Creative Communities Engagement Officer

OVERVIEW

The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-government initiative committed to enhancing access to, engagement with, and enjoyment of Ireland’s culture and creativity. Within the broad range of available definitions, creativity is considered as a set of innate abilities and learned skills; the capacity of individuals and organisations to transcend accepted ideas and norms and by drawing on imagination to create new ideas that bring additional value to human activity.

The vision of the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027 is to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation so that individually and collectively, in our personal lives and in our institutions, we can realise our full creative potential thereby promoting individual, community and national wellbeing.

The Creative Ireland Programme delivers through collaboration and partnership. It promotes understanding of the value of creativity in all its forms – whether through the arts, culture, heritage, creative industries.

The Creative Communities Engagement Officer will be a key member of the Culture and Creativity team responsible for engaging proactively with relevant directorates and personnel, internal and external. The person will report to the Creative Ireland Coordinator in Wexford County Council. The position may from time to time require work to be conducted/completed outside of normal office hours. The position will involve day-to-day administrative duties.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POST

CHARACTER:

Candidates shall be of good character and references shall be sought.

HEALTH:

Each candidate must be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render an efficient service.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE ETC.:

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed Application forms:

(i) Hold an ordinary degree (level 7 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications).

(ii) Hold a current clean full driving licence (minimum Class B), details of which must be entered on the application form.

(iii) Have significant work experience working in a role relevant to this position in the public sector or independent creative sector. This may involve for example experience from the arts, heritage, libraries, community development, or sustainable economic development.

(iv) Have demonstrable knowledge of relevant national, regional and local policies and strategies of relevance to culture and creativity in local government, or ability to acquire same.

(v) Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the Wexford County region and its socio-economic make up.

(vi) Leadership skills and experience in collaborating and working cross functionally with other teams and stakeholders and the ability to interact with staff at all levels in the organisation.

(vii) Have excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation and organisational skills.

(viii) Have strong understanding of the importance of systems, process and structures in enabling efficient delivery of an effective team with the ability to prioritise and multi-task.

(ix) Be able to demonstrate competence in influencing and negotiating, delivering quality outcomes and the ability to work in direct contact with a diverse range of stakeholders including agencies/bodies, voluntary groups, creative/heritage organisations, libraries and artists.

(x) Satisfactory ICT skills with comprehensive working knowledge of office productivity tools.

(xi) Experience of budget preparation and management.

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.

CONTRACT DURATION:

This position is joint funded by Creative Ireland and Wexford County Council. Funding is in place until the 31st December 2027.

GARDA VETTING

The successful candidate will be required to co-operate with a Garda vetting procedure and must have Garda clearance.

THE PERSON

The person appointed will be able to clearly demonstrate the key competencies as set out in this Booklet. In addition, the successful candidate will:

• have the knowledge and ability to discharge the duties of the post concerned;

• be suitable on the grounds of character;

• are fully competent and available to undertake, and fully capable of undertaking, the duties attached to the position;

• be suitable in all other relevant respects for appointment to the post concerned; candidates, if successful, will not be appointed to the post unless they agree to undertake the duties attached to the post and accept the conditions under which the duties are, or may be required to be, performed.

DUTIES OF THE POST

The duties of the post shall be to give to the local authority under the direction and supervision of its appropriate employee, such services of an executive, supervisory and advisory nature as are required for the exercise and performance of any of its powers and duties; these shall include the duty of deputising for other employees of the local authority, when required, and such duties as may be required in relation to the area of any other local authority.

The duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Working with Wexford County Council Culture and Creativity Team to deliver the strategic priorities in Wexford County Council’s Culture and Creativity Strategy 2023-2027 and Cruinniú na nÓg, through an annual programme;

• Liaison with local creatives, artists, organisations and staff across relevant directorates within the local authority to manage the development and delivery of a programme of projects and events. The aim is to encourage increased participation in creative and cultural activities locally;

• Liaison with local creatives, artists, organisations and local authority staff involved in the delivery Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of creativity for children and young people;

• Support the Creative Ireland Coordinator and Culture and Creativity Team in their objectives including broadening creative engagement locally; enhancing the strategic role of culture and creativity within local government; supporting collaborative actions and links to wider local authority policies of relevance to wellbeing, social cohesion and economic development;

• Support engagement between the local authority and the Creative Ireland Programme centrally including via the Creative Ireland portal;

• Arrange and manage yearly schedule of meetings for the Culture and Creativity Team;

• Attend relevant Creative Ireland Programme quarterly meetings and others as they arise;

• Provide data, briefing and updates to senior managers in Wexford County Council and the Creative Ireland Programme officials as requested;

• Local citizen engagement campaigns through marketing and social media platforms to ensure greater understanding of Creative Communities programme locally.

The particular duties and responsibilities attached to the post may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibilities entailed. The post holder may therefore be required to perform duties appropriate to the post, other than those detailed above and to take instruction from and report to an appropriate officer or such designated officer as may be assigned from time to time by Wexford County Council.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Tenure:

The post is temporary, whole-time 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).

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 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) in accordance with the terms of the Scheme.

For new entrants under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme effective from 01/01/2013, superannuation contributions are 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration and 3% of pensionable remuneration.

Probation:

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

(a) there shall be a period after such appointment takes effect during which such person shall hold such office on probation;

(b) such period shall be six months but the Chief Executive may, at his discretion, extend such period;

(c) such person shall cease to hold such office at the end of the period of probation, unless during such period the Chief Executive has certified that the service of such person is satisfactory.

Salary:

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time. 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 employment or in respect of services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform. An allowance may also be payable in respect of travel expenses and subsistence.

SALARY: €51,722 - €61,865 (2nd LSI)

Entry point to this scale will be determined in accordance with Circulars issued by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. Appointees who are not existing public servants will enter at the minimum point of the scale.

Hours of Work:

Due to the nature of the role, the holder is expected to be flexible about evening and weekend work for which overtime will not be paid but time-off-in-lieu will be available.

Health:

For the purpose of satisfying the requirement as to health, it will be necessary for successful candidates, before being appointed, to undergo at their expense, a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the local authority. Defects reported as a result of this examination must be remedied before appointment. On taking up appointment, the expense of the medical examination will be refunded to the candidate.

Retirement / Superannuation:

Single Public Service Pension Scheme:

Effective from 1st January 2013, The Single Public Service Scheme applies to all first-time new entrants to the public service, as well as to former public servants returning to the public service after a break of more than 26 weeks.

All new entrants to pensionable public service employment on or after 1 January 2013 are, in general, members of the Single Scheme.

Pension Age: Minimum pension age of 66 years (rising to 67 and 68 in line with State Pension age changes). Scheme Members must retire at the age of 70 years.

New entrants to the public service appointed on or after 1st April, 2004.

Retirement Age will be determined by the terms of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004. The Act introduces new retirement provisions for new entrants to the public service appointed on or after 1st April, 2004. For new entrants there is no compulsory retirement age and 65 is the earliest age at which retirement benefits can be paid. In all other cases, 60 years is the minimum retirement age, with 70 years being the maximum retirement age.

Driving Licence:

When required to do so holders of the office may be required to drive a motor car in the course of their duties and should therefore, hold a full driving licence for class B vehicles free from endorsement and disqualification.

Residence:

The holder of the post shall reside in the district in which his or her duties are to be performed, or within a reasonable distance thereof.