Administrative Officer Specialist

The Role

The Administrative Officer (AO) is the main graduate recruitment grade for the Civil Service and provides successful candidates with the opportunity to progress to middle management. In DETE, AOs play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing national and EU-level policies that support enterprise, trade, innovation, employment rights, and economic development. They contribute to policy development, legislative drafting, stakeholder engagement, and strategic analysis across a wide range of divisions.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Department is organised into divisions and successful candidates from this competition will be assigned to areas within these divisions. The key duties and responsibilities for an AO Specialist in DETE will largely be determined by the area to which they are assigned and may include any of the following:

• Developing national and EU/International policy and legislation, including managing the transposition of EU directives

• Developing policy and implementation plans arising from EU Directives and Regulations in areas such as Industrial policy, Trade regulation, Digital transformation, Consumer protection and Competitiveness

• Developing policies for the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland and enterprise innovation

• Contributing to the development and implementation of strategies at EU/Euro area level and internationally in relation to economic policy formulation

• Supporting Ireland’s position in EU councils, trade negotiations, and regulatory alignment

• Developing a legal framework to deliver a fair and efficient market in which Irish commerce prospers, and consumers are protected

• Developing policies and legislation to promote quality employment, positive workplace relations, well-functioning dispute resolution mechanisms, and a safe working environment

• Conducting research and analysis to inform policy decisions, including industrial strategy, regulatory reform, and competitiveness

• Supporting the delivery of strategic initiatives such as FDI attraction, innovation funding, and employment rights enforcement

• Developing national Small Medium Enterprise (SME) policy, including contributing to policy analysis, preparing briefing materials, and engaging with stakeholders to ensure alignment with government priorities and economic strategy

• Coordinating national policy aimed at regional economic development, analysing impact, and supporting cross-government collaboration to promote inclusive growth across all regions

• Supporting the development and implementation of policies that advance Ireland’s digital economy, with a particular focus on AI governance, data innovation, and emerging technologies

• Assisting in drafting policy proposals and regulatory frameworks to ensure the responsible and ethical deployment of artificial intelligence across sectors

• Contributing to cross-government initiatives on digital transformation, including digital skills, infrastructure, and enterprise adoption of innovative technologies

• Engaging with stakeholders in industry and academia to inform policy development in digital and innovation domains

Please note: The above is a general guide to the key duties and responsibilities of the role and is not an exhaustive description. Other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the role may also be assigned from time to time.

Location and Vacancies

Successful candidates in this competition will be placed on a panel in order of merit to fill relevant current and future vacancies which may arise in DETE. All vacancies will be Dublin based.

Please note that while the majority of vacancies that arise for this competition will be for DETE, similar vacancies may also arise in other Government Departments throughout the lifetime of the competition.

It is not expected that appointments will be made from these panels after April 2027.

Training and Development

While training is to a significant extent “on the job”, induction and training courses in specific skills and areas of work will be provided to assist AOs to become familiar with the public sector.

Those appointed can apply to undertake the Emerging Leaders Graduate Programme which will build upon their experience to further develop their expertise, confidence, self-awareness and personal effectiveness to enable them to realise their potential and deliver important outcomes early in their career.

In addition, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment offer an Executive Coaching programme to AOs. This programme supports AOs in meeting the challenges of their role, while encouraging them to be future focused by developing an understanding of potential pathways to public service leadership.

Further information on these programmes will be provided to successful candidates who are assigned to the Department.

Benefits

As well as a rewarding and challenging career, some of the benefits of working as an Administrative Officer in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment include:

• Salary starting at €40,268 with yearly increments for satisfactory performance

• 25 days annual leave per year

Subject to business needs and a satisfactory probationary period:

• Flexible working, with a commitment to work-life balance and a family-friendly workplace

• Access to Shorter Working Year Scheme

• Facility to apply for career breaks

• Learning and development opportunities

Additional benefits include:

• Cycle to work scheme

• Access to Public Service Credit Union

• Tax saver public transport scheme

• Public sector Pension Scheme

• Opportunities for promotion through internal, inter-departmental and open competitions

Key Information: Administrative Officer

• Salary Range: €40,268 – €74,112

• Annual Leave: 25 days

• Hours of attendance: 41 hours and 15 minutes gross per week

• Principal Conditions of Service: Please CLICK HERE to view the Principal Conditions of Service (including full salary scale) applicable to the role

• Competition Closing Date: Your application must be submitted on the publicjobs website not later than 3pm on Monday, 26th January 2026

Essential

Candidates must, on or before Monday, 26th January 2026:

a) Hold a first or second class primary honours degree (at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in Business, Economics, EU Policy, International Relations or Public Policy

OR

b) Hold a first or second class primary honours degree in any discipline (at Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) and a first or second class higher diploma (at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in Business, Economics, EU Policy, International Relations or Public Policy

OR

c) Hold a Master’s degree or Post Graduate Diploma (at Level 9 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications) in Business, Economics, EU Policy, International Relations or Public Policy

Candidates must also demonstrate:

