Executive Officer

Required Knowledge and Experience

Candidates for the position of Executive Officer must:

• provide evidence that they can manage work effectively by making evidence-based and well-informed judgments and decisions, prioritise objectives, meet deadlines and deliver to a high-quality standard.

• show evidence of developing, supporting, leading and sharing knowledge with others, a track record of working independently and accepting responsibility for projects.

• have excellent IT and digital skills, are open to change and innovation and are committed to improving knowledge/skills for the future with the capacity to question and challenge information and data.

• demonstrate that they have excellent verbal and written communication skills, excellent collaboration skills and are strong team players who can build relationships and identify opportunities for improvement within a team.

In addition, the following are desirable requirements:

• Higher Education Qualification, preferably at NFQ level 8 or above

• Knowledge and interest in Further and Higher Education policy and development

• Experience in research and analysis

• Project management experience

• Knowledge and experience of public sector administration

• Strong written and spoken Irish language skills.

Principal Conditions of Service

Part 1 (Conditions which particularly apply to this position)

Pay

The salary scale for this position is as follows:

€39,490, €41,672, €43,672, €45,424, €47,118, €49,406, €51,062, €52,762, (LSI 1) €54,366, (LSI 2) €56,015

(1) After 3 years satisfactory service at the maximum.

(2) After 6 years satisfactory service at the maximum.

Increments may be awarded subject to satisfactory service and to changes in the terms and conditions relating to salary increments in the Civil/Public Service generally.

The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Salary:

The appointment will be made on the salary scale at a point in line with current Government Pay Policy. New Entrants to the Civil or Public Sector, as defined in Circular 18/2010, will commence on the first point of the salary scale.

Different pay and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment, the appointee is a serving civil or public servant.

Blended Work:

QQI operates a blended working policy where our employees split their time between attending the workplace and working remotely. It is important to note that access to blended working arrangements is subject to fulfilling certain criteria that is set out in the blended working policy.

Annual Leave:

Annual Leave will be 24 working days. This leave is exclusive of public holidays.

Hours of Attendance:

Working hours will be in accordance with the standard arrangements in QQI and will equate to no less than 35 hours (net of rest breaks) per week.

No additional payment will be made for extra attendance as the rate of remuneration payable covers any exceptional extra attendance liability that may arise from time to time.

Part II (Other conditions which apply generally to appointees to this position)

1. Tenure: The successful candidate will be appointed on a permanent basis in QQI.

The appointee must serve a probationary period, which normally will last up to 9 months. Should the appointee’s services be satisfactory as regards health, conduct and efficiency generally during the probationary period, the appointee, on completion of the period will be finally appointed. If the appointee’s services be unsatisfactory, the appointment may be terminated at any time during the period of probation. The probationary period may be extended up to 12 months if deemed necessary by management at QQI. If an appointee who fails to satisfy the conditions of probation has been a serving member of staff immediately prior to their appointment from this competition, the issue of reversion will normally arise. In the event of reversion, the staff member will return to a vacancy at their former grade.

2. Duties: The appointee will be expected to perform all acts, duties and obligations as appropriate to this position (which may be revised from time to time).

3. Outside Employment: The position is whole-time and the appointee must avoid involvement in outside employment/business interests in conflict or in potential conflict with the business of QQI. Clarification must be sought from management where any doubt arises.

4. Sick Leave: Sick leave with full pay may be allowed at the discretion of Quality and Qualifications Ireland in accordance with established procedures and conditions for the public service generally.

5. Retirement and Superannuation: The appointee will be offered public service pension terms and retirement age conditions in accordance with pension arrangements in QQI depending on the status of the successful appointee:

a) In general, an individual who has no prior pensionable Public Service history in the 26 weeks prior to appointment will be a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (Single Scheme) which commenced from 1 January 2013 (Section 10 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 refers);

b) An individual who is on secondment will remain a member of the parent organisation’s pension scheme and the pensionable remuneration will be based on his/her substantive grade i.e. the grade at which the individual is employed in his/her parent organisation;

c) An individual who was a member of a “pre-existing public service pension scheme” as construed by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 and who does not qualify for membership of the Single Scheme will be a member of the QQI’s Staff Superannuation Scheme and Associated Spouses and Children’s Scheme;

d) At the time of being offered an appointment, QQI in consultation with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform if necessary, will, in the light of the appointee’s previous Public Service (and/or other) employment history, determine the appropriate pension terms and conditions to apply for the duration of the appointment. Appointees will be required to disclose their full public service history. Details of the appropriate superannuation provisions will be provided upon determination of appointee’s status;

e) In accordance with the provisions of the Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004 staff may not retire before their 65th birthday unless it is on grounds of ill-health. Different retirement arrangements apply to staff employed in the public service prior to the aforementioned 2004 Act;

f) The following points should be noted:

• 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 will 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.

• Pension Abatement: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 extended pension abatement so that a retiree’s public service pension is liable to abatement on re-entering public service employment, even where the new employment is in a different area of the public service. 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 Health Service Executive VER/VRS which, as outlined below, render a person ineligible for the competition) the entitlement to payment of 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.

• Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science, Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers Circular 102/2007: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science, 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, 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 cesser 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.

6. Pension Related Deduction: This appointment is subject to the pension-related deduction in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. For further information in relation to public service superannuation issues please see the following website: http://per.gov.ie/pensions

7. Eligibility to compete and certain restrictions on eligibility Citizenship Requirements.

Eligible Candidates must be:

1. A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

2. A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

3. A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa; or

4. 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

5. 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 Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa.

