Assistant Staff Officer

The Competition

The Council is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates with relevant experience for the position Assistant Staff Officer (Grade IV).

Recruitment arrangements to this grade will now be on the following basis:

The Council will form three separate panels of suitably qualified candidates to meet the requirements agreed nationally of the ratio of posts to be confined to the local government sector, open and those confined to Donegal County Council staff. The order of candidates placed on each of the three panels is determined by where they were placed on the overall Order of Merit List.

Panel A (Confined to Local Authority Sector) will comprise of successful applicants in order of merit from within the Local Authority Sector only i.e. candidates serving in a local authority or Regional Assembly (where applicable).

Panel B (Open) will comprise of all successful applicants in order of merit and may include candidates serving in a local authority, regional assembly and external applicants.

Panel C (Confined to the recruiting local authority) will comprise of all successful applicants in order of merit from within the recruiting Local Authority i.e. candidates serving in Donegal County Council.

For the purposes of the above, the sector Panel A is comprehended to include all Local Authorities and the three Regional Assemblies only. Staff who are not existing employees of local authorities or regional assemblies are not eligible to apply for competitions confined to the sector (Panel A) or to the local authority (Panel C).

The Position

Assistant Staff Officers work in various sections of the organisation, the duties will vary depending on assignment.

Post holders will be expected to constantly contribute towards improving the overall effectiveness of the section to which they are assigned.

The person appointed will under the direction and control of the Senior Staff Officer/Administrative Officer or other officer designated by the Chief Executive perform a range of duties and responsibilities.

Roles Duties & Responsibilities

A non-exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the Assistant Staff Officer are set out below:

• Responsibility for the management and supervision of staff as appropriate, and to ensure training and development of such staff,

• Assign and monitor the work programme for the section/department as appropriate,

• To provide administrative support and reporting of progress, based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of the workings of the section, as appropriate,

• To develop and maintain effective working relationships (internally & externally), and

• To undertake any other duties of a similar level and responsibility as may be required from time to time.

A satisfactory competence in the Irish language is deemed desirable and beneficial in relation to any vacancy which may arise within the Glenties Municipal District. An assessment of this competence may be carried out as part of the recruitment and selection process.

Official Languages (Amendment) Acts, 2021

So that the Local Authority may meet its statutory obligations, a satisfactory competence in the Irish Language is deemed essential for appointment/assignment/re-assignment to Gaeltacht-based offices and offices serving Gaeltacht areas. Competence to be of a level where one can operate through the medium of Irish and provide services to the public in Irish, as per the provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Acts, 2021. An assessment of this competence may form an integral part of the recruitment and selection process for Gaeltacht-based offices serving Gaeltacht areas.

Qualifications & Requirement of the Post

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has declared that the qualifications for Assistant Staff Officer will be as set out below:

(a) Character:

Candidates shall be of good character.

(b) Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Successful candidates will be required to undergo a medical examination carried out by the Council’s Occupational Medical advisor prior to appointment.

(c) Education, Training, Experience etc.

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed applications:

Applicants to Panel B (Open)

(i) (a) have obtained at least Grade D (or a Pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level, in five subjects (or four if Irish is included) from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education Established Leaving Certificate Examination or Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme including Irish and/or English and one of the following: Mathematics, Accounting, Business Organisation or Economics, and

(b) have obtained at least Grade C (or Honours) in Higher Level (or Honours) papers in three subjects in that examination (or two subjects if Irish and/or one of the following is included: Mathematics, Accounting, Business Organisation or Economics), or

(ii) have obtained a comparable standard in an equivalent examination, or

(iii) hold a third level qualification of at least degree standard,

Confined Competition (Panels A and C as appropriate)

(iv) be a serving employee of a local authority or a regional assembly and have at least two years’ satisfactory experience in a post of Clerical Officer or analogous post. Please note: Panel C is confined to Donegal County Council employees only

Please Note:

Non-Irish Qualifications must be accompanied by a determination from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish their comparability against the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, overseas qualifications must also be accompanied by a translation document.

(d) Essential Skills

Candidates must be able to demonstrate that they have the following skills:

Planning & Organisational Skills.

➢ Ability to manage resources,

➢ Ability to analyse and identify key issues/demands,

➢ Ability to work under pressure in a cross functional environment and to tight timelines.

Initiative and Delivery of Results, e.g.

➢ Track record of achievements,

➢ Problem solving & resolution,

➢ High level of attention to detail,

➢ Compliance with various policies / standards,

➢ Judgement and ability to work autonomously.

Working with Others and Teamwork, e.g.

➢ To maintain effective working relationships (internally & externally),

➢ To work as part of a team,

➢ To lead, motivate and manage staff and build effective teams,

➢ Customer focus.

Personal Effectiveness

➢ Takes ownership of personal actions, time and responds under pressure

➢ Sets personal standards and works towards hitting targets without supervision

➢ Adjusts quickly to new tasks, changing priorities, and the unexpected

➢ Understanding of the ASO role in relation to the Local Authority setting.

Particulars of the Post

(a) General

Donegal County Council proposes to create three panels (as outlined above) of qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Staff Officer from which it will fill any vacancy that may arise.

(b) Probation

The successful candidate shall be required to be on probation for an initial period, as determined by the Council. This period may be extended at the discretion of the Council.

(c) Remuneration

The current annual pay-scale is €36,474 minimum to max LSI2 €56,015. (as per Circular EL 04/2026).

Holders of the post will be paid at the appropriate point on the salary scale in accordance with the relevant Department Circular.

New entrants will commence on the minimum point of the scale.

(d) Base

The base for the post of Assistant Staff Officer shall be determined by the Council and will depend on the particular area and service to which the post holder is assigned.

The role of Assistant Staff Officer may involve some travel, with some trips involving overnight stays and associated costs covered by the appropriate allowances.

(e) Residence

Holders of the post shall reside in the district in which their duties are to be performed or within a reasonable distance thereof.

(f) Working Hours / Annual Leave

The normal hours of work will be 35 hours per week. The Council reserves the right to alter the hours of work from time to time.

Annual leave allowance will be a maximum 30 days for all applicants.