 28 August 2025. The appointment is expected to be made in October 2025.
