Customs Officer – Shift Work (Clerical Officer)

The Role

Job Description Successful candidates will work as an important part of a busy team, involved in a wide range of interesting and challenging work, which includes facilitating legitimate trade (imports and exports) through ports, airports, and mail and parcel distribution centres, including examining and clearing import/export documentation and physical checks of goods.

Additionally, successful candidates may be involved in frontier controls which include risk profiling and intelligence gathering; anti-smuggling measures leading to the detection of drugs and contraband; identifying tax and duty evasion and working in Customs Channels in the ports and airports and on the eCustoms Helpdesk (Rosslare).

This role requires attendance on site on a 24/7 (Dublin & Rosslare) or 16/7 (Portarlington & Athlone) rostered basis for which a shift premium is payable. Rosters include night and weekend shifts. Shifts are 7/9 hours in length on a 24/7 basis. Each officer will be rostered to cover various shifts commencing morning (3am/5am), afternoon (1pm/3pm), evening (5pm/6pm) or night (9pm/11pm) over the period of the rota. The roster rota is generally in place for 4, 6 or 9 weeks. See Appendix 1 for a selection of example rosters. Your particular roster will be discussed when you are assigned to an operational area.

Over time, successful candidates may have the opportunity to compete for other customs roles which are also an integral part of Revenue’s overall frontline tax and customs trade facilitation and compliance management framework, such as Revenue Dog Handler, a member of one of Revenue’s Customs Cutter crews or opportunities in the wider Revenue.

The work is varied, personally rewarding, challenging, and sometimes physically demanding, with a combination of indoor and outdoor duties, including driving (as applicable), carried out at Revenue premises and other premises.

Enforcement and/or Trade Facilitation duties, for which appropriate training, mentoring and management and supervisory support will be provided, may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Engaging with customs clearance agents, express carriers and members of the public, especially those using our ports and airports.
• Carrying out documentary checks and other controls as a result of EU or national risk profiles, discharging the declaration on Revenue systems and carrying out physical examinations of consignments at Revenue premises, or at agents’ premises.
• Detecting smuggling efforts, seizing illicit and untaxed goods, conducting interviews, preparing statements and giving evidence in court in support of prosecution cases.
• Liaising with other Government Departments and Agencies including, for example, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and An Garda Síochána.
• Detection and investigation of suspected Customs and Revenue offences involving a broad range of liaison, enforcement, investigative and intelligence-gathering support duties.
• Physical searches of vehicles including trucks for the presence of illicit goods and seizing those goods where appropriate.
• Working on the eCustoms Helpdesk (Rosslare) - this is primarily a phone service. Dealing with correspondence from multiple parties including Revenue Trade Facilitation Staff, Express Carriers, the general public and clearance agents. Examining customs declarations and identifying issues preventing the movement of goods.
• Participation in operations aimed at tackling fraud and combating shadow economy activity.

Please note that the above list is not a comprehensive list of all duties that the successful candidate will be required to undertake. It is designed to give candidates an overall understanding and appreciation of the opportunities and variety associated with these roles.

An Information session will be held in the New Customs House, Dublin Port on Thursday, 7 August 2025 where Customs Officers will provide an overview of the type of work involved in the advertised positions. Candidates may register their interest by contacting NCHAdmin@revenue.ie

Why Work for Revenue?

Making a Difference A career in Revenue is meaningful, varied, challenging and interesting, and can encompass a wide range of activities in the areas of tax, customs and excise, administrative law, and ICT. Revenue staff can build rewarding and challenging careers with work ranging from direct engagement with individual taxpayers, businesses, and tax agents; to policy development and analysis; investigative work; legal services; and frontier management to name but a few.

Customs roles in Revenue are highly rewarding, with the opportunity to work with a number of Government Departments and Agencies as well as international law enforcement agencies, e.g., An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces, Europol. Customs staff play a key role in preventing the smuggling of prohibited goods and disrupting criminality.

Our staff work both independently and as part of a team in a dynamic environment. We offer exciting opportunities to solution-orientated people whose values align with ours to help us continue to be a high performing and responsive tax and customs administration.

Learning and Development Revenue recognises the value of investing in its staff and developing their skillsets both to their benefit and to the benefit of our overall capability as an organisation. Revenue provides excellent opportunities for personal and career development, as well as lifelong learning in leadership, management, and technical skills.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Revenue is an equal opportunities employer. We recognise and respect the cultural diversity within our workforce, promoting a culture of dignity and respect for all, with a team dedicated to supporting diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Environment We acknowledge our duty within our workplace and to the wider environment. We encourage approaches that reduce our carbon footprint by communicating and managing sustainable practices in our offices, as well as engaging with ‘Green’ public procurement policies in securing goods and services.

Other benefits to a career in Revenue include stable employment following a one-year probationary period and internationally recognised training and certification.

