Certification and Inspection Officer

Job Overview

To work as a member of a specialist team in the provision of national and international product approvals and the publication of Agrément Certificates for construction product manufacturers and/or for Building systems by Offsite Manufacturers (OSM).

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Management of product and/or building system assessment contracts for Agrément Certification including the following: o Processing applications and preparation of contract offers. o Preparation of detailed work programmes. o Initiate contracts, progress, liaise with clients, outside agencies and subcontractors. o Prepare technical assessment specifications for innovative products and/or building systems. o Carry out detailed technical assessment of construction products and/or buildings systems. o Initiate contracts, progress, liaise with clients, outside agencies and subcontractors. o Prepare technical assessment specifications for construction products and/or buildings systems. o Evaluate test and assessment reports and make conclusions on product and/or building system performance. o Prepare and agree inspection plans for MMC buildings. o Prepare draft certificates and reports and manage draft documents through to publication. o Instruction and management of specialist sub-contract work. o Conduct ongoing compliance audits of manufacturers. (Travel required)

• Promotion and projection of the Agrément Certification service to industry through seminars, articles in professional journals and trade shows including the marketing of the service for building product specifiers, state and semi-state agencies and local authorities.

• Carry out site inspections in accordance with quality plans and/or inspection plans.

• Maintenance of records of client meetings, production inspections and internal meetings.

• Maintenance of confidentiality on matters relating to client work at all times.

• Keeping abreast of technology and regulatory trends affecting Agrément certification including monitoring relevant external committees and researching and contributing as appropriate.

• Limited overseas travel will be required.

• Perform any other duties as may be required by the Department Manager.

This job specification is intended as a guide to the general range of duties for this post. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and will be subject to periodic review with the post holder.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Successful completion of a university or a technical college engineering degree or equivalent qualification in relevant studies (NFQ level 8 or above).

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the construction sector.

Desirable

• A degree in civil or structural engineering, building physics or an equivalent technical professional qualification.

• A working knowledge of the Construction Product Regulations (CE Marking), Irish Building Regulations and a familiarity with current Construction practices and products would be an advantage.

• Knowledge of product testing, QC, report writing.

• Knowledge of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) categories, systems and assembly methods.

• Knowledge and experience of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

• Interest in or experience of digitisation in construction.

Technical Competencies

• Experience in the promotion, provision and management of technical projects and services is desirable.

• Excellent computer skills and a full working knowledge of the Microsoft office range of programs.

Core Competencies

• Strong project management, communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to manage relationships with industrial clients, local authorities and government agencies.

• Excellent planning, organisational and administrative skills with the ability to meet deadlines.

Tenure

The appointment will be on a full-time, 5-year fixed term basis. The appointee must serve a probationary period, which lasts for 12 months. Should the appointee’s service be satisfactory with regards to health, conduct, and efficiency generally during the probationary period, the appointee, on completion of the period will be finally appointed. Should the appointee’s services be unsatisfactory, the appointment may be terminated at any time during the period.

Location

These positions will be based at either Dublin, Cork, Limerick or Galway.

Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

Employees are prohibited from having any personal or financial interest in any industry that NSAI certifies from the date of appointment with the NSAI.

Employees are prohibited from disclosing any information in relation to the business of any person obtained in his/her capacity as an officer of the NSAI.

Superannuation and Retirement

The appointee will be offered public service pension terms and retirement age conditions in accordance with pension arrangements in NSAI depending on the status of the successful appointee:

a) In general, an individual who has no prior pensionable Public Service history in the 26 weeks prior to appointment will be a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (Single Scheme) which commenced from 1 January 2013 [Section 10 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 refers];

b) An individual who was a member of a “pre-existing public service pension scheme” as construed by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 and who does not qualify for membership of the Single Scheme will have standard public service pension terms reflecting new entrant or non-new entrant status for the purposes of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004.

Appointee’s Status for Superannuation Purposes

Appointees will be required to disclose their full public service history. Details of the appropriate superannuation provisions will be provided upon determination of appointee’s status.

The following points should be noted:

Pension Accrual

A 40-year limit on total service that can be counted towards pension where a person has been a member of more than one existing public service pension scheme will apply. This 40-year limit, which is provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012 came into effect on 28 July 2012. This may have implications for any appointee who has acquired pension rights in a previous public service employment.

Pension Abatement

The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 extended pension abatement so that a retiree’s public service pension is liable to abatement on reentering public service employment, even where the new employment is in a different area of the public service. However, if the appointee was previously employed in the Civil Service and awarded a pension under voluntary early retirement arrangements (other than the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) or the Health Service Executive VER/VRS which render a person ineligible for the competition) the entitlement to payment of that pension will cease with effect from the date of reappointment.