Chief Technician

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 88 kms 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.

1. The Role

Fingal County Council is currently seeking to appoint a Chief Technician for the Planning and Development Directorate. This directorate is responsible for promoting positive and sustainable development across the county by implementing the County Development Plan, making decisions on planning applications, and ensuring compliance with planning legislation and granted permissions.

Technicians in the Planning and Development Department come from a variety of disciplines including Geo-Surveying, Engineering, Geo-Spatial, Architectural and Construction Studies. They are involved in various aspects of the Department, including:

• Working on exciting projects such as the Fingal Development Plan, Masterplans and Framework Plans

• GIS Mapping and Web Map Publishing

• Assisting with planning applications

• Architectural drawings

• Desktop Publishing

• Site Surveying including GPS and UAV’s

• Utilising ESRI Mapping Software, Autodesk Products and ADOBE Publishing Suite

Duties

The duties of the Chief Technician include, but are not limited to the following:

• Providing technical services relevant to the area of responsibility to which they have been assigned

• Management and supervision of staff and the co-ordination of duties of staff under their control

• Operating the appropriate technology as required to carry out the work to which they have been assigned, e.g. Autocad, BIM, GIS, Graphics, Revit, Microsoft Office

• Liaising with other Departments, members of the public and external agencies in relation to operational aspects of assigned work

• Preparation of public consultation display material and assistance at public consultation

• Managing work files and providing regular progress reports

• Contributing to individual staff development, personal development and team development initiatives

• Being accountable for efficient and effective processing of work assigned to them

• Undertaking any course of training organised by the Council which they are designated to attend

• Preparation of detailed dimensional drawings, maps and layout drawings, using available software in line with design briefs or project specifications, as required

• Carry out all duties / responsibilities in relation to safety and health including risk assessments, standard operating procedures, toolbox talks, inspections, investigation of incidents and making recommendations

• Perform day-to-day administrative tasks i.e. maintaining files, preparation of reports and related documentation

• Budget preparation and management of same

• Writing reports that are timely and accurate, with content that is appropriate to users’ needs

• Competent in making decisions on a daily basis with regard to safety, cost, efficiency and critical importance

• Representing Fingal County Council at various in-house and external meetings

• Attendance at site(s) and carrying out of inspections as required including taking measurements / reading and calculations

• Be competent in the use of equipment to carry out tasks associated with technical duties

• Carry out any other duties that may be assigned by the line manager or his / her nominee from time to time

These tasks which are indicative rather than exhaustive are carried out under general supervision.

2. Qualifications and Requirements of the Post

CHARACTER

Each candidate must be of good character.

HEALTH

Candidates shall 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.

Candidates must on the latest date of receipt of completed application forms:

(a) have satisfactory experience, in a technician post at Grade I or higher level or in an analogous post under a local authority in the State

(b) have at least nine years satisfactory relevant experience in a technician post at Grade II or higher level or an analogous post

(c) have a thorough knowledge of all the technical aspects of local authority work and also a deeper knowledge of at least one relevant section of the work and have experience in taking charge of such a section or other sections of the work

(d) have adequate experience in dealing with other departments within their own organisations and with other bodies

(e) have adequate experience in the direction, supervision and control of staff

(f) possess technical training and experience and administrative experience of a high standard

It is desirable that the successful candidate will:

• have an understanding and proficiency with Autodesk products and/or GIS software and mapping systems

• Be in possession of a current unendorsed full driving licence (Category A1, A and/or B) as they may be required to drive in the course of their duties

The ideal candidate shall demonstrate:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• commitment to the public interest

• experience of budget preparation and management

• people management skills

• project management skills

• team membership skills

• satisfactory IT skills

Candidates may be shortlisted based on the desirables / ideals listed above.

3. The Selection Process

Fingal County Council reserves the right to shortlist applications, if required. This is not to suggest that any candidate may be unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the duties of the post advertised, but rather that there may be candidates who have demonstrated that they are better qualified and/or have more relevant experience.

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.

Step 1: Initial Screening

In the first instance, all applications received by the latest date / time for receipt of completed applications are screened for eligibility in accordance with the qualifications for the post as set out in this booklet and declared by the Minister for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Step 2: Shortlisting

Each candidate’s application may be assessed against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position as outlined in this booklet. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to provide a detailed and accurate account of their qualifications and/or experience in their application form and to outline the relevance of their experience in the examples provided.

Step 3: Interview

Candidates who are successful in the shortlisting process will be invited to attend for interview(s). Fingal County Council will endeavor to give sufficient notice of the interview to shortlisted candidates. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the candidate to make themselves available on the date / time selected. Candidates who do not attend for interview will be deemed to have withdrawn their application from the competition. Expenses incurred by candidates in attending for interview will be at the candidates own expense.

An independent interview board will be established by the Senior Executive Officer, People Services, or other designated officer, to assess the candidates shortlisted for interview. The interview board will generally comprise of a Chairperson and two other members, who will have expert knowledge in the relevant field. The objective of the interview board is to identify candidates who best meet the objective criteria and competencies required for the position and to place them in order of merit.

Candidates who are successful in the interview will be qualified in order of merit for appointment to the post of Chief Technician and placed on a panel. It should be noted that placement on a panel may not necessarily lead to a job offer. The selection process is not concluded until such time as references have been sought and clearance checks, i.e. Garda vetting, occupational health, verification of education qualifications, etc., have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.

Particulars of Employment

The employment is whole time, 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 dependent 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

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

(b) such period shall be one year but the Chief Executive may at their 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

€60,611 – €62,095 – €63,826 – €65,563 – €67,300 – €68,852 – €70,442 – €71,982 – €73,518 – €76,149 LSI1 – €78,795 LSI2 per annum

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.