General Operative Band 2 /360° Excavator Driver

Open Recruitment Competition to establish panels for appointment to the position of:

General Operative Band 2 /360° Excavator Driver

(Seasonal, Fixed Term & Permanent Positions)

at

(1) Arterial Drainage Maintenance and Construction Services Division in Counties Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and any works managed by the Mungret Depot Area

(2) Arterial Drainage Maintenance and Construction Services Division in Counties Kerry, Cork and any works managed by the Listowel Depot Area

(3) Arterial Drainage Maintenance and Construction Services Division in Counties Galway, Tipperary and any works managed by the Portumna Depot Area

The Office of Public Works (OPW) invites applications for positions in the grade of General Operative Band 2 (Rural)/ 360° Excavator Driver in the OPW’s South West Region Arterial Drainage Maintenance and Construction Services Division.

The General Operative Band 2 (Rural)/ 360° Excavator Driver position is a Non-Established State Industrial post based on a 39-hour week (Monday to Friday) and is subject to a seven-month probation period which may be extended to ten months under certain circumstances. Continuation in employment in the position, following the end of the Probation Period, will be dependent upon the appointee fully meeting the requirements for the position during the Probation Period. The actual hours of attendance are determined by local management requirements.

The OPW is responsible for the maintenance of arterial drainage schemes completed under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act, the construction and maintenance of flood defence schemes under the 1995 (Amendment) Act and under Planning and Development Legislation (Local Authority led schemes). The South West Region Division also provides professional advice on the advancement of flood defence schemes and related matters. Schemes construction by the South West Region division are carried out using the “Direct managed Works Model” consisting of a large direct labour workforce, supplemented as necessary by private section suppliers and sub-contractors.

This is an Open OPW recruitment competition to which applicants with the minimum eligibility requirements may apply. Persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the General Operative Band 2 (Rural)/ 360° Excavator Driver Arterial Drainage Maintenance and Construction Services Division, and who meet the essential eligibility requirements, should submit a completed and signed application form. The selection process may include a short-listing process, based on the information supplied on the application form, which will determine those to be invited to competitive interview.

The competitive interview process will be used by OPW to select the candidate that is deemed suitable for appointment to fill the position and a reserve panel, effective for a limited period, may be formed and may be used to fill certain sanctioned seasonal, fixed term or permanent positions that may arise in South West Region Drainage, Maintenance and Construction Services Division.

Placement on panel(s) does not guarantee nor imply that an offer of employment will be made to those placed on same. In the event that an offer of an appointment is made, it will be made in the order of merit of those on the relevant panel regardless of the length of contract period offered and the specific area(s) in which the position would be based.

Appointments to approved positions of employment are made as and when considered appropriate by OPW management and will be subject to the candidate meeting the health and requirements for the position and achieving the required standard on a practical driving assessment. Internal panels take precedence for appointment over open competitions panels.

Separate panels for the Mungret Depot area, the Listowel Depot area and the Portumna Depot area will be formed in the order of merit on each panel as determined by the Interview Board.

General Operative Band 2 (Rural)/360° Excavator Driver

Arterial Drainage Maintenance & Construction Service Positions

(1) Counties Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and any works managed by the Mungret Depot Area

A. Arterial Drainage Maintenance

B. Construction Services Division

(2) Counties Kerry, Cork and any works managed by the Listowel Depot Area

C. Arterial Drainage Maintenance

D. Construction Services Division

(3) Counties Galway, Tipperary and any works managed by the Portumna Depot Area

E. Arterial Drainage Maintenance

F. Construction Services Division

The Following Process Will Apply in Relation to Offers

Candidates may indicate preferences for positions in either Arterial Drainage Maintenance or in Construction Services; however, the following process will apply in relation to offers.

Candidates may refuse any offers of Seasonal, Fixed Term or Permanent positions for A, C or E in Arterial Drainage Maintenance or B, D or F in Construction Services only once and one form of contract, whether Seasonal, Fixed Term or Permanent, only once each. If a candidate refuses any of the above options, no further offer will be made for that specific form of contract in a specific location within either Arterial Drainage Maintenance or Construction Services. Candidate will however remain on other panels for which they have indicated a preference for the duration of the panel(s).

All offers are made in order of merit on reserve panels following a competitive interview process.

For example:

Candidate Z indicates a preference for Arterial Drainage Maintenance in Locations (1) Mungret Depot and (2) Listowel Depot and Construction Services in Location (1) Mungret Depot.

Candidate Z is offered a Seasonal post in (A) Arterial Drainage Maintenance in geographic location covered by the Mungret Depot.

Candidate Z refuses this post, so he/she will no longer be offered a Seasonal post in (A) Arterial Drainage Maintenance in geographic location covered by the Mungret Depot.

However, Candidate Z will remain on panel to be offered a Fixed Term or Permanent post in (A) Arterial Drainage Maintenance in geographic location covered by the Mungret Depot and either Seasonal, Fixed Term or Permanent post in (C) Arterial Drainage Maintenance in geographic location covered by the Listowel Depot and either Seasonal, Fixed Term or Permanent in Construction Services in geographic location covered by the Mungret Depot.

If Candidate Z turns down each job offer in turn, he/she will slowly reduce their options and eventually not be offered Arterial Drainage Maintenance or Construction Service contracts of Seasonal, Fixed Term or Permanent, based in either any of the selected geographic locations.

If a candidate accepts a Permanent post in any of the geographical locations indicated on their application form, they will no longer be considered for a Permanent post in any of the other geographical locations indicated on their application form under this competition.

Existing panels will take precedence over panels created under this competition when offers are being made.

Essential Eligibility Criteria

(at the closing date)

• Hold a current CSCS card for 3600 Excavator (for category greater than 5 tonne) and have work experience in operating same.
• A current full, clean and current manual driving licence, category B & W; *1,2

Note:

(1) If your Irish driving licence is restricted to driving cars with an automatic transmission only (denoted by the code 78 appearing on the licence), you are not eligible.

(2) From 1 January 2021 if you are resident in Ireland and hold a UK/NI driving licence, it is no longer valid to drive on here in Ireland. It is not legal for driving purposes, and must therefore be exchanged. It is vital that you have a valid driving licence and that you are legally allowed to drive in Ireland by exchanging a UK/NI licence for an Irish driving licence. Further information available on: www.ndls.ie

• Current Safe Pass card; **

Note:

** Where a current Safe Pass card is not available, proof of successful completion of the Safe Pass Course prior to the closing date will be accepted.

The Ideal Candidate Must

• Be well organised and careful with practical tasks

• Have excellent communications skills and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

• Have ability to deal well with the public

The Ideal Candidate Should Have the Ability to

• Solve problems and use their own initiative

• Work independently and as part of a team

• Show a committed and flexible attitude to tasks and projects

• Demonstrate good work practices including time keeping, tidiness, responsibility, quality awareness and safety awareness

Pay

The General Operative Band 2 (Rural) pay scale, per week, with effect from 1st August 2025 is as follows:

€735.62 – €898.36 per week

The successful candidate will be paid at the appropriate point of the pay scale.

Payment will be made weekly by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into a bank account of an officer’s choice. Payment cannot be made until a bank account number and bank sort code has been supplied to the Office of Public Works. Statutory deductions from salary will be made as appropriate.