Executive Officer T-REX Community Learning Officer

1. PREAMBLE

Mary Immaculate College is an autonomous, university-level, Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. Founded in 1898, and linked academically with the University of Limerick, MIC is the oldest higher education institution in Limerick. Significant expansion in recent decades has seen the College’s offerings expand across two modern campuses, one based in Limerick City and one in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The student community consists of more than 5,000 learners, participating in fifteen undergraduate degree programmes and several postgraduate programmes extending to PhD/Doctoral level. Academic staff engage in a wide range of academic research areas, and research underpins all teaching and learning at MIC. MIC seeks to prepare its students for professional excellence and to nurture their capacity to lead flourishing lives.

2. CANDIDATE PROFILE & SCOPE OF THE POSITION

The College wishes to fill the position of T-REX Community Learning Officer on a full-time, Fixed term Contract for an 15-month period with an expected start date of December 2026. This post will be filled at Executive Officer Grade.

The position of T-REX Community Learning Officer is a key administrative role. The appointee will have responsibility for a wide range of duties relating to the T-REX Shared Island Initiative project. The successful candidate will have excellent organisational skills and will have diverse responsibilities in a complex setting, liaising with project staff, line managers, as well as stakeholders in the professional community more broadly. The appointee will be required to deal with highly confidential information in a very discreet manner.

Essential Skills & Qualifications:

It is desirable that candidates will also have:

1. Experience with educational research whether directly as a researcher, or engagement through professional capacity as an educator.

Cuirfear fáilte roimh iarratais ó dhaoine go bhfuil dearcadh dearfach acu i leith na Gaeilge. Applications are welcome from people who have a positive outlook to Irish.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting Relationship

The appointee is required to carry out the duties attached to the post, under the general direction of T-REX North-South Director, to whom they report, and to whom they are responsible for the performance of these duties in the first instance. The appointee will report through the Dean of Education to the College President and/or to such other College Officers as the President may designate from time to time. The appointee will liaise with other College personnel and with relevant College bodies in carrying out the duties attaching to the post. The reporting relationship is subject to review and may be altered from time to time in line with service needs and developments in the College.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive support and advice to the T-REX Shared Island North-South Director in relation to professional learning and capacity development. • Providing support to the implementation of T-REX digital badges, including facilitating participant recruitment, engagement, and providing on-going guidance and support during the badge process. • Planning, facilitating and organising events to support teachers’ professional learning in terms of using evidence to raise educational attainment in areas of disadvantage. • Regular engagement and nurturing of teacher communities of practice and professional learning on T-REX, scaffolding communications and encouraging meaningful participation. • Facilitation and support for teachers and educational researchers to share relevant research on the T-REX platform. • Supporting development of professional learning resources relevant to T-REX Digital Badge programmes, including piloting, managing feedback from T-REX members, and iteration of materials. • Support the gathering of feedback and various data sources to enable the monitoring and evaluation of the T-REX Shared Island Initiative and to support academic publication. • Management of T-REX social media presence and cultivation of professional community sharing T-REX values through social media and related channels.

The work is broadly defined and the list of duties is not exhaustive. The performance of the entire range of duties is not necessarily confined to any one individual, as the work requires that the staff function in a flexible manner, and work together as a team. The College retains the right to assign new duties and/or re-assign staff to other areas of the College in response to service needs.

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

General

All persons employed will sign an appropriate contract, which will contain terms and conditions of the employment. A job description is given to all applicants for employment and this will form part of the contract documentation.

Place of Work

The appointee’s normal place of work will be Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The College reserves the right to require the appointee to work from any other location. MIC operates a blended working policy, which offers scope for the post holder to combine office attendance with remote working, subject to the provisions of the policy.

Exclusivity of Service and Outside Work

The person appointed will be required to devote their full-time attention and abilities to their duties during their working hours in the College and to act in the best interest of the College at all times.

Therefore, for as long as the successful applicant is working in the College, they may not, without the prior written consent of the Vice President Administration and Finance (VPAF), be actively engaged or concerned in any way, either directly or indirectly, in any other business or undertaking where this is or is likely to be in conflict with the College’s interests or the performance of the duties that the person has been employed for. The appointee will not, during their tenure of office, undertake paid outside work unless they have received the permission of the VPAF of Mary Immaculate College to undertake such work on the terms and conditions as agreed for the particular undertaking in question. In every case, it is the duty of the appointee to seek in writing the prior permission of the VPAF. It is also the duty, in every case, of the appointee to inform the person or body for whom the work is being undertaken, that the work is being conducted in a private capacity and that the College cannot in any circumstances be responsible for such work.

Probationary Period

The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of the standard 6-month probationary period. The probationary period may be extended at the discretion of the College but will not in any case exceed 11 months. Absences during the period of probation will extend the probationary period. Performance and conduct during the probationary period will be reviewed through a process of assessment meetings. Termination of the appointment during the probationary period, for any reason or no reason, will be at the discretion of the College. The disciplinary procedure will not apply to a dismissal during probation where the probationary employee has been employed by MIC for less than 12 months.

Hours of Attendance

The full-time working hours are 35 hours per week. The normal hours of duty are Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a 1-hour unpaid lunch break each day and Friday, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm with a 45-minute unpaid lunch break. However, the duties attaching to the position are such that the post holder may be required to work evenings/weekends on occasion to accommodate service needs. Subject to College policy, the post holder may avail of “Time-Off-In-Lieu (TOIL)” or overtime where working hours exceed the contract hours per week. The College reserves the right to adjust starting and finishing times or days of duty to meet service needs.

Salary

The Salary scale for this position has been approved by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Higher Education Authority in line with Government Policy on Public Sector remuneration. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy. 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.

The grade for this post is Executive Officer. With effect from 1st June 2026, the annual salary scale for Executive Officer (New Entrant - Grossed Up) grade is: €36,569; €38,803; €39,595; €41,870; €44,030; €45,966; €47,838; €49,703; €51,534; €53,418; €55,297; €57,288; €58,625; €60,529 (LSI); €62,444 (LS2).

With effect from the 1st of June 2026, the annual salary scale for the grade of Executive Officer (Grossed up Non New Entrant) is: €39,595; €41,870; €44,030; €45,966; €47,838; €49,703; €51,534; €53,418; €55,297; €57,288; €58,625; €60,529 (LSI 1); €62,444 (LSI 2).

Increments are awarded in line with national pay agreements. Salary will be paid on a monthly basis on the 25th of each month, or the previous Friday if 25th falls on a weekend, using the Paypath facility. Payment of salaries and wages are subject to statutory deductions, i.e. Income Tax (PAYE), Superannuation Contributions, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Universal Social Charge (USC). Increments are awarded in line with national pay agreements.

Superannuation

New entrants to the public service will be required to participate in the Single Public Service Pension Scheme and pay Superannuation contributions at the appropriate rates in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act, 2012. All other eligible appointees are automatically included in the Colleges’ of Education Pension Scheme on taking up appointment. In compliance with the Colleges of Education Pension Scheme, deductions amounting to 6.5% are made from salary. The appointee will be required to pay Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) under the provisions of the Public Service and Pensions Act 2017.

Appointees who commenced employment in the public service between 1st April 2004 and 31st December 2012 and have not had a break in employment of greater than 6 months will have no mandatory retirement age. All other appointees will have a mandatory retirement age of 70.

Pension Abatement

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. In applying for this position, the applicant is acknowledging that they understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the College will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position