EU Projects Officer

About the WDC:

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is a statutory body whose role is to promote the social and economic development of the western region of Ireland. The WDC works with a range of stakeholders to support sustainable and inclusive growth in the region and has a strong track record of delivering impactful initiatives and programmes.

Culture of the WDC:

At the WDC, we are committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment where employees can thrive and make a difference. Our culture is defined by teamwork, innovation, and a deep sense of purpose. We value diversity, respect for different perspectives, and a willingness to learn and grow. If you are passionate about making a difference in the western region of Ireland and want to be part of a dynamic and collaborative team, we encourage you to apply for this role.

Purpose of Role:

The Western Development Commission seeks to provide a wider scope of EU regional development opportunities to the organisation and the Western Region. The EU Projects Officer position will work as part of the dedicated WDC Regional development team reporting to the Head of Regional Development and within the wider WDC to develop and deliver a diverse range of EU projects that align and progress current WDC activity.

Key Responsibilities:

The following are the main tasks to be undertaken:

Core Project Implementation

• Implement a number of EU-funded projects and achieve all project deliverables.
• Plan and complete all reports and claims associated with EU projects.
• Plan and implement partner responsibilities of funded EU projects (where applicable).

Collaboration & Relationship Building

• Liaise with EU partners and develop strong working relationships.
• Participate in partner meetings and communications, including monthly project conference calls.

Support & Development

• Support the wider EU development team in EU submissions.
• Provide regular project status updates and assist in the compliant undertaking of all project deliverables.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the region’s economy.

Event Management & Promotion

• Organise project launches and conferences.
• Attend relevant events to promote the projects.

Communications & Public Relations

• Support the team communications officer in implementing external PR and social media strategy.
• Adhere to program publicity requirements.
• Prepare newsletters and further build the distribution list(s).
• Update the WDC website with EU project-related content.

Administrative & Compliance Tasks

• Administer the procurement process for service providers (where applicable).

The above is not, and does not purport to be, a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post.

Knowledge & Experience:

Essential:

Applicants must have the following:

• Preferably a Level 7 NFQ qualification (in a related discipline, or equivalent experience).
• Preferably 3 years’ experience in a similar role.
• Experience of successfully submitting project claims to funding bodies.
• Willingness to travel intermittently in support of the project.
• Proven track record of working autonomously.
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to schedule tasks and meet on-going deadlines.
• Experience of developing and maintaining robust record keeping and filing systems.
• Ability to work as part of a dynamic team and to use own initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications (written, verbal and presentation) skills with good attention to detail.
• Experience of using modern digital platforms to manage and promote projects e.g., Social media channels, Websites, Webinar platforms, Dropbox etc.

Desirable:

• Previous experience on EU projects
• Demonstrable capacity to understand or have experience in regionally appropriate sectors including:
• Horizontal Enterprise supports (e.g., SME supports, Mentoring, Enterprise space development, Digital technology, innovation supports, etc)
• Life sciences
• Digital Tech related sector – Audio visual etc
• Advanced manufacturing, Ag. Tech etc
• Proven experience of working remotely is advantageous
• Competency in Irish

Key Competencies:

For effective performance at this level, the candidate will need to demonstrate that they possess the key competencies for effective performance at Executive Officer level:

• People Management
• Analysis & Decision Making
• Delivery of Results
• Interpersonal & Communication skills
• Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development
• Drive & commitment to Public Service Values

Further details on the Civil Service Competency Framework is available here.

Conditions:

All appointments are subject to the Western Development Commission Act 1998 and staff must agree to the WDC Code of Business Conduct under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.

The appointment will be for a full-time, fixed-term contract of 30 months, subject to a probationary period as specified in the employment contract. Candidates must satisfactorily complete a 6-month probationary period before the 30 month fixed-term appointment can be confirmed. Notwithstanding the above, this will not preclude an extension of the probationary contract if performance dictates the same.

Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate will hold a full driving license and have access to transport as this post will involve travel nationally in support of the seven county Western Region. When absent from home and your designated office location on official duty, you will be paid accordingly. The candidate should also be prepared to undertake occasional international travel in the undertaking of their duties.

The salary scale for this post will be equivalent to that of the Civil Service Executive Officer Standard Scale:

Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) Pay Rate: The salary for this position, with effect from 1st February 2026 is as follows:

€38,419 – €40,360 – €41,456 – €43,594 – €45,510 – €47,364 – €49,211 – €51,024 – €52,890 – €54,749 – €56,722 – €58,044 – €59,928 LSI1 – €62,601 LSI2

[1] After 3 years satisfactory service at the maximum

2 After 6 years satisfactory service at the maximum

In addition:

• A further general round increase of 1% will apply on 1st June 2026.

Please note: The starting salary for the person appointed to this post will be the first pointon the above scale unless the successful application has previous public sector experience as per circular 08/2019.

Remote First:

At the WDC, we follow the Government’s / our parent Department’s guidance in extending remote working to all employees. In order to provide flexibility and opportunities for dynamic collaboration and work / life balance. We believe in harnessing technology to drive innovation and maximize efficiency, empowering our team to thrive in a flexible work environment. We promote in-person collaboration and attendance at our offices located in Sligo, Galway, Letterkenny and Ballaghaderreen, when it is required or warranted. New staff or those on probation may initially

work on-site more frequently until completing role induction, as decided by their manager or the CEO

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

How to Apply:

As part of the application process, applicants are required to submit the following documentation:

Both documents should be combined and submitted as a single Word document or PDF, saved using the format FirstName.Surname.

Applications stored on personal online storage sites (e.g., OneDrive, Cloud, DropBox, etc or applications in other file formats (e.g., Google Docs) will not be accepted.

Please note that omission of any or part of the two requested documents, in a single document, will render the application incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the next stage of the selection process.

Please email your application to wdc@collinsmcnicholas.ie

Closing Date:

The closing date for applications is Monday 30th March 2026 at 5pm.

NOTE:

A panel may be formed to fill further EU Project Officer positions at Executive Officer grade that may arise within the next 12 months, subject to sanction from the parent Department or equivalent authority.