Healthy Ireland Coordinator

About Fingal County Council

Fingal is a highly attractive place to live, work, visit and do business. It comprises a geographical area of 450 sq.km stretching from Balbriggan in the north, to Blanchardstown in the west and to Howth in the east.

The area is defined by the diversity of its landscape and settlement patterns with rural, urban and suburban locations all rolled into one county. There is 88kms of coastline, three large protected estuaries and salt marsh habitats and 13 major beaches.

Fingal County Council is one of the county’s major local employers and currently employs approximately 1,600 staff. The Council is mandated to deliver a diverse range of functions and services which can be broadly described under the headings of the provision of physical and social infrastructure, housing, economic and tourism development, community development, recreation and amenity services and the management of the planning and environmental regulatory framework.

The role of the County Council as provided for in law is to represent, lead and serve the communities of Fingal.

The Role

Healthy Ireland is a Department of Health funded initiative located within local government with a concerted focus on improving the health and well-being of everyone living in Ireland preventing illness; enabling wellbeing environments, reducing health inequities and empowering people and communities to better look after their own health and wellbeing.

More specifically, the programme highlights the important role and responsibility that local government has in enhancing community wellbeing outcomes.

Healthy Ireland promotes a whole-of-local-government approach and seeks to demonstrate how coherent actions across the wider determinants of health and wellbeing areas of local government activity can produce benefits across broader development objectives and many other related policy areas.

This alignment of health and wellbeing activity alongside other local government initiatives with shared objectives is important in driving coherence and collaboration across local government.

The programme has a formal governance arrangement within the LCDC structure which gives it a strong platform from which to build collaborative effort and support high level goal efforts within Local Economic and Community Plans and aligns with Healthy Ireland, A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 – 2025 which is the national framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Ireland

The Healthy Ireland Coordinator is an Administrative Officer grade post and the successful candidate will initially be assigned responsibility for the delivery of the Healthy Fingal Programme.

At any stage the Healthy Ireland Coordinator may be reassigned to a comparable grade post (Administrative Officer) within the local authority.

A Healthy Ireland Fund secured from the Department of Health is provided to each Local Authority to help leverage activity in specific outcome areas. The fund is used to lever support for projects in specific outcome areas and its management and administration forms part of the overall work programme of the Coordinator.

The primary work of the Coordinator is a collaborative and networking role to encourage implementation of key wellbeing determinant objectives within local government, explore resource and partnership opportunity locally, regionally, nationally and internationally through EU funding streams to influence resource allocation flows to the Local Authority for wellbeing outcome focused projects, and seek out opportunities from a European perspective considering the WHO European Healthy Cities Network approach and relevant EU programme activity.

The Coordinator is the primary point of contact and liaison with other sections in relation to all operational matters for the Healthy Ireland Programme for which they are responsible and other assigned duties/functions.

The post holder will work under the direction and control of the Senior Executive Officer or analogous grade or other officer designated by the Chief Executive or Director of Services as appropriate.

The Coordinator is responsible for management of the day-to-day operations of the relevant programme and is a contributor to the strategic and policy making decisions of the local authority.

They will be expected to contribute to the development and implementation of policies and strategies and to work closely with the elected Councillors, Oireachtas members and senior managers in delivering services to the highest standard.

The post holder may represent the Local Authority on committees and at meetings, including for example Local Area Committee meetings, Strategy Policy Committee meetings, Local Community Development Committee meetings and may be asked to report on progress in their respective section or department.

The post holder will be expected to support the operations of the elected Council, the Strategic Policy Committees, Local Area Committees and other Council structures.

The job description below outlines the requirements for the position that operates within a multilevel governance environment—from municipal district and community level to national and EU levels.

This is not a conventional Administrative Officer position.

The postholder will be responsible for coordinating, influencing, and aligning activity across political, managerial, sectoral, and community domains, working at local, municipal district, plenary, regional, national and European levels.

The position requires a professional with the ability to coordinate, influence, and lead crosssectoral and community initiatives that address health inequalities, promote prevention, and build resilient, inclusive place within their designated Local Authority.

The role will support the delivery of the emerging outcomes framework for Healthy Ireland in 2026, and the WHO European Healthy Cities Network (Phase VIII) objectives at local and regional levels.

