Executive Officer (Human Resources)

The Role: Executive Officer, Human Resources

The Executive Officer’s primary role is to contribute to the delivery of an efficient and effective service to the public and to colleagues in the Adoption Authority. An Executive Officer critically analyses and uses good judgment and decision making on a daily basis. The Executive Officer is an important part of the team with some supervisory duties.

The Executive Officer in the Human Resources Unit is expected to be responsible for and to take ownership of tasks and bring them to a satisfactory conclusion through the effective organisation, allocation and supervision of work. This junior management role is varied and requires the role-holder to be flexible, capable of working to tight deadlines while also being committed to delivering quality results. The purpose of the role is to provide high quality HR services in a wide range of areas including recruitment, payroll, pension, learning & development and implementation of HR policies and procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Higher Executive Officer in Human Resources Unit, the Executive Officer will be responsible for:

• Support day-to-day HR operations activities, ensuring efficient and effective delivery of HR services;

• Support the implementation of HR policies and procedures;

• Respond to employee queries coming to the HR unit in an efficient and professional manner;

• Provide support to the HR manager in relation to Payroll and Pensions administration, including collecting and compiling payroll data, implementing salary and pension adjustments, higher scales, increments and deductions;

• Assist with recruitment processes, including liaising with external recruitment partners, setting up interviews, issuing relevant correspondence, reference checking and issuing contracts of employment etc.;

• Assist with the administration of Performance Management documents; processing of all training requests;

• Source and book training programmes, correspond with attendees, maintain accurate training records;

• Monitor and manage time and attendance system and various leave entitlements in line with relevant circulars;

• Make suggestions for improvements to activity and procedures across the HR function;

• Arrange, schedule and support meetings including taking minutes and assisting the HR Team in the drafting of reports and proposals;

• Provide support to Clerical Officer with general HR administration;

• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

REQUIREMENTS

Character

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health

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

Essential Eligibility Criteria

On the date of the closing of applications, applicants must meet both essential requirements outlined under Sections A and B below:

A. Educational requirements

(i) Have obtained a qualification at least Level 6 on the NFQ framework, or equivalent.

B. Required experience, knowledge and skills

Candidates must demonstrate that they meet all the following criteria in terms of experience, knowledge and skills.

B1. A minimum of 1 year’s relevant experience working within a HR environment.

And

B2. Candidates must demonstrate strong written communication skills and excellent attention to detail, as evidenced by their Application Form.

Desirable Criteria

It is desirable that the ideal candidate would also have:

• 1 year’s experience within the Human Resources in civil or public sector with payroll and Public Sector Pension.

• HR qualification such as CIPD (Chartered Institute for Professional Development).

Competencies

Applicants must show within their application that they have all the abilities required for the role.

In particular, applicants must demonstrate, by reference to specific achievements in their career to date, that they possess the qualities, skills and knowledge required for the role of Executive Officer – Human Resources as identified by Public Jobs in its Competencies Framework – please see Appendix A. These include:

• People Management

• Analysis and Decision Making

• Delivery of Results

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

• Drive and commitment to Public Sector Values

It will be necessary for applicants to reach the qualifying standard in each competency in order to be deemed suitable for appointment.

Note: The functions and responsibilities assigned to this position are based on the current stated role and may be changed from time to time. The person appointed requires the flexibility to fulfil other roles and responsibilities at a similar level within the AAI.

Remuneration:

Salary Scale: €36,343 - €61,216 per year

Contract: Permanent – Full Time

Attendance: Hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount to not less than 35 hours net of lunch breaks, Monday to Friday. Applicants may apply for hybrid working in line with AAI policy.

Probation: This role will be on a probationary basis for a period of 12 months from the date of commencement of employment.

During the period of probation, the appointee’s performance will be subject to review by the Head of HR and Staff Development to determine whether they:

a) have performed in a satisfactory manner,

b) have been satisfactory in general conduct, and

c) are suitable from the point of view of health and, in particular, with regard to sick leave.

Outside Employment: The position will be whole-time and the appointee may not engage in private practice or be connected with any outside business, which conflicts in any way with his/her official duties, impairs performance or compromises his/her integrity.

Sick Leave: Pay during properly certified sick absence, provided there is no evidence of permanent disability for service, will apply on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the provisions of the sick leave circulars for the public service. Officers who will be paying Class A rate of PRSI will be required to sign a mandate authorising the Department of Social Protection to pay any benefits due under the Social Welfare Acts directly to the AAI. Payment during illness will be subject to the officer making the necessary claims for social insurance benefit to the Department of Social Protection within the required time limits.

