Clerical Officer

The Role

The Clerical Officer role is a key support position within the MHC. The role provides comprehensive general administrative and clerical support to a team and assists with the smooth, efficient, and professional operation of the division.

The successful candidate will have excellent customer service and communication skills. They will be required to engage and communicate effectively with various internal and external stakeholders, including staff, members of the public, officials from government departments and public bodies, private sector bodies, disability organisations, and others.

The duties of the 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 division, as the work requires employees in the role to function in a flexible manner and work effectively together as a team to deliver required outcomes or outputs.

As a Clerical Officer, the holder of the post will be expected to actively contribute to and participate in the overall development of the MHC and to promote its policies and values at all times.

Key Responsibilities

Under the overall direction of the relevant line manager, the Clerical Officer’s key duties and responsibilities include:

• Providing administrative assistance, including filing, photocopying, answering and making telephone calls, dealing with emails, and reception desk duties.
• Supporting line managers and colleagues.
• Working as part of a team in delivering services.
• Communicating and dealing with the public, for example, responding to queries and providing information face-to-face, by telephone, or via email.
• Using Information Technology on a daily basis, including spreadsheets, databases, email, and the internet.
• Maintaining high-quality records in a thorough and organised manner.
• Checking all work thoroughly to ensure it is completed to a high standard.
• Approaching work in a careful and methodical manner, always displaying accuracy, even when conducting routine and repetitive work.
• Any other duties deemed appropriate by the line manager.

Reporting and Working Relationships

The Clerical Officer is accountable to the Chief Executive of the MHC and reports directly to the relevant line manager within the team.

Essential Requirements

The candidate must possess, by the closing date, the following:

• Level 6 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications, or 2+ years’ experience in a related role within the Public Sector.
• Demonstrated administrative/clerical experience.
• Experience using Microsoft Office packages.
• The requisite competencies to carry out the role as outlined below.

Desirable

The following criteria are considered desirable for the post:

• Experience in dealing with regulatory and/or compliance matters.
• Understanding of mental health and/or mental health services.
• Experience of working within a customer services environment.

CompetenciesTeamwork

• 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 own role in the team, making every effort to play his/her part.

Information Management / Processing

• Approaches and delivers all work in a thorough and organised manner.
• Follows procedures and protocols, understanding their value and the rationale behind them.
• Keeps high-quality records that are easy for others to understand.
• Draws appropriate conclusions from information.
• Suggests new ways of doing things better and more efficiently.
• Is comfortable working with different types of information, e.g. written, numerical, charts, and carries out calculations such as arithmetic, percentages, etc.

Delivery of Results

• Takes responsibility for work and sees it through to the appropriate next level.
• Completes work in a timely manner.
• Adapts quickly to new ways of doing things.
• Checks all work thoroughly to ensure it is completed to a high standard.
• Writes using correct grammar and spelling and draws reasonable conclusions from written instructions.
• Identifies and demonstrates initiative and flexibility in ensuring work is delivered and appreciates the urgency and importance of different tasks.
• Is self-reliant and uses judgment on when to ask a manager or colleagues for guidance.

Customer Service and Communication Skills

• Actively listens to others and tries to understand their perspectives, requirements, and 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.

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

• Develops and maintains the skills and expertise required to perform in the role effectively, e.g. relevant technologies, IT systems, spreadsheets, Microsoft Office, relevant policies, etc.
• Clearly understands the role, objectives, and targets and how they fit into the work of the unit.
• Is committed to self-development and continuously seeks to improve personal performance.

Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values

• Consistently strives to perform at a high level and deliver a quality service.
• Serves the Government and people of Ireland.
• Is thorough and conscientious, even if work is routine.
• Is enthusiastic and resilient, persevering in the face of challenges and setbacks.
• Is personally honest and trustworthy.
• At all times, acts with integrity.

How to ApplyEligibility to Compete

Candidates must, by the date of 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 has a Stamp 4 permission* or a Stamp 5 permission.