3. Person Specification Applicants must demonstrate that they possess the skills/competencies identified as necessary for the role. A successful applicant will be required to display sound judgement in pressurised situations, good interpersonal skills, flexibility, integrity, and the capacity to work effectively as part of a team. They will possess or show that they have the ability to acquire the skill, knowledge and attributes required for the role of Customs Officer – Shift Work (Clerical Officer) including:

• Teamwork
• Information Management/Processing
• Delivery of Results
• Customer Service & Communication Skills
• Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development
• Drive & Commitment to Public Service Values

4. Location Please select your location preference when completing the application form. You may only select a location where you would be prepared to take up a position and you may only select a maximum of two locations. Changes to your location choices will not be permitted after the closing date.

It is anticipated that during the lifetime of this panel Customs Shift Work Clerical Officer posts may arise in the following locations:

• Athlone

• Dublin

• Portarlington

• Rosslare – Frontier Management

• Rosslare – eCustoms Helpdesk

Candidates should be aware that vacancies may not arise in all of the above locations while this panel is active.

5. Entry Requirements A full valid manual driving licence (minimum class B) is desirable for this role. Candidates who do not have a full class B licence may be limited to the duties and roles to which they can be assigned.

Candidates should:

• Be capable and competent of fulfilling the role to a high standard and

• have a good level of education.

Candidates must:

• Be at least 17 years of age on or before 15 August 2025, i.e., have been born on or before 15 August 2008;

• fulfil Citizenship and Health and Character requirements and

• successfully complete Garda Vetting checks.

There are some restrictions on eligibility and appointments. Please see section 17.

6. Conditions of Appointment Appointment to the Customs role will normally be for a period of five years subject to:

• An initial probation period of one year. During this period there will be formal 3-monthly reviews of your performance, to assess suitability for the role and

• You continuing to fulfil the requirements of the job, i.e., satisfactory attendance, performance in the role, health, fitness etc., and observance of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.

• If an officer is deemed unsuitable for the role during the probation period, the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant probation guidelines or disciplinary guidelines.

• For business continuity reasons and in keeping with the Civil Service Mobility Scheme and the Revenue internal EOI Process, you must agree to serve a minimum of 2 years in this role and assigned location.

At the end of the five-year contract period, officers will be assigned to the ordinary duties of their grade within Revenue in the geographical location to which they were assigned from this competition. Officers may compete for subsequent Revenue Customs and general competitions.

A Health and Character Self-declaration form must be completed on offer of appointment. As part of that declaration, you are required to declare any facts that may be a potential health and safety risk for you, or any matters which might damage your own or Revenue’s reputation. In addition, existing medical issues which may affect your ability to carry out this role must be declared. Revenue reserves the right to seek a medical report or carry out further vetting for health and safety/duty of care purposes, post appointment.

References will be sought, including from current employers.

Special equipment, as required, will be provided to carry out the various duties. All staff are provided with the necessary training including health and safety training and the necessary personal protective clothing for the tasks assigned.

Please note that it is a Revenue priority to maintain complete confidentiality in relation to your personal information. In this regard, you may at any time declare medical issues or other pertinent information in strictest confidence. Arrangements can be made to provide medical history/information directly to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Civil Service.

You are required to be fully familiar and compliant at all times with the Revenue Code of Ethics (a copy of which will be made available on appointment), and you are subject to the terms of Circular 19/2016 on the Civil Service Disciplinary Code and Circular 24/2016 on the Civil Service Management of Underperformance Policy.

The following additional conditions apply:

• Revenue Customs officers may be required to wear an official uniform, which Revenue will provide and due to the nature of the work you may be required to carry an official mobile phone while on duty.

• Due to the physically demanding nature of the work, you must continue to meet the health and fitness level requirements of the post.

• You must achieve a rating of “Satisfactory” on your PMDS1 Annual Review throughout the period of the contract. Officers failing to attain a “Satisfactory” rating will be deemed not suitable for these duties and the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant probation guidelines or disciplinary guidelines.

• All officers will be expected to comply with Revenue Health and Safety policies and are required to disclose any relevant matters during the contract period which could potentially risk the health and safety of the officer, or which might damage the officer’s own or Revenue’s reputation.

• Revenue Customs officers will be expected to perform such appropriate Revenue duties as may be directed.

• A Revenue Customs officer who is engaged in any other employment must declare this interest to their Principal Officer upon appointment to the role or when taking up other employment after appointment.

• Blended working and/or shorter working year arrangements are not compatible with appointments to Revenue customs posts.

Pay

Shift Premium Payment

Staff appointed to Customs Shift Work will receive a starting salary of €30,690.92. In addition to this Clerical Officer basic pay a 25% shift premium is payable for attendance on a 24/7 shift pattern in Dublin and Rosslare, increasing the starting salary to €38,363.65, and a 16% shift premium is payable for attendance on a 16/7 shift pattern in Athlone and Portarlington, increasing the starting salary to €35,601.47.

Refer to sections 18.1 and 18.2 for further details on Terms and Conditions, including salary and shift payments.