Superannuation:

The successful candidate will be offered the appropriate superannuation terms and conditions as prevailing in the Adoption Authority Ireland, at the time of being offered an appointment. In general, an appointee who has never worked in the Public Service will be offered appointment based on membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (“Single Scheme”). Full details of the Scheme are at www.singlescheme.gov.ie

.

Where the appointee has worked in a pensionable (non-Single Scheme) public service job in the 26 weeks prior to appointment or is currently on a career break or special leave with/without pay, different terms may apply. The pension entitlement of such appointees will be established in the context of their public service history.

The key provisions attaching to membership of the Single Scheme are as follows:

• Pensionable Age: The minimum age at which retirement benefits are payable is the same as the age of eligibility for the State Pension, currently 66 years.

• Retirement Age: Scheme members must retire on reaching the age of 70 years.

• Career average earnings are used to calculate benefits (a pension and lump sum amount accrue each year and up-rated each year by reference to CPI).

• Post retirement pension increases are linked to CPI.

Pension Abatement

If the appointee was previously employed in the Civil Service and is in receipt of a pension from the Civil Service normal abatement rules will apply. However, if the appointee was previously employed in the Civil Service and awarded a pension under voluntary early retirement arrangements (other than the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) or the Department of Health Circular 7/2010 VER/VRS which, as indicated below, renders a person ineligible for the competition) the entitlement to that pension will cease with effect from the date of reappointment. Special arrangements will, however, be made for the reckoning of previous service given by the appointee for the purpose of any future superannuation award for which the appointee may be eligible.

If the appointee was previously employed in the Civil Service or in the Public Service, please note that the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 includes a provision which extends abatement of pension for all Civil and Public Servants who are re-employed where a Public Service pension is in payment. This provision to apply abatement across the wider public service came into effect on 1 November 2012.

This may have pension implications for any person appointed to this position who is currently in receipt of a Civil or Public Service pension or has a preserved Civil or Public Service pension which will come into payment during his/her employment in this position.

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

The Department of Education and Skills introduced an Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers. It is a condition of the Early Retirement Scheme that with the exception of the situations set out in paragraphs 10.2 and 10.3 of the relevant circular documentation, and with those exceptions only, if a teacher accepts early retirement under Strands 1, 2 or 3 of this scheme and is subsequently employed in any capacity in any area of the public sector, payment of pension to that person under the scheme will immediately cease. Pension payments will, however, be resumed on the ceasing of such employment or on the person’s 60th birthday, whichever is the later, but on resumption, the pension will be based on the person’s actual reckonable service as a teacher (i.e. the added years previously granted will not be taken into account in the calculation of the pension payment).

Ill-Health-Retirement

Please note that where an individual has retired from a Civil/Public Service body on the grounds of ill-health his/her pension from that employment may be subject to review in accordance with the rules of ill-health retirement within the pension scheme of that employment.

Prior Public Servants

While the default pension terms, as set out in the preceding paragraphs, consist of Single Scheme membership, this may not apply to certain appointees. Full details of the conditions governing whether or not a public servant is a Single Scheme member are given in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. However, the key exception case (in the context of this competition and generally) is that a successful candidate who has worked in a pensionable (non-Single Scheme terms) capacity in the public service within 26 weeks of taking up appointment, would in general not become a member of the Single Scheme. In this case such a candidate would instead be offered membership of the pension scheme for non-established civil servants (“Non-Established State Employee Scheme”).

This would mean that the abatement provisions above would apply, and in addition there are implications in respect of pension accrual as outlined below:

Pension Accrual

A 40-year limit on total service that can be counted towards pension where a person has been a member of more than one existing public service pension scheme would apply. This 40-year limit, which is provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012 came into effect on 28 July 2012. This may have implications for any appointee who has acquired pension rights in a previous public service employment.

Additional Superannuation Contribution

This appointment is subject to the Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) in accordance with the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017. Note: ASC deductions are in addition to any pension contributions required under the rules of your pension scheme.

For further information in relation to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme for Public Servants please see the following website: https://singlepensionscheme.gov.ie

Important notice:

The above represents the principal conditions of service and is not intended to be the comprehensive list of all terms and conditions of employment which will be set out in the employment contract to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Eligibility to Compete

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 has a stamp 4 visa; or

(e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015 or a 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.

A candidate who is in doubt with regard to their eligibility to compete should consult the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment.

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 that Scheme, are debarred from applying for another position in the same employment or the same sector. Therefore, such retirees may not apply for this position.