The role prioritises actions to improve the wider determinants of health through local government’s statutory and developmental responsibilities, with a strong emphasis on empowering communities, research and innovation, intersectoral collaboration, data management and evidence-informed decision-making

Duties

The duties of the post of the Healthy Ireland Coordinator include, but are not limited to:

• Work intensively with communities of interest and place to co-design, develop, and implement locally tailored wellbeing initiatives.

• Apply principles of empowerment, participation, social justice, and equality in all aspects of planning and delivery.

• Work with relevant Healthy Ireland partners to ensure integrated and improved delivery of health and wellbeing initiatives and support programmes across the County Council.

• Use and gather relevant local datasets to target communities experiencing the greatest health inequities and build evidence case for resource allocation or intervention.

• Develop and deliver the County Healthy Ireland Plan based on local needs and priorities and ensure that findings inform key policies including the Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP).

• Engage with local communities to establish their needs through innovative and participatory community engagement and needs assessment exercises to develop and implement Annual Action Plans comprising of Healthy Ireland Fund or similar funding to action local priorities.

• Participate in Regional Healthy Ireland Coordinator Cluster and National Network fora.

• Map, align and leverage local authority activities that influence the wider determinants of health and include within relevant Healthy Ireland data gathering exercises.

• Advise elected members and senior executives on relevant policies and programmes related to health and wellbeing and deliver relevant upskilling/enabling opportunities.

• Facilitate Local Authority wide/Regional Health and Wellbeing Networks and support the development of local wellbeing forums, and wellbeing leadership initiatives within communities.

• Work confidently and sensitively with elected representatives, senior executives, and cross sectoral leaders to address determinants of health activity within the local authority.

• Act as a catalyst and connector across directorates and sections (e.g planning, transport, housing, environment, community) to align activity with health and wellbeing objectives.

• Champion whole-system, place-based, preventative approaches to health and wellbeing, working across local authority directorates and with external partners to create enabling environments that foster wellbeing for all.

• Promote awareness of and drive Health Ireland agenda in the relevant Local Authority context.

• Explore resource mechanisms across all Government Departments and at EU level to address local community priorities.

• Provide networking events and shared learning opportunities for all programme stakeholders.

• Leverage research, data, innovation, and WHO/EU collaboration to encourage local government leadership in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

• Develop or contribute to funding bids where appropriate in conjunction with communities to resource local priority initiatives.

• Capacity to influence, align, and coordinate across internal directorates and external stakeholders and demonstrate partnership management and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Use local data, research, and evidence to shape decisions and measure outcomes.

• Represent the Local Authority in regional and national networks and participate in international platforms such as the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

• Drive whole-of-local-government, whole-of-community and whole-of-place approaches to wellbeing, focusing on the social, economic, environmental and cultural determinants of health.

• Plan, implement, oversee, and report on funding assigned to the post in line with agreed priorities.

• Any other duties that may be assigned to the post to promote lifelong health and wellbeing in the community.

These tasks which are indicative rather than exhaustive are carried out under general supervision.

Persons appointed will be required to work in any location within the Fingal administrative area.

Qualifications and Requirements of the Post

CHARACTER

Each candidate must be of good character.

HEALTH

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

EDUCATION, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, ETC.

Candidates must on the latest date of receipt of completed application forms have:

(a) A third-level degree (NFQ Level 8 or higher) in a relevant field such as community/sports development, youth work, social sciences, public health, social policy, public administration, planning, or related discipline.

(b) A minimum of 2 years’ relevant experience in any of the following:

• Local government, public sector, or similar roles involving strategic planning, project coordination, or community engagement.

• Work with disadvantaged communities or target populations to address social exclusion or inequality.

• Cross-sectoral coordination or partnership development.

• Policy development, research, or evaluation related to the determinants of health.

• Operating effectively within political, community and policy-making environments, demonstrating ability to work across boundaries of role, sector and geography.

• Project management and delivery, budgeting and performance-monitoring experience.

The ideal candidate shall have:

• Knowledge and understanding of Sláinte care Reform, Healthy Ireland Outcomes Framework.

• Strong leadership and project management skills.

• Experience of building, managing and nurturing partnerships and relationships across a wide range of key stakeholders.

• An understanding and/or experience of local government structures and political environment.

• Ability to work at both strategic and operational levels.

• Facilitation and group-work skills.