*Please note that a 50 TEU permission, which is a replacement for Stamp 4EUFAM after Brexit, is acceptable as a Stamp 4 equivalent.

Selection Process

The selection process will include:

• Shortlisting of applications.
• A competitive interview.
• Completion of all relevant checks as set out below.

Additional selection steps may be included.

A selection board shall be established and shall use the essential requirements referred to earlier in this candidate information booklet to shortlist candidates. Scoring at the shortlisting stage shall be based on the information contained in the application form. Therefore, it is in your interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of how your skills, personal qualities, qualifications, and experience meet the requirements of the post.

While candidates may meet the eligibility criteria of the competition, if the number applying for the post is such that it would not be practical to progress all candidates to the next stage of the selection process, the MHC may decide that only a certain number of candidates shall be progressed to interview. Candidates will progress through the various stages of the selection process based on their order of merit at each stage.

Following the interview stage, the MHC shall produce a panel of candidates listed in order of merit. Not all those interviewed may be placed on the panel.

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment to a position, the HR team will complete all relevant checks. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed, a final determination cannot be made, nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the person recommended for appointment decline or, having accepted it, relinquish it, the MHC may, at its discretion, select and recommend the next person on the panel for appointment based on the results of this selection process.

The MHC is under no obligation to select a candidate from this panel.

Conditions of ServiceContract Arrangements

A permanent, full-time contract of employment with the Commission will be offered to the Clerical Officer on terms and conditions determined by the Mental Health Commission, with the consent of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Salary

The Clerical Officer salary scale (rates effective 1 June 2026) is as follows:

€611.75 ⬧ €645.43 ⬧ €654.01 ⬧ €670.69 ⬧ €695.32 ⬧ €719.93 ⬧ €744.51 ⬧ €762.42 ⬧ €782.74 ⬧ €806.29 ⬧ €822.89 ⬧ €846.23 ⬧ €869.42 ⬧ €905.60 ⬧ €934.03¹ ⬧ €958.80²

• LSI 1 after 3 years satisfactory service at the maximum.
• LSI 2 after 6 years satisfactory service at the maximum.

Candidates should note that entry will be at the minimum point of the scale and will not be subject to negotiation. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Different terms and conditions may apply if, immediately before appointment, you are a current serving civil/public servant.

The rate will apply where the appointee is an existing civil or public servant appointed on or after 6 April 1995 or is newly recruited to the MHC and is required to make a personal pension contribution.

Note: Salary for the purposes of calculation of superannuation benefits may differ from the above depending on individual circumstances.

Payment Arrangements

Payment will be made fortnightly in arrears by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into a bank account of the successful candidate’s choice. Payment cannot be made until a bank account number and bank sort code have been supplied to the MHC. Statutory deductions from salary will be made as appropriate.

A staff member appointed to this post will agree that any overpayment of salary or travel and subsistence may be deducted from future salary payments due in accordance with the Payment of Wages Act 1991 (as amended). In accordance with that Act, the MHC will advise the staff member in writing of the amount and details of such overpayment, give at least one week's notice of the deduction to take place, and will deduct the overpayment at an amount that is fair and reasonable, having regard to all the circumstances, within six months of such notice in accordance with the Act.

Tenure

The appointment will be based on a permanent contract of employment with the MHC.

The probationary period will be for nine months from the date of appointment. Notwithstanding this paragraph and the paragraph immediately following below, this will not preclude an extension of the probationary period in appropriate circumstances.

During the probationary period, a staff member’s performance will be subject to review by the line manager to determine whether the staff member:

(i) has performed in a satisfactory manner; and

(ii) has been satisfactory in general conduct.

Prior to completion of the probationary period, a decision will be made as to whether the staff member will be retained. This decision will be based on the staff member’s performance assessed against the criteria set out in (i) and (ii) above. The details of the probationary process will be explained to the staff member by the MHC on commencement of employment.