Economic Development Officer

The Position:

Westmeath County Council employs over 600 staff across eight service divisions. Housing & Building; Road, Transport & Safety; Rural Water; Development Management; Environmental Protection; Recreation & Amenity; Climate Action, Agriculture & Education and Miscellaneous Services. It consists of 20 democratically elected members. The Council is mandated to deliver a diverse range of functions and services which can be broadly described under the headings of economic development, community development, provision of physical and social infrastructure, recreation and amenity services, and the enforcement of the planning and environmental regulatory framework. The Council now invites applications from suitably qualified persons who wish to be considered for inclusion on a panel from which permanent and fixed term contract posts for the position of Economic Development Officer will be drawn.

Role:

The role of the Economic Development Officer will be to actively develop and promote County Westmeath as an attractive destination for investment, to live and work in. The successful candidate will be expected to perform duties in relation to economic development activities undertaken by Westmeath County Council and will report directly to the Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Westmeath County Council.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assisting in the development and implementation of economic plans for the county/region including the Midland Regional Enterprise Plan and assisting in the development, implementation and reporting of the economic aspects of the Local Economic and Community Plan, Athlone Economic Strategy etc.

• To liaise with local interests, including state agencies, local development bodies, the business sector and the community & voluntary sector regarding the identification of suitable projects which could be developed to generate business/economic activity in the county/region

• Participation in internal and external economic action groups

• Preparing economic applications for funding in respect of Local, National and European funding sources and management and coordination of same amongst various sections of the Council and other stakeholders.

• Management and administration of economic grants and budgets

• Conducting economic research reports for Council

• Management and the marketing of Westmeath County Council’s current and potential enterprise infrastructure and assets (e-working centres, business parks etc.)

• Management of Digital Marketing Strategy of Co-working space in Westmeath

• Development and implementation of Council and other economic development initiatives such as the Shopfront Enhancement Scheme

• Meetings Administrator for the Economic Development, Enterprise & Tourism SPC

• Promotion and marketing of local areas in Westmeath as a location for investment, singly or in conjunction with the appropriate national body.

• Responding to information requests from the business community

• Promotion of the Councils wider contribution to Economic Development in the County

• Other duties as may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POST

Character

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health

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

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.

Education/Experience etc.

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

(i) hold a recognised third level qualification (NFQ Level 8) or equivalent professional qualification in business, economics, or a related discipline (applications will be considered from candidates who do not possess such a qualification but who can demonstrate exceptional career achievement in a relevant discipline), and

(ii) have a minimum of 5 years relevant post qualification experience in a related discipline

Candidates will also be required to demonstrate:

• significant experience at management level

• a proven ability to work on their own initiative and in partnership with other agencies to promote the economy of Westmeath.

• experience of implementing agreed strategies to meet objectives and the ability to expand and improve the range, quantity or quality of existing services

• an understanding and experience of Economic, Social and Community Development, Tourism and Planning

• satisfactory experience of developing and maintaining effective partnerships and of engaging and influencing various stakeholders across the socio-economic and planning spectrum

• satisfactory experience in programme management

• previous experience of creating and promoting funding bids

• proven experience in the development of departmental and corporate long-range plans as well as budget formulation and reporting processes

• proven ability to plan and think strategically

• strong business acumen

• excellent organisational skills and discipline, and possess the drive to deliver the required results

• experience of budget and resource management to drive the effective and efficient use of available resources

• experience of managing internal controls to assure process and legal compliance and fraud prevention

• experience in the management and supervision of staff, building effective teams, developing motivation and commitment and maintaining sound employee relations

• experience of putting in place efficient and effective working structures, performance management arrangements and target based objectives

• a high level of customer focus

• superior verbal and written communication and presentation skills

PARTICULARS OF OFFICE

Salary

The current salary scale for the post of Economic Development Officer €60,011 – €78,015 (including Long Service Increments) gross per annum as per Circular EL 07/2025. Payment of increments is dependent on satisfactory performance. Entry point of this scale will be determined in accordance with the Circulars issued by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. New Entrants to the Local Authority Service commence on the 1st point of the scale in accordance with current Government Policy as set out in Department of the Environment Circular Letter EL 02/2011 of 28th January 2011 and Circular EL 05/2016 dated 5th February 2016. Remuneration is paid fortnightly by PayPath directly to the employee’s nominated bank account.

The current pay cycle may be revised during the period of employment. Remuneration is subject to all statutory deductions e.g. PAYE and PRSI. Increments are paid annually subject to satisfactory attendance, conduct and performance and national agreements. Increments may be withheld if performance, attendance and/or conduct are not satisfactory. You agree that in the event of an overpayment of salary or other monies to you, the Council reserves the right to deduct monies from your “wages” (for the purposes of the Payment of Wages Act, 1991) for the purpose of reimbursement of the Council of the amount of the overpayment(s), in keeping with the Payment of Wages Act 1991, Section 5(5).