• Understanding of those who experience health inequalities.

• Experience of report writing, strategic planning and funding application processes.

• Experience in leveraging EU funds or managing European projects.

• Excellent communication skills, including written communications and social media skills.

• Excellent IT, data management & administration skills, including MS Word, Excel & Power Point.

• Experience in financial administration, budgetary management and processing payments.

• An understanding and/or experience in gathering qualitative and quantitative data, analysis, research and evaluation to policy and practice.

• Understanding of multi-level governance and/or experience of working across local, regional, national and European contexts.

Candidates may be shortlisted based on the desirables listed above.

The Selection Process

Fingal County Council reserves the right to shortlist applications, if required. This is not to suggest that any candidate may be unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the duties of the post advertised, but rather that there may be candidates who have demonstrated that they are better qualified and/or have more relevant experience. The number of persons to be invited, in these circumstances, to interview shall be determined by the local authority from time to time, having regard to the likely number of vacancies to be filled.

Step 1: Initial Screening

In the first instance, all applications received by the latest date/time for receipt of completed applications are screened for eligibility in accordance with the qualifications for the post as set out in this booklet and declared by the Minister for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Step 2: Shortlisting

Each candidate’s application may be assessed against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position as outlined in this booklet. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to provide a detailed and accurate account of their qualifications and/or experience in their application form and to outline the relevance of their experience in the examples provided.

Step 3: Interview

Candidates who are successful in the shortlisting process will be invited to attend for interview(s). Fingal County Council will endeavor to give sufficient notice of the interview to shortlisted candidates. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the candidate to make themselves available on the date/time selected. Candidates who do not attend for interview will be deemed to have withdrawn their application from the competition. Expenses incurred by candidates in attending for interview, will be at the candidates own expense.

An independent interview board will be established by the Senior Executive Officer, People Services, or other designated officer, to assess the candidates shortlisted for interview. The interview board will generally comprise of a Chairperson and two other members, who will have expert knowledge in the relevant field.

The objective of the interview board is to identify candidates who best meet the objective criteria and competencies required for the position and to place them in order of merit.

Candidates who are successful in the interview will be qualified in order of merit for appointment to the post of Healthy Ireland Coordinator (Grade VII) and placed on a panel. It should be noted that placement on a panel may not necessarily lead to a job offer.

The selection process is not concluded until such time as references have been sought and clearance checks, i.e. Garda vetting, occupational health, verification of education qualifications, etc, have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.

Benefits

At Fingal County Council, we value our employees and want to support them to develop their careers. We offer flexible working arrangements, competitive salaries and pension benefits, a positive work environment, training and development opportunities, a defined career path in a supportive and inclusive culture and the opportunity to make a difference, along with the following benefits:

➢ Standard working day is 9-5

➢ Excellent Work/Life balance with Family Friendly Schemes such as Shorter Working Year and Worksharing

➢ Opportunities for promotion and career development

➢ Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme

➢ Pension Scheme

➢ Blended Working available - up to 2 days per week

➢ Ongoing training and higher educational support

➢ Cycle to Work Scheme

Particulars of Employment

The employment is whole time, permanent and pensionable.

Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class A rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration plus 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration (i.e. pensionable remuneration less twice the annual rate of social insurance old age contributory pension payable at the maximum rate to a person with no adult dependent or qualified children).

Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class D rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 5% of their pensionable remuneration.

All persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority will be required in respect of the local Government (Spouses and Children’s Contributory Pension) Scheme to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration in accordance with the terms of the Scheme.

PROBATION

(a) there shall be a period after such employment takes effect during which such persons shall hold such employment on probation,

(b) such period shall be one year but the Chief Executive may at his or her discretion extend such period,

(c) such persons shall cease to hold employment at the end of the period of probation unless during such period the Chief Executive has certified that the service of such persons is satisfactory.

SALARY

€60,011 – €61,480 – €63,194 – €64,914 – €66,634 – €68,170 – €69,745 – €71,269 – €72,790 – €75,395 (LSI1) – €78,015 (LSI2) per annum.

Persons who are not serving local authority employees will be based on the minimum of the scale.

Holders of the post shall pay to the local authority any fees or other monies (other than their inclusive salary) payable to or received by them by virtue of their post or in respect of any services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform.

CITIZENSHIP

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 is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa; or

e) 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

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.