Assistant Staff Officer

About Fingal County Council

Fingal is a highly attractive place to live, work, visit and do business. It comprises a geographical area of 450 sq.km stretching from Balbriggan in the north, to Blanchardstown in the west and to Howth in the east. The area is defined by the diversity of its landscape and settlement patterns with rural, urban and suburban locations all rolled into one county. There is 88kms of coastline, three large protected estuaries and salt marsh habitats and 13 major beaches.

Fingal County Council is one of the county’s major local employers and currently employs approximately 1,600 staff. The Council is mandated to deliver a diverse range of functions and services which can be broadly described under the headings of the provision of physical and social infrastructure, housing, economic and tourism development, community development, recreation and amenity services and the management of the planning and environmental regulatory framework. The role of the County Council as provided for in law is to represent, lead and serve the communities of Fingal.

Duties

The Assistant Staff Officer is a support or supervisory position within the Council and is assigned responsibility for the day to day operation of a work area, section or team. The Assistant Staff Officer works as part of a team, supporting managers and colleagues to meet work goals and objectives and to deliver quality services to internal and external customers. The post holder will be responsible for the implementation of work programmes to achieve goals and targets set out in Departmental and Team Plans. The Assistant Staff Officer is expected to carry out their duties in a manner that enhances public trust and confidence.

Persons employed will be required to work in any location within the Fingal administrative area. 

The duties may include but are not limited to:

·       Providing administrative backup and support for their line-manager to achieve key goals, objectives and tasks;

·       Supervising staff and deputising for the line-manager as required;

·       Operating under the direction of the line-manager;

·       Participating as an effective team member towards the efficient operation of their department / section;

·       Collating and analysing information / data and reporting on same;

·       Maintaining accurate records and files;

·       Assisting with budget management / reporting and procurement;

·       Ensuring the provision of high quality Customer Services;

·       Briefing and training new staff;

·       Implementing agreed procedures, schemes and policies of the Council;

·       Operating existing and future IT systems;

·       Taking initiative and being proactive in addressing issues;

·       Assisting with the implementation of change and delivering quality services;

·       Working effectively with staff, members of the public, public representatives, external agencies and various Council Departments.

Qualifications and requirements of the post

CHARACTER

Each candidate must be of good character.

HEALTH

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

EDUCATION, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, ETC.

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

(i)

(a)   have obtained at least Grade D (or a Pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level in five subjects (or four subjects 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, or

(iv)            be a serving employee in a Local Authority, or a Regional Assembly and have at least 2 years satisfactory experience in a post of Clerical Officer or an analogous post.

Benefits

At Fingal County Council, we value our employees and want to support them to develop their careers. We offer flexible working arrangements, competitive salaries and pension benefits, a positive work environment, training and development opportunities, a defined career path in a supportive and inclusive culture and the opportunity to make a difference, along with the following benefits:

Ø  Standard working day is 9-5 with Flexitime (up to 13 flexi days per year)

Ø  Excellent Work/Life balance with Family Friendly Schemes such as Shorter Working Year and Work-sharing

Ø  Opportunities for promotion and career development

Ø  Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme

Ø  Pension Scheme

Ø  Blended Working available - up to 2 days per week

Ø  Ongoing training and higher educational support

Ø  Cycle to Work Scheme

Particulars of Employment

The employment is wholetime, permanent and pensionable. Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class A rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration plus 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration (i.e. pensionable remuneration less twice the annual rate of social insurance old age contributory pension payable at the maximum rate to a person with no adult dependant or qualified children). 

Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class D rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 5% of their pensionable remuneration. 

All persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority will be required in respect of the local Government (Spouses and Children’s Contributory Pension) Scheme to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration in accordance with the terms of the Scheme. 

PROBATION

Where persons who are not already employees of a Local Authority are employed, the following provisions shall apply: 

(a)             there shall be a period after such employment take effect during which such persons shall hold such employment on probation,

(b)             such period shall be one year, but the Chief Executive may at his or her discretion extend such period,

(c)             such persons shall cease to hold employment at the end of the period of probation unless during such period the Chief Executive has certified that the service of such persons is satisfactory.

SALARY

€32,301, €34,386, €37,345, €39,289, €40,989, €42,633, €44,853, €46,459, €48,089, €49,589, (LSI 1), €51,100 (LSI 2).

Persons who are not serving local authority employees will be based on the minimum of the scale.

Holders of the post shall pay to the local authority any fees or other monies (other than their inclusive salary) payable to or received by them by virtue of their post or in respect of any services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform.

HEALTH

For the purpose of satisfying the requirement as to health it will be necessary for successful candidates, before they are employed, to undergo a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the Local Authority.

RETIREMENT AGE

The retirement age is 70 years.

Recruitment

A local authority may decide, by reason of the number of persons seeking admission to a competition, to carry out a shortlisting procedure. The number of persons to be invited, in these circumstances, to interview shall be determined by the local authority from time to time, having regard to the likely number of vacancies to be filled.

Selection will be by means of an interview conducted by or on behalf of the local authority. Candidates will be required to pay any expenses incurred by them in attending the interview.

Panels may be formed on the basis of such interviews. Candidates whose names are on a panel and who satisfy the local authority that they possess the qualification declared for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for employment may, within the life of the panel, be employed as appropriate vacancies arise.

The local authority shall require a person to whom employment is offered to take up such employment within a period of not more than 6 weeks and if he or she fails to take up the employment within such period or such longer period as the local authority in its absolute discretion may determine, the local authority shall not employ the person.