Note in respect of UK citizens: The concluded EU/UK Brexit negotiations have confirmed that the longstanding Common Travel Area Agreement between the UK and Ireland remains unchanged post-Brexit. Accordingly, UK citizens remain eligible to work and reside in Ireland without restriction and, as such, to make an application to compete for this competition where they meet all other qualifying eligibility criteria.

8. 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.

9. Department of Health and Children Circular (7/2010): The Department of Health Circular 7/2010 dated 1 November 2010 introduced a Targeted Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) Scheme and Voluntary Redundancy Schemes (VRS). It is a condition of the VER scheme that persons availing of the scheme will not be eligible for re-employment in the public health sector or in the wider public service or in a body wholly or mainly funded from public moneys. The same prohibition on re-employment applies under the VRS, except that the prohibition is for a period of 7 years, after which time any re-employment will require the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, & Reform. People who availed of either of these schemes are not eligible to compete in this competition.

10. Collective Agreement: Redundancy Payments to Public Servants

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform letter dated 28 June 2012 to Personnel Officers introduced, with effect from 1 June 2012, a Collective Agreement which had been reached between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Services Committee of the ICTU in relation to ex-gratia Redundancy Payments to Public Servants. It is a condition of the Collective Agreement that persons availing of the agreement will not be eligible for re-employment in the public service by any public service body (as defined by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 – 2011) for a period of 2 years from termination of the employment. Thereafter the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, & Reform will be required prior to re-employment. People who availed of this scheme and who may be successful in this competition will have to prove their eligibility (expiry of period of non-eligibility) and the Minister’s consent will have to be secured prior to employment by any public service body.

11. Declaration of previous public service employment history:

The successful candidate will be required to declare whether they have previously availed of a public service scheme of incentivised early retirement and/or the collective agreement outlined above. It will also be required to declare any entitlements to a Public Service pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other Public Service employment and/or where they have received a payment-in-lieu in respect of service in any Public Service employment.

Competition Process

How to Apply

Recruitment Plus will be managing this recruitment competition. Applications should be made by completing and sending the official application form to Ms Hazel Whelan, Director, Recruitment Plus at qqi@rplus.ie no later than 15:00 on 9 October 2026.

The successful candidate will be required to provide a declaration as outlined in paragraph 11. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date and time.

Selection Methods

The selection may include shortlisting of candidates on the basis of the information contained in their application.

• QQI reserves the right to require candidates to attend a second interview and may carry out psychometric testing – if deemed appropriate.

• Satisfactory references (referees will not be contacted without the candidate’s prior agreement).

• Satisfactory health declaration assessment

Shortlisting

Normally the number of applications received for a position exceeds that required to fill existing and future vacancies to the position. While a candidate may meet the eligibility requirements of the competition, if the numbers applying for the position are such that it would not be practical to interview everyone, QQI may decide that a number only will be called to interview. In this respect, QQI will provide for the employment of a short-listing process to select a group for interview who, based on an examination of the application forms, appear to be the most suitable for the position. An expert board will examine the application forms against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position. This is not to suggest that other candidates are necessarily unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the job, rather that there are some candidates, who based on their application, appear to be better qualified and/or have more relevant experience. It is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications/ experience in your application.

Confidentiality

Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2014 as amended, applications will be treated in strict confidence.

Other important information

QQI will not be responsible for refunding any expenses incurred by candidates.

The admission of a person to a campaign, or invitation to attend an interview, is not to be taken as implying that QQI are satisfied that such person fulfils the requirements of the competition or is not disqualified by law from holding the position and does not carry a guarantee that your application will receive further consideration. It is important, therefore, for you to note that the onus is on you to ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements for the competition before attending for interview. If you do not meet these essential entry requirements but nevertheless attend for interview you will be putting yourself to unnecessary expense.

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment to this position, QQI will make all such enquiries that are deemed necessary to determine the suitability of that candidate. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed, a final determination cannot be made nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it or if an additional vacancy arises QQI may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.

Candidates' Obligations

Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify and will result in their exclusion from the process.

Candidate must not:

• knowingly or recklessly provide false information

• canvass any person with or without inducements

• interfere with or compromise the process in any way

A third party must not personate a candidate at any stage of the process.

Any person who contravenes the above provisions or who assists another person in contravening the above provisions is guilty of an offence. A person who is found guilty of an offence is liable to a fine/or imprisonment.

In addition, where a person found guilty of an offence was or is a candidate at a recruitment process, then:

• where he/she has not been appointed to a post, he/she will be disqualified as a candidate; and

• where he/she has been appointed subsequently to the recruitment process in question, he/she shall forfeit that appointment.

Deeming of candidature to be withdrawn

Candidates who do not attend for interview or other test when and where required by QQI, or who do not, when requested, furnish such evidence as QQI requires in regard to any matter relevant to their candidature, will have no further claim to consideration.

Quality Customer Service

We aim to provide an excellent quality service to all our customers. If, for whatever reason, you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you receive from us, we urge you to bring this to the attention of the unit or staff member concerned. This is important as it ensures that we are aware of the problem and can take the appropriate steps to resolve it.

QQI assesses all applicants fairly based on the requirements for the role. Due to the high volume of applications, we receive for positions, we are unable to provide feedback to candidates who are not shortlisted for interview. If you are short-listed for interview, and are subsequently unsuccessful, you can request verbal feedback.