Clerical Officer

THE COMPETITION

Laois County Council invites applications from suitably qualified persons, who wish to be considered for inclusion on a panel for the role of Clerical Officer Grade III from which permanent, specific purpose, fixed term and temporary vacancies may be filled.

THE ROLE

Clerical Officers make a valuable contribution to the provision of the Local Authority’s services. The Clerical Officer will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, assisting with the implementation of work programmes to achieve goals, targets and standards set out in the Corporate Plan and Annual Service Delivery Plans. They will also be required to operate the Local Authority’s existing and future IT Systems as part of their work. As part of the Local Authority’s commitment to providing quality services to citizens, the Clerical Officer will assist in delivering a wide range of services across the organisation. Clerical Officers provide a point of contact for customers to carry out their business and access information about the Council’s services.

The duties of a Clerical Officer are varied and can involve assignment to different parts of the organisation or different areas of work. The work of a Clerical Officer requires that the employees in the role function in a flexible manner and work effectively together as a team to deliver required outcomes or outputs.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

1.       CHARACTER:

Candidates shall be of good character.

2.       HEALTH:

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render an efficient service. Successful candidates will be required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination carried out by the Council’s Occupational Medical advisor prior to appointment. On taking up appointment, the expense of the medical examination will be refunded to the candidate.

3.       EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE ETC:

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

(i) Have obtained at least Grade D (or a Pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level, in five subjects from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education Established Leaving Certificate Examination or Leaving Certificate Vocational/Applied Programme;

or

Have passed an examination of at least equivalent standard;

or

Have had at least two year’s previous service in an office of Clerical Officer, Clerk/Typist (Clerical Duties), Clerk/Typist (Typing and Clerical Duties) or Clerk/Typist under a local authority or health board in the state.

or

Have 2 years satisfactory relevant experience which encompasses demonstrable equivalent skills.

and

Have a proficiency or aptitude with computers and Microsoft Office suite of programmes.

You must include a copy of your Leaving Cert or equivalent exam results with your application if you are relying on this to qualify you for this position. Failure to do so may result in you not being invited to the next stage of recruitment process.

The Ideal Candidate Shall:

Demonstrate through their application form and at the interview that he/she has:

·             Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to plan, organise and prioritise work effectively and meet established deadlines.

·             Good interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively within a team to achieve a common goal, ensuring standards are adhered to and maintained

·             Strong verbal communication skills, being able to communicate effectively and appropriately with people at all levels.

·             Ability to provide excellent customer services.

·             Satisfactory office administrative experience.

·             Good written and proof-reading skills, with grammatical proficiency.

·             Excellent I.T. skills (including Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint etc.)

·             Good numeracy.

·             Ability to undertake work requiring accuracy and attention to detail.

·             Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the ability to deal with sensitive or confidential information in a discreet manner.

·             Ability to take direction.

·             Ability to be self motivated and work on own initiative.

·             Ability to be flexible in their approach to work.

·             An understanding of the Council’s purpose and knowledge of public service organisation in Ireland

Key Duties:

The duties of a Clerical Officer are varied and can involve assignment to different parts of the organisation or different areas of work. The performance of the entire range of duties is not necessarily confined to any one individual within a section, as the work requires that employees in the role function in a flexible manner and work effectively together as a team to deliver required outcomes or outputs.

The Clerical Officer is the entry-level administrative grade in Local Authorities in the country. The following is a non-exhaustive list of key duties and responsibilities which may be assigned to a Clerical Officer:

• To participate in and support the work of the section or department to ensure that work programs are delivered in accordance with the operational plans;
• To communicate and liaise with team members, supervisors, members of the public and others in relation to operational matters in their section or area of work.

• To prepare reports, correspondence, and other documents as necessary.
• Carrying out a range of administrative tasks including photocopying, preparing letters/documents/presentations for public circulation, typing, report/returns preparation, filing, arranging meetings, receipting/balancing payments including cash, handling internal/external mail.
• Taking minutes of meetings.
• To ensure high levels of customer services, responding to queries and requests for information in a professional courteous and timely manner.

• To support and participate in all change management initiatives within their area of work or the wider organisation.

• To support and assist team members as required.
• To participate in corporate activities and responsibilities appropriate to the grade.
• To be in compliance with Health and Safety legislative requirements, policies and

procedures and safe systems of work.

• To deputise for the line manager or equivalent as required.
• To undertake any other duties of a similar level and responsibility, as may be
• required, or assigned, from time to time.
• Any other duties that may be assigned as part of the overall functioning of the relevant Department.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR THE POST:

Candidates will be assessed at interview under the following competencies. The candidates at the interview will be questioned on at least some of the indicators listed below under each competency. Candidates at interview must achieve a minimum 50% of the total marks available in each of the competencies to qualify for inclusion on a panel.

Customer Service/Communication Skills

(200 Marks)

·       Actively listens to others and tries to understand their perspective/requirements/needs

·       Understands the steps or processes that customers must go through and can clearly explain these.

·       Is respectful courteous and professional, remaining composed, even in challenging circumstances

·       Can be firm when necessary and communicate with confidence and authority

·       Communicates clearly and fluently when speaking and in writing

Team Work

(200 Marks)

·       Shows respect for colleagues and co-workers

·       Develops and maintains good working relationships with others, sharing information and knowledge, as appropriate.

