Administrative Assistant

Role Profile

The duties of an Administrative Assistant in An Coimisiún Pleanála are varied and can involve assignment to different parts of the organisation, for example the planning functions or the corporate functions. See organogram at end of booklet (Appendix 1).

Duties may vary from processing of planning cases, preparing letters, data entry, communicating with the public on the telephone, in person and by email, reception duties, oral hearing attendance outside the office and other general administrative duties as set out below.

Roles and Responsibilities

• General administrative duties, for example, filing, photocopying, answering/making telephone calls, dealing with e-mails and other tasks.

• Supporting line managers and colleagues.

• Reception desk duties.

• Working as part of a team in meeting goals and objectives and delivering an important service to the public and internal customers.

• Communicating with the public/customers, for example, responding to queries and providing information.

• Providing the highest quality standards in customer service.

• Use of information technology, for example, word processing, spreadsheets, database, e-mail, Outlook calendar, PowerPoint, graphs and internet research.

• Data entry/accounts work.

• Approaching work in a careful and methodical manner, displaying accuracy at all times, even when conducting routine or repetitive work.

• Administrative support at oral hearings (large public meetings) outside the greater Dublin area (for which appropriate travel & subsistence rates will be paid).

• Any other duties deemed appropriate.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential Requirements

Candidates must, on or before Friday, 21 August 2026:

(a) Be educated to Leaving Certificate standard or have a National Framework Qualification (NFQ) level 4 qualification (Leaving Certificate equivalent) or greater and have a minimum of 6 months previous work experience in a customer service role, preferably in an office environment; or;

(b) 1 year relevant work experience; and;

(c) Have appropriate ICT skills, for example, proficiency in Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint and knowledge of smart technologies, etc.; and;

(d) All applicants must demonstrate the competencies as outlined in the application form.

Desirable Requirements

• A high level of proficiency in the Irish language.

• A recognised relevant third level qualification and/or experience in a relevant discipline, for example ICT, Irish language, business, finance, HR, procurement, legal/legislation, project management, governance, facilities management, communications.

Person Specification

• Reliable and punctual.

• Able to plan and organise their own work.

• Able to communicate effectively with senior management, internal and external customers and peers.

• Able to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.

• Thorough and accurate in their work.

• Self-motivated, with a proven ability to get things done and work to deadlines.

• Able to demonstrate they work well as part of a team.

• Flexible in their approach to work.

• Able to take direction/follow instructions.

• Demonstrates organisational skills and strong attention to detail.

• Ability to prioritise and organise their own workload.

• Be a self-starter with a proven ability to work on their own initiative while contributing effectively as part of a team.

Principal Conditions of Service

The position is permanent and pensionable.

The Administrative Assistant will be required to perform any duties assigned from time to time, as appropriate to the position. The Commission places particular emphasis on the maintenance of high standards of integrity, the development of a team spirit, and the improvement of the quality of service to the public.

The salary for the post is set out below. Entry to the salary scale will normally be at the minimum of the scale.

PPC salary scale (01 June 2026)

€31,921 - €50,030 per year

1 After 3 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum.

2 After 6 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum.

Candidates should note that the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with government pay policy. Increments may be awarded annually subject to satisfactory performance.

HOURS OF DUTY

Hours of duty will be such as may be fixed from time to time by the Commission. At present, they amount to 43 hours and 15 minutes per week – 35 hours net of lunch breaks. The hours of attendance are normally Monday to Friday, 9:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Flexible working is available.