Leadership changes for StepStone’s hiring platforms in Ireland


Reading Time: 3 minutes

StepStone, the parent company of IrishJobs, Jobs.ie and NIJobs, has announced a change to its local leadership team in Ireland.

Sam McIlveen, formerly the General Manager of NIJobs, has been appointed as Managing Director of StepStone Ireland and will take on responsibility for leading StepStone’s hiring platforms on the island of Ireland, including IrishJobs, Jobs.ie and NIJobs.

StepStone is one of the world’s leading next-generation recruitment businesses, operating in more than 30 countries worldwide and employing around 4,000 people globally.

In this new position, McIlveen now has responsibility for overseeing the direction of IrishJobs, Jobs.ie and NIJobs, which supports thousands of employers and job seekers from across the island of Ireland in their pursuit to hire the right talent and find jobs that match their ambitions.

Commenting on his appointment, Sam McIlveen, Managing Director, StepStone Ireland, says: “I’m delighted to take on this new role at what is a crucial time for both our business and our customers. The jobs market has been particularly volatile in the last few years as it underwent a series of dramatic changes in the wake of Covid-19. Following the sharp fall and subsequent surge in the number of job vacancies in the early years of the pandemic, we now find ourselves at a stage where job vacancy growth is levelling out, but vacancies are still up a third on pre-pandemic levels. In addition, despite recent uncertainty across the technology sector, it remains very much a jobseekers’ market, with unemployment at its lowest level in over 20 years.

“Data is central to our business model, and it’s our team of over 1,000 developers who help us to remain at the forefront of the latest industry trends as they focus on ensuring we continue to evolve and optimise our digital platforms. Our access to data and insights across the jobs market helps to inform our strategies and support employers to navigate the tighter talent market that’s presenting across all industries right now. This has been critical in helping us to educate and inform businesses as they strive to attract and retain the right talent. The changes in our industry over the last decade have been great to witness, and I look forward to seeing how we can maximise the technology and the data at the heart of our business to unlock the full potential of our hiring platforms into the future.”

McIlveen replaces Orla Moran, former General Manager of IrishJobs. Moran moves on to a more international role and has been promoted to Managing Director of StepStone Atlantic Markets. This broader remit will see her manage teams across StepStone’s hiring platforms in Ireland, South Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Commenting on her new role, Orla Moran says“This is an exciting step for me. I am looking forward to working with our teams to offer effective recruitment solutions to employers across a range of countries. I am pleased to leave IrishJobs in the extremely capable and experienced hands of my colleague Sam McIlveen and have no doubt that the strong and committed team at IrishJobs will continue to deliver for our customers.” 

Sam McIlveen Managing Director of StepStone Ireland, responsible for IrishJobs, Jobs.ie and NIJobs.

Formerly General Manager of NIJobs, which he joined in 2013, Sam McIlveen has over fifteen years of experience in online recruitment and an established record of leadership, strategic planning, revenue generation and delivering return on investment for customers. Prior to this role, McIlveen had a varied career in advertising and media in Northern Ireland, including fourteen years at AV Browne Group and over five years with Independent News and Media (INM).

As part of the management change, Christopher Paye, General Manager of Jobs.ie, transitions to a new role as Revenue Director of StepStone in Ireland and part of the leadership team in Ireland.