Excellent organisational and planning skills with a demonstrated ability to prioritise, manage and progress tasks/projects in a fast-paced environment;

Excellent research and analytical skills with a proven ability to produce results within specified deadlines;

Ability to work as part of a team and build effective relationships with internal and/or external stakeholders;

Ability to use their own initiative while working with minimal supervision in order to progress tasks/projects and deliver high quality outcomes;

The ability to work calmly under pressure and deal with multiple demands and competing priorities;

The ability to exercise integrity, well-reasoned judgement and deliver high quality results;

Excellent communication (oral and written), presentation and interpersonal skills;

Strong IT skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

In addition to the above, all candidates must be able to demonstrate that they possess the capabilities/skills identified as necessary for the role as outlined in the Capability Framework for Administrative Officer in the Civil Service. Please see Appendix 1 for more information on the Capability Framework and preparation guidelines.

Desirable

Have suitable experience/knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Employment Law

• International Law

• Employment Rights

• Artificial Intelligence

Shortlisting and Selection Process

The number of applications received for a position generally exceeds that required to fill existing and future vacancies. While a candidate may meet the eligibility requirements of the competition, if the numbers applying are such that it would not be practical to interview everyone, publicjobs may decide that a smaller number will be invited to the next stage of the selection process.

publicjobs provides for the employment of a shortlisting process to select a group who, based on an examination of the application forms, appear to be the most suitable for the position. This is not to suggest that other candidates are necessarily unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the job, rather that there are some candidates who, based on their application, appear to be better qualified and/or have more relevant experience.

During shortlisting, an expert board will examine the application forms against agreed shortlisting criteria which are based on the requirements of the position. The standard of content of each application submitted may also be assessed during this process.

Where a competition attracts a large number of eligible candidates, the shortlisting process will apply a scored assessment of the information provided on the application form. A rank order of candidates will then be created and based on that ranking candidates will be invited to the next stage of the process in groups/batches, with those candidates ranked highest invited initially.

Subsequent groups/batches may be invited to the next stage of the selection process over the lifetime of the competition on a demand led basis, if required. The shortlisting criteria may include both essential and desirable criteria specified for the position, and it is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications/experience in your application. The onus is on candidates to complete the application form fully and accurately.

For certain competitions, candidates may be required to undertake online assessment tests and will be shortlisted in accordance with their ranking in these tests. Applicants must successfully compete and be placed highest on the order of merit to be considered for advancement to the next stage of a multistage selection process, which may include a shortlisting exercise as described above. The number to be invited forward at each stage will be determined from time to time by publicjobs.

Pre-Employment Checks

Should your place on the panel be reached and you come under consideration for a position, several pre-employment checks must be completed before a candidate is deemed suitable for appointment. These checks are carried out to satisfy publicjobs that the candidate satisfies all necessary requirements.

Prior to assigning/recommending a candidate for appointment to a position, publicjobs will make all such enquiries necessary to determine the suitability and eligibility of that candidate. These checks include an evaluation of Citizenship, Health & Character, Garda Vetting & Security Clearance and Reference Checks.

Where Citizenship, Health & Character, Garda Vetting and Reference Checks are unsatisfactory or cannot be obtained, publicjobs reserves the right to disqualify a candidate from any further consideration for appointment or termination of your employment where an appointment has already been made.

Candidates with Disabilities

Attracting candidates from all sectors of society to ensure accessible routes to career opportunities is a key priority of publicjobs. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all candidates.

If you have a disability or need reasonable accommodations made during the selection process (e.g. for interview, assessments or exercises), we strongly encourage you to share this with us so that we can ensure you get the support you need.

Reasonable accommodation in our selection process refers to adjustments and practical changes which would enable a disabled candidate to have an equitable opportunity for this competition. We can provide accommodations for any stage of the process, including online assessments, interviews or exercises.

Examples of adjustments we provide include the use of assistive technology, extra time, scribes and/or readers or a range of other accommodations.

Please be assured that having a disability or requiring adjustments will not impact on your progress in the selection process; you will not be at a disadvantage if you disclose your disability or requirements to us. Your disability and/or adjustments will be kept entirely confidential.

Should you be successful, the disclosure of a disability for this stage of the process will not be passed onto the employing Department unless you request that we do so.

If you indicate on your application form that you require reasonable accommodations, you will have the following option:

A. If you have been provided with reasonable accommodations from publicjobs in the last three years, you should input the details of the most recent competition for which you were assigned accommodations along with your Candidate ID

OR

B. You will need to upload a psychologist/medical report as part of your application, which details your disability/requirements.

We require a report to better understand your disability and requirements. The report, in addition to your request, helps us determine what accommodations may be suitable for you in the selection process.

The reports will only be shared with our Assessment Services Unit. In the reports, it is useful for us to see the outcome of any diagnostic tests conducted by your psychologist/doctor, and their summary of recommendations in relation to your requirements.

You may redact (block out) parts of medical reports/psychologist’s reports that you feel are sensitive or unnecessary for the decision to make reasonable adjustments.