Business Advisor

1. The Position

The Council is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates with relevant experience for the position of Business Advisor.

It is proposed to form a panel of qualified candidates from which vacancies, both permanent and temporary, will be filled during the lifetime of the panel.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is a first-stop shop for any small business looking to start or grow across the country. The vision for the LEO is to develop and sustain a positive enterprise ecosystem at local level throughout the country that will drive new added-value start-ups, facilitate further growth of micro and small businesses, and enhance local economies.

The position of Business Advisor is a key core staff role within the LEO and drives the development and delivery of an integrated range of actions and programmes to promote entrepreneurship and increase the number of new business start-ups. The role also supports the growth of existing small and micro firms through a range of supports aimed at assisting businesses to innovate, embrace digital transformation, adopt more environmentally friendly practices, become first-time exporters, and achieve ambitious development objectives.

This is a key role that requires the successful candidate to work directly with core LEO clients to improve business processes, introduce innovation that will impact results, enhance performance, and assist start-ups and small businesses across the country to grow and create employment.

It is proposed to form a panel of qualified candidates from which vacancies, both permanent and temporary, will be filled during the lifetime of the panel.

2. Roles, Duties and Responsibilities

The LEO Business Advisor will perform such duties as may be assigned from time to time and which will involve the facilitation, implementation and promotion of the policies and objectives of Donegal County Council for the advancement of the Local Enterprise Office and, in particular, the aims and objectives set out in the Donegal 2030 Strategic Enterprise Development Plan.

The Business Advisor will report to the Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, or any other officer as designated by the Chief Executive.

Duties include,

• Provision of one-to-one business advice and guidance to anyone considering starting a business or to existing businesses in Donegal. This includes making presentations on the supports available through the Local Enterprise Office.
• Proactively engaging with local businesses, especially Local Enterprise Office portfolio clients, by providing advice, evaluating their plans and strategies, recommending actions and participating in regular review meetings.
• Engaging with Local Enterprise Office portfolio companies that are growing to support them in reaching their potential and increasing market share by maximising uptake of the full range of LEO supports.
• Developing and identifying initiatives that will help LEO clients with their exporting activities and collaborating to ensure clients are directed towards, and have access to, the most appropriate support according to their stage of export development.
• Encouraging and supporting LEO clients to invest in Research and Development (R&D) and begin incorporating Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) into their commercial activities.
• Evaluating and processing applications for grant aid. This includes meeting clients, evaluating applications, preparing written appraisals, presenting appraisals to the Evaluation Committee, overseeing and managing the grant drawdown process for approved projects, and undertaking client progress reviews.
• Developing and managing the delivery of new and existing training and management development programmes in response to the needs of small businesses. This includes preparing programme specifications, processing tenders and quotations, recruiting and engaging clients, recording outputs and deliverables, and managing allocated budgets.
• Developing and delivering sector-specific and cohort-specific programmes, such as those relating to food, creative industries and female entrepreneurship.
• Managing the delivery of the Local Enterprise Office Mentoring Programme, including engaging with clients, assessing needs, liaising with mentors, managing the mentor panel and budget, and ensuring full recording of outputs and deliverables.
• Managing the delivery of the Second Level Schools Enterprise Programme annually, including recording all outputs and outcomes.
• Contributing to the content and delivery of events such as Local Enterprise Week, the Donegal Enterprise Awards and the National Enterprise Awards.
• Managing the delivery of national productivity programmes and supports such as LEAN, Green and Digital initiatives.
• Assisting in the implementation of the 10-Year Strategic Enterprise Development Plan for Donegal and the delivery of the LEO Local Enterprise Development Plan, including providing executive support.
• Contributing to ongoing awareness campaigns for the Local Enterprise Office and working with appointed delivery agents to achieve these objectives.
• Developing, resourcing and delivering new initiatives and programmes within the Local Enterprise Office to support enterprise development in Donegal.
• Engaging in cross-border and European Union programmes as required by the Head of Enterprise.
• Promoting and implementing innovation and continuous improvement in the processes and programmes of the Local Enterprise Office.
• Representing Donegal Local Enterprise Office and Donegal businesses at stakeholder meetings at both regional and national levels.
• Undertaking any other duties assigned by the Head of the Local Enterprise Office to promote the objectives of the Office.

Reporting

• Ensure compliance with all Local Authority and Local Enterprise Office financial, management and governance reporting requirements.
• Collect, maintain and update relevant data.

Official Languages (Amendment) Acts, 2021

To enable the Local Authority to meet its statutory obligations, satisfactory competence in the Irish language is deemed essential for appointment, assignment or reassignment to Gaeltacht-based offices and offices serving Gaeltacht areas.

Competence must be at a level where the postholder can operate through the medium of Irish and provide services to the public in Irish, in accordance with 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.

3. Qualifications and Requirements of the Post

The post of Business Advisor is analogous to the grade of Senior Staff Officer. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has declared that the qualifications for the position of Senior Staff Officer shall be as follows:

(a) Character

Candidates shall be of good character.

(b) Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health that indicates a reasonable prospect of being able 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 and Experience

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

(i)(a) Have obtained at least Grade D (or Pass), at 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
• Economics

and

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

• Mathematics
• Accounting
• Business Organisation
• Economics

or

(ii) Have obtained a comparable standard in an equivalent examination.

or

(iii) Hold a third-level qualification of at least degree standard.

and

(iv) Have satisfactory experience in administrative procedures, including adequate practical experience in executive work, office organisation and staff supervision.

Please Note

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

(d) Desirable Skills

• Strong organisational and project management skills, with proven ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities while meeting demanding and tight deadlines.
• Ability to influence, collaborate and connect across internal and external stakeholders for the benefit of clients.
• Financial literacy skills to undertake evaluation and assessment of project proposals for financial assistance and other supports, including conducting due diligence on funding requests.
• Excellent communication and business report-writing skills, with demonstrated evidence of strong IT literacy, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent research, analytical, writing and presentation skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of the key business growth sectors and client categories in which Local Enterprise Offices operate, and the ability to translate this knowledge into supports and initiatives that achieve effective business impacts and results.
• Understanding of compliance and governance requirements relating to funding through the Local Enterprise Office.
• Experience of working with the microenterprise sector, with an in-depth understanding of the issues and challenges facing the sector.
• A relevant third-level business qualification.
• Experience of procurement policies and procedures.

4. Particulars of the Post(a) General

Donegal County Council proposes to create a panel of qualified candidates for the position of Business Advisor from which vacancies will be filled during the lifetime of the panel.

(b) Probation

The successful candidate shall be required to serve a probationary 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:

€57,895 minimum to €70,730 maximum (LSI 2)

(As per Circular EL 02/2026.)

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.