Business Manager

Purpose of the Role

The purpose of this post is to effectively support the work of the Area Manager/Senior Manager in all matters pertaining to Child and Family Services within the Service Area.

Reporting Relationship

The post holder will report to the relevant Area Manager or designated manager.

Duties and ResponsibilitiesMain Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the interface with the Area Manager’s Office and the various services within the area to facilitate good communication and understanding of respective roles.

• Manage the interface between the Area Manager’s Office and the management team and provide a high level of administrative support as required.

• Help establish and maintain links between Tusla and HSE colleagues to support service delivery.

• Take special responsibility for meeting deadlines for internal and external communications, including HIQA.

• Support the Area Manager in lead roles across the service area and nationally, including setting and delivering strategic objectives as required.

• Promote and participate in the implementation of change management programmes.

• Be responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of administrative support staff within the area.

• Be responsible for financial arrangements and regulations required to manage and oversee the Area’s commissioning processes, Service Level Agreements, and C&AG audits.

• Support commissioners in compliance and governance, ensuring contracts and Service Level Agreements are in place, bi-annual metrics are completed, and Service Level Agreement review meetings are attended.

• Manage capital and minor projects and oversee maintenance of premises in conjunction with Estates and service managers.

• Manage Area Estates and ancillary functions.

• Provide support regarding Estates, ICT, Procurement, and Capital Developments as required.

• Coordinate and prepare for statutory inspections in conjunction with social work teams, in line with HIQA Child Protection and Welfare and Foster Care Standards.

• Demonstrate the ability to work on one’s own initiative.

• Coordinate all Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and public representative requests received within the region, provide regional oversight of responses, and liaise with the National Office as appropriate.

• Work with the Area Quality, Risk and Service Improvement Manager to progress the quality and improvement agenda within the region.

• Assist in the management and oversight of the Area’s compliance with Health and Safety legislation.

• Create a positive working environment that maintains and enhances effective working relationships.

• Undertake projects as delegated by the Area Manager.

• Assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of service plans.

• Keep up to date with policy and legislative developments relevant to the post.

Education and Training

• Maintain standards of practice and professional knowledge through continuous professional development and attendance at relevant courses.

• Engage in career and professional development planning.

• Oversee the provision of a framework to promote staff development and training, making recommendations regarding ongoing education, mentoring, training, and in-service needs of the inspection and monitoring team.

Human Resources

• Ensure policies and procedures are documented and understood by staff within the assigned section.

• Support the preparation and issuing of office documentation, including correspondence and reports, to the highest possible standard by monitoring and reviewing team output for quality and accuracy.

• Promote a workplace culture that values diversity and respect.

• Assist with leadership and motivation to support positive staff relations and effective work performance.

• Where appropriate, establish and maintain records of attendance, statistical information, annual returns, and other requested information.

• Work as part of a team and ensure all members are treated with dignity and respect.

• Participate in the recruitment, retention, development, training, and ongoing assessment of staff.

Health and Safety

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines, and safe professional practice, and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations, and standards.

• Have a working knowledge of Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the service, including National Standards for Child Protection and Care, and comply with associated Tusla – Child and Family Agency protocols.

• Support, promote, and actively participate in sustainable energy, water, and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low-carbon, and efficient health service.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved. The post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility CriteriaQualifications and/or Experience

Applicants must, by the closing date of application, have the following:

• At least two years’ administrative experience relevant to the role.

And

• At least three years’ management experience, including managing staff, budgets, and general administration.

And

• Sufficient administrative capacity to discharge the functions of the role.

Health

Candidates must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties of the office and be in a state of health that indicates a reasonable prospect of rendering regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate must be of good character.

Skills, Competencies and/or KnowledgeTusla Leadership Competency Framework

The Tusla Leadership Competency Framework outlines the behaviours required for effective performance across all levels of the Agency. The competencies and associated behavioural descriptors capture the transversal knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required for effectiveness, regardless of role or rank.

The Tusla Leader Framework relevant to this role is Leading Others.

Applicants should access the Leading Others link to familiarise themselves with the impact of this proficiency for Tusla.

The competency of Professional Knowledge is specifically linked to the duties, responsibilities, and criteria for this role.

Other Requirements of the Role

• Access to appropriate transport, as the post may involve travel.

• Awareness of children and young people’s participatory practice.

Application ProcessCampaign-Specific Selection ProcessShortlisting / Interview

The online application system has a time-out facility to protect user privacy. This activates if the application remains dormant for over 60 minutes. Any unsaved work will be lost and cannot be recovered.

Candidates are advised to draft their applications outside the system and copy and paste responses into the online application form once complete. Upon full submission, a confirmation email will issue to the applicant’s profile. If no confirmation email is received, the application has not been successfully submitted.

AI-generated content must not be used in applications. Tusla reserves the right to assess whether content has been created by AI in part or in whole. Use of AI may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.

Shortlisting may be conducted based on information provided in the application, aligned with the eligibility criteria and the skills, competencies, and knowledge requirements. Failure to address these requirements may result in exclusion from the next stage of the process.

Candidates successful at shortlisting will be invited to interview.

Tenure

The current vacancies are permanent and whole-time. The posts are pensionable.

A panel may be formed to fill permanent and specified-purpose vacancies on a full-time or part-time basis. The tenure of each post will be outlined at the expression of interest stage.

Appointments are governed by the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.

Remuneration

The salary scale for the whole-time equivalent of this post is:

01/08/2025: €60,013, €61,479, €63,192, €64,911, €66,636, €68,176, €69,745, €71,272, €72,788, €75,397, €78,015 (LSIs)

Long Service Increments (LSIs) are represented by emboldened figures:

• 1st LSI after three years on the maximum

• 2nd LSI after three years on LSI 1

• 3rd LSI after three years on LSI 2 (where applicable)

The appointee will commence on the first point of the salary scale. Incremental credit may be awarded for certain types of relevant experience (see Appendix 5). Entry is at the minimum point of the scale and is not subject to negotiation. Remuneration may be adjusted in line with Government pay policy.

Different terms and conditions may apply where the appointee is a serving civil or public servant.

Working Week

The standard working week is 35 hours.

Annual Leave

Annual leave entitlement is 30 days per annum.

Superannuation

This is a pensionable position. The successful candidate will become a member of the appropriate pension scheme, as outlined in the contract of employment.

Probation

A probationary period of 39 weeks applies, or a proportion thereof for fixed-term or specified-purpose contracts. This may be extended by up to nine weeks at management discretion. Confirmation of appointment is subject to successful completion of probation.

Where a probationary period has already been completed with Tusla, the HSE, or a Local Authority and there is no break in service, no further probation will apply.