Education Officer

Role Summary

The HEO (Education Officer) will play a key role in supporting the Commission to deliver a Human Rights and Equality Education and Training Programme with formal (post-primary sector) and non-formal (community and youth sectors) education stakeholders in line with the Commission's strategic priorities.

Main ResponsibilitiesStrategy Development, Implementation & Monitoring

• Managing the development, delivery, monitoring, and review of IHREC’s Human Rights and Equality Education and Training Programme.
• Preparing policy positions and submissions from a human rights, equality, and intercultural understanding perspective to inform the Department of Education and Youth, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, and other relevant consultations, subject reviews, and education and training policies.
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of Human Rights and Equality Education Standards based on UN and Council of Europe best practice that can be applied in formal (post-primary) and non-formal education and in the continuous professional development of teachers.

Material/Resource Development

• Coordinating and collaborating in the development of human rights and equality-based education materials and resources for use in:

Partnerships

• Building and maintaining strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the formal and non-formal education sectors, including but not limited to the Department of Education and Youth and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
• Providing secretariat support to the work of an IHREC Education and Training Advisory Committee, which will advise on the development of education resources.

Event Management

• Organising and delivering events to support human rights and equality education and training for formal (post-primary) and non-formal education audiences and continuous professional development participants.

Finance & Administration

• Managing the programme budget.
• Managing contractors.
• Ensuring effective and efficient administration and record-keeping practices are in place.

Other

• Working with the wider Strategic Engagement Team to deliver agreed goals, targets, and objectives.

The responsibilities outlined above should not be regarded as comprehensive and may be added to or altered as required in line with the requirements of the Commission.

Essential Requirements

Candidates must have, on or before 24 June 2026:

Essential Role Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience working in education and/or training settings using a human rights and equality approach.
• Demonstrated project management experience in the development and delivery of human rights and equality education programmes in formal and/or non-formal sectors.
• Strong understanding of human rights and equality issues in Ireland.
• Strong understanding of Irish education policy and curriculum development and review at post-primary level from a human rights and equality perspective.
• Experience collaborating with and managing relationships with stakeholder bodies relevant to the role.
• Demonstrated track record of applying human rights, equality, and intercultural understanding using participatory methodologies to achieve learning outcomes in formal and/or non-formal sectors.
• Demonstrated track record in designing and delivering education programmes involving multiple stakeholders to a very high standard.
• Strong experience in writing for education and training policy audiences.
• Strong experience producing creative and accessible education and/or training resources for educators and learners on the web and other online formats.
• Demonstrated possession of the PublicJobs core capabilities required for effective performance at Higher Executive Officer level.

PublicJobs Core CapabilitiesBuilding Future Readiness

• Digital Focus, Innovation and Upskilling for the Future
• Strategic Awareness and Change

Evidence Informed Delivery

• Delivering Excellence
• Analysis, Judgement and Decision Making

Leading & Empowering

• Leading, Motivating and Developing
• Leading with Specialist Insight

Communicating & Collaborating

• Communicating and Influencing
• Engaging and Collaborating

Desirable Role Requirements

• A qualification at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications in Education or a closely related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• A human rights and equality-related professional certification or qualification.
• Knowledge or experience of working in civil society organisations operating within the education and training sector.

Eligibility to Compete and Certain Restrictions on EligibilityCitizenship Requirements

Eligible candidates must be:

• A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), consisting of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway; or
• A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or
• A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or
• A non-EEA citizen who has a Stamp 4 or Stamp 5 permission.

Candidates must meet one of the above citizenship criteria by the date of any job offer.

Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER)

It is a condition of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER), as set out in Department of Finance Circular 12/09, that retirees under the scheme are excluded from applying for another position in the same employment or sector while the restrictions remain in force.

Department of Health and Children Circular 7/2010

The Department of Health Circular 7/2010 introduced a Targeted Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) Scheme and Voluntary Redundancy Scheme (VRS).

Under the VER scheme, individuals are not eligible for re-employment in the public health sector, wider public service, or bodies wholly or mainly funded by public money.

Under the VRS scheme, the prohibition on re-employment applies for a period of seven years.

Individuals who availed of the VER scheme are not eligible to compete in this competition.

Individuals who availed of the VRS scheme and are successful in this competition must prove that their period of non-eligibility has expired.

Collective Agreement: Redundancy Payments to Public Servants

Under the Collective Agreement introduced by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 1 June 2012, individuals who availed of ex-gratia redundancy payments are not eligible for re-employment in the public service for a period of two years from termination of employment.

Applicants who availed of this scheme and are successful in the competition must prove their eligibility.

Department of Education and Skills Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers (Circular 102/2007)

Teachers who accepted early retirement under Strands 1, 2, or 3 of the scheme and subsequently become employed in any public sector capacity will have pension payments suspended immediately.

Pension payments resume upon cessation of such employment or upon reaching age 60, whichever occurs later.

Upon resumption, pension calculations will be based only on actual reckonable teaching service, excluding any added years previously granted.

General

The appointment is to a permanent post in the Civil Service and is subject to:

• Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956–2005
• Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004
• Any other legislation relating to the Civil Service in force at the time of appointment

Salary and Payment Arrangements

The Higher Executive Officer Standard Salary Scale applies to this position.

Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) Salary Scale

Effective from 1 June 2026

€60,029 €61,785 €63,537 €65,286 €67,044 €68,792 €70,547 €73,077 (LSI 1) €76,546 (LSI 2)

The PPC rate applies where the individual is required to make a Personal Pension Contribution in accordance with the rules of their superannuation scheme.

A different salary rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

Long-service increments may be payable after:

• 3 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum point (LSI 1)
• 6 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum point (LSI 2)

Important Note

• Entry will be at the minimum point of the scale.
• Salary is not subject to negotiation.
• Remuneration may be adjusted in line with Government pay policy.
• Different terms and conditions may apply to current civil or public servants.
• Subject to satisfactory performance, increments may be payable in line with Government policy.

Tenure and Probation

The appointment is to a permanent position in the Civil Service of the State.

The successful candidate will serve a probationary period of one year from the date specified in the contract.

During probation, performance will be reviewed to determine whether the employee:

• Has performed satisfactorily.
• Has demonstrated satisfactory conduct.
• Is suitable from a health perspective, including attendance and sick leave record.

Prior to completion of probation, a decision will be made regarding retention under Section 5A(2) of the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956–2005.

The decision will be based on performance against the criteria above.

The probationary process will be explained by the employing Department or Office, and a copy of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform probation guidelines will be provided.

Notwithstanding the above, the probationary contract may be terminated at any time before expiry by either party in accordance with the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973–2005.

Suspension of Probation

The probationary period will be suspended during periods of:

• Maternity Leave
• Adoptive Leave