Communications Officer With Irish Language Fluency

Purpose of the Teaching Council The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. It is dedicated to promoting and regulating excellence in the teaching profession. The Teaching Council are currently seeking to appoint a Communications Officer at Clerical Officer level with fluent Irish language.

Location Teaching Council, Block A, Maynooth Business Campus, Maynooth, Co. Kildare (Blended working arrangements are available in accordance with the Teaching Council’s Blended Working Protocols).

Job Type Permanent Contract

Job Description Clerical Officers (CO) play a vital part in supervising and delivering a range of services on behalf of the Council. COs will work in a sub-section within the main organisational structure of Registration; Initial Teachers' Education & Induction; Teachers’ Learning & Research; Professional Standards (Fitness to Teach); Corporate Services; Communications; Human Resources; and Finance.

Role and Purpose The Communications team is responsible for communicating the work of the Teaching Council to the public through our website, media releases, social media channels, stakeholder engagement, and other appropriate fora. The team also manages all media queries and parliamentary questions, delivers internal communications to ensure staff are fully informed on key Teaching Council activities, and provides strategic communications oversight for the Council. The role will suit a creative digital communications professional, with excellent writing skills who is keen to work in a collaborative, busy and dynamic communications environment. The Clerical Officer must have fluent Irish both written and oral. The Communications team works with a third-party provider to provide design services. We also work with a third-party translating company to ensure we meet our obligations under the Official Languages Act.

Key Responsibilities The appointed Clerical Officer will report to the Communications Manager. The following outlines the type of work that the officer may be required to undertake: o General administration duties e.g. dealing with queries, documentation, input of information, answering/ making telephone and reception cover. o Working as part of the communication team and delivering services. o Support the Executive Officer to implement the Communications strategy. o Plan and organise stakeholder events. o Attend events on behalf of the Council to promote teaching as a career. o Ensure that the Council adheres to its obligations under the Official Languages Act. Plan and promote key projects and updates, and drive engaged, relevant traffic through digital marketing and communications. o Continually monitor and develop the website to provide trusted, engaging, informative, and accessible content that is up to date, and work with staff to develop content. o Assist with managing the social media content calendar and posting schedule. o Evaluate opportunities to run digital campaigns; set up, monitor, and report on paid digital advertising. o Ensure the Teaching Council brand identity guidelines are adhered to internally and externally while ensuring accessibility in all content across a range of devices. o Perform all duties when requested through the medium of the Irish Language.

Person Specification Essential: o Fluency in the Irish Language. o Excellent written and verbal communication with a high level of attention to detail. o Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. o Ability to work independently and as part of a team. o Good organisational skills with a focus on outcomes and deadlines and a proven ability to manage a complex workload. o Self-starter with initiative and drive, energy and enthusiasm, an ability to work independently, to think creatively and identify opportunities. o Be dependable and have an adaptable attitude to work and receiving constructive feedback.

Desirable: o A third level qualification or experience in any related discipline to communications. o Ability to create visual content – graphics and/or video. o Experience of using Adobe photoshop (or similar) and in-design. o Knowledge of up-to-date digital best practice, and an innovative and creative approach to designing, delivering, and publishing digital content. Candidate Assessment Criteria Candidates will be assessed based on the job description outlined above, evidence of meeting the requirements set out above and the competency framework for Clerical Officer grade staff shown below.

Teamwork o Shows respect for colleagues and co-workers. o Develops and maintains good working relationships with others, sharing information and knowledge, as appropriate. o Offers own ideas and perspectives. o Understands own role in the team, making every effort to play his/her part.

Information Management/Processing o Approaches and delivers all work in a thorough and organised manner. o Follows procedures and protocols, understanding their value and the rationale behind them. o Keeps high quality records that are easy for others to understand. o Draws appropriate conclusions from information. o Suggests new ways of doing things better and more efficiently. o 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 o Takes responsibility for work and sees it through to the appropriate next level. o Completes work in a timely manner. o Adapts quickly to new ways of doing things. o Checks all work thoroughly to ensure it is completed to a high standard and learns from mistakes. o Writes with correct grammar and spelling and draws reasonable conclusions from written instructions. o Identifies and appreciates the urgency and importance of different tasks. o Demonstrates initiative and flexibility in ensuring work is delivered. o Is self-reliant and uses judgment on when to ask manager or colleagues for guidance. Customer Service & Communication Skills o Actively listens to others and tries to understand their perspectives/ requirements/ needs. o Understands the steps or processes that customers must go through and can clearly explain these. o Is respectful, courteous, and professional, remaining composed, even in challenging circumstances. o Can be firm when necessary and communicate with confidence and authority. o Communicates clearly and fluently when speaking and in writing.

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

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development o Develops and maintains the skills and expertise required to perform in the role effectively, e.g. relevant technologies, IT systems spreadsheet, Microsoft Office, relevant policies etc. o Clearly understands the role, objective, and targets and how they fit into the work of the section.

o Is committed to self-development and continuously seeks to improve personal performance. Pay The scale of pay is as follows: Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) Pay Rate €555.90 €588.60 €596.90 €613.11 €637.03 €660.90 €684.76 €702.15 €721.85 €744.73 €760.83 €783.48 €805.98 €841.11 €868.70¹ €881.37² This rate will apply where the appointee is a new recruit to the public service or is a civil or public servant appointed on or after 6th April 1995 and is making a compulsory personal pension contribution. This rate will be adjusted in line with revised pay-scales published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. *LSI 1 is Long service Increment after 3 years on Max of scale. *LSI 2 is Long service increment after 6 years on Max of scale. The Non-Personal Pension Contribution (Non PPC) pay rate will apply where the successful candidate is current civil or public servant recruited before 6th April 1995 and who is not required to make a compulsory personal pension contribution. This rate will be adjusted in line with revised pay-scales published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.