·       Offers own ideas and perspectives

·       Understands their role in the team, making every effort to play his/her part

Planning and Organising Work

(200 Marks)

·       Deliver a high standard of service in line with work plans and schedules

·       Manage time and workload effectively.

·       Take initiative when he or she sees the opportunity to make a contribution.

·       Effective written and verbal skills

Personal Effectiveness

(200 Marks)

·       Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about the local authority

·       and the services it provides.

·       Has experience and knowledge of operating ICT systems.

·       Be open to taking on new challenges or responsibilities.

·       Be positively motivated to deliver a quality service.

·       Adopt a positive and constructive approach to work.

·       Bring enthusiasm and commitment to their role.

THE PRINCIPAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

1.        PARTICULARS:

The Council reserves the right to, at any time, re-assign an employee to any department now or in the future.

Subject to the availability of suitably qualified candidates a panel will be formed for an initial period of one year and this may be extended for a further year at the discretion of the Chief Executive. The panel may be used by Laois County Council to fill permanent and temporary positions that may arise for its duration. Vacancies will be offered in order of merit as per the panel.

2.         PROBATION:

Where a person who is not already a permanent employee of this local authority is appointed, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)         There shall be a period after appointment takes effect, during which such a person shall hold the position on probation;

(b)        Such period shall be ten months, but the Chief Executive may, at his/her discretion, extend such period;

(c)         Such a person shall cease to hold the position at the end of the period of probation, unless during this period the Chief Executive has certified that the service is satisfactory;

(d)        There will be ongoing assessments during the probationary period. Employment may be terminated by either party during probation or at the end of the probationary period on one week’s notice.

3.         REMUNERATION:

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time. Holders of the office 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 office or in respect of services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform. The current annual pay-scale is: €30,811 – €47,945 LSI 1 (as per circular EL 03/2025).

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.

4. WORKING HOURS:

The working hours at present provide for a five day, thirty five hours working week, hours may vary from time to time. The role may require flexible working hours and may occasionally include evening and weekend work for which overtime will not be paid but time-off-in-lieu will be available.

5. ANNUAL LEAVE:

27 days per annum.

6. LOCATION

Laois County Council reserves the right to assign the successful candidate to any department or premises in use by the Council, now or in the future. Changes in location of employment will not result in payment of disturbance money or other compensation. The person appointed will be required to travel to and from work at their own expense

7. CITIZENSHIP

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

(a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

(b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

(c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

(d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa; or

(e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015 or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a stamp 4 visa; or

(f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa

8. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The Council shall work to promote a culture of equality and to develop equality and recruitment policies and procedures to ensure that all candidates are selected on merit. The Council shall endeavour to ensure that the selection process does not provide unjustifiable advantage or disadvantage to any particular candidate or group of candidates. The recruitment and selection process shall embrace genuine equality of opportunity, and this will be integral to the process by which appointments are made.

9. RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PROCESS:

Candidates will initially be assessed to ensure that they meet the minimum specified eligibility criteria for the position.

a. Shortlisting Process

The local authority may decide, by reason of the number of persons seeking admission to a competition, to carry out a shortlisting procedure. Shortlisting may apply based on the information supplied on application forms and the requirements of the position as set out. It is expected that given the qualifications and experience of prospective applicants, the short-listing requirements may be significantly higher than the minimum qualifications and experience requirements set out for the post.

Candidates may be short-listed for final competitive interview on the basis of:

(a) the information provided on the application form or

(b) a preliminary interview or

(c) appropriate test i.e. Aptitude test, etc. or

(d) any combination of the above.

b. Competitive Interview

Selection of candidates for appointment shall be by means of a competitive interview. The competitive interview shall be conducted by or on behalf of the local authority. The Council is committed to a process of selection on merit, based on fair and open competition.  The criteria for judging suitability and ranking will be related directly to the qualification, attributes and skills required to undertake the duties and responsibilities to the standard required in the post.

c. Panels

Following completion of interviews, panels may formed, the duration of which is at the discretion of the Council. While a panel remains in force, offers of temporary or permanent employment may be made subject to confirmation of qualifications and satisfying clauses in relation to health, character, or other requirements of the particular post.

Persons to whom an offer of employment is made must take up duty within 1 month from the date of offer, or such extended period as the Council may agree, otherwise, the Council may decide not to appoint them.

d. References/Documentary Evidence

Each candidate may be required to submit as references the names and addresses of two responsible persons to whom he/she is well known but not related. Candidates may be required to submit documentary evidence to the local authority in support of their application.

10. COMMENCEMENT The local authority shall require a person to whom an appointment is offered to take up such appointment within a period of not more than one month and is he/she fails to take up the appointment within such period or such period or such longer period as the local authority in its absolute discretion may determine, the local authority shall not appoint him/her.

11. RETIREMENT

The Single Public Service Pension Scheme (“Single Scheme”) as provided by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 commenced with effect from 1st January 2013. The act introduces new pension and retirement provisions for new entrants to the public service appointed on or after 1st January 2013. Pension age set initially at 66 years; this will rise in step with statutory changes. The compulsory retirement age of 70 applies. Otherwise, the retirement age of the relevant Scheme applies. It should be noted that candidates who are in receipt of a Public Service Pension and are rehired in any paid capacity by a Public Service Body may be liable to have their pension abated. Prior to appointment successful candidates will be obliged to complete a Declaration in relation to previous Public Pensionable Employment.