Planning Officer (Engineer Grade II)

ABOUT THE ROLE

The OPR is seeking to fill a Planning Officer (Civil Service Engineer Grade II) position, and it is intended that a panel of suitable candidates will be formed for the filling of future vacancies. The Planning Officer will perform an essential role in the delivery of statutory functions of the OPR. The successful candidate will report to the Senior Planner and will be responsible for technical analysis and input into the delivery of our statutory mandate. The initial vacancy is within the Research, Training and Public Awareness (RTPA) team, however candidates may be assigned to other teams and or may work across several teams, subject to business needs.

This role involves working at a national level, with local authorities, government departments, regional assemblies and key stakeholders to co-ordinate national, regional and local planning policy and best practice. The OPR is strongly committed to providing opportunities for learning and development to support staff in the role.

The role of Planning Officer in the OPR entails:

• Undertaking research and analysis into planning topics and contributing to the OPR’s functions;

• Support the delivery of training and public awareness programmes;

• Assessing and evaluating statutory development plans and area plans (urban, priority, coordinated), as outlined in the Planning and Development Act 2024;

• Undertaking reviews of the systems and procedures used by planning authorities, regional assemblies or the Commission when carrying out their planning functions;

• Examining and advising on planning complaints;

• Continuously and pro-actively keeping up to date with the latest developments in professional planning practice in relation to planning and sustainable development;

• Liaising and interacting with planning authorities, regional assemblies, central Government and other key stakeholders in the achievement of the business objectives of the OPR;

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

Please note that the above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive.

LOCATION

The post will be located at the OPR offices at Park House, Dublin 7, however the OPR operates a Blended Working Policy incorporating a mix of office-based and home-based working.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking experienced planning professionals with a career track record in delivering a broad range of work duties, looking to add to that portfolio working within a national level planning body and who will work well under tight statutory deadlines in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will therefore be self-starting, innovative and dynamic, demonstrating very high-quality communication skills and the ability to learn and adapt to rapidly changing requirements or circumstances.

Essential criteria

Candidates must, on or before 3PM on 02 APRIL 2026 possess or demonstrate:

• A professional qualification in planning recognised by the Irish Planning Institute or the Royal Town Planning Institute as a qualification enabling the person to seek full membership of the relevant institute;

• 5 or more years’ experience in planning post the qualification above;

• A strong working knowledge of the principal policy, legislative and regulatory requirements, including EU Directive requirements, relevant to the role and functions of local authorities and regional assemblies in their statutory plan-making functions;

• A proven track record in delivering high performance outcomes against a background of demanding time-driven requirements;

• A proven ability to build productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders;

• Strong critical analysis skills and the ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured written material for technical and non-technical audiences;

• Highly developed communication skills with an ability to express articulately, concisely and persuasively; and

• A clear understanding of the role of the Office of the Planning Regulator, its development needs and of the opportunities and challenges it faces in the planning environment.

Desirable qualities

• Experience in the processes for preparation and adoption of statutory plans;

• Experience in undertaking and coordination of research;

• Experience and knowledge of working with EU Directive requirements in planning;

• Project management and administrative experience or qualifications;

• Staff management experience;

• Ability to interact using Irish language.

WHAT WE OFFER

The Principal Terms and Conditions of Service for this competition can be found HERE. The main points are summarised as follows:

• A permanent position following the successful completion of an initial probationary contract in the Office of the Planning Regulator.

• A competitive salary. Planning Officer, Engineer Grade II. Click HERE to see the Pay scales circular. The current gross rate for this position, effective from 01 February 2026 of current Circular 07/2026 is: Point 1 €75,448

• Annual Leave: 27 days (rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service)

• Hours of Attendance: 41 hours and 15 minutes gross per week (35 hours net per week). No additional payment will be made for extra attendance over 41 hours and 15 minutes gross or 35 hours net per week as the rate of remuneration payable covers any exceptional extra attendance liability that may arise from time to time.

Personal Pension Contribution (PPC)

The PPC pay rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main or personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme, or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC).

Individuals who are new to the Civil Service are required to pay into the Personal Pension Contribution scheme.

A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

Where applicable, Long Service Increments may be payable after 3 years (LSI1) and 6 years (LSI2) satisfactory service at the maximum of the scale.

Important Note

Entry will be at the minimum of the pay scale, and the rate of remuneration will not be subject to negotiation and may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Different terms and conditions may apply if you are a currently serving civil or public servant.

Subject to satisfactory performance, increments may be payable in line with current Government Policy.

All offers are for immediate appointment.

You will agree that any overpayment of salary, allowances, or expenses will be repaid by you in accordance with Circular 07/2018: Recovery of Salary, Allowances, and Expenses Overpayments made to Staff Members, Former Staff Members, Pensioners.

In applying for this competition, you accept that, if offered a post, you will be able to commence duties within a reasonable timeframe. Start dates are determined by business needs, and appointees will be expected to take up duty within this period once an offer is made. Requests for deferral will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and remain entirely at the discretion of the Department.

As an Employer of Choice, the Civil Service is committed to supporting a flexible and family friendly working environment. We offer a range of elective policies, for example Work-sharing, Shorter Working Year, Remote Working (operated on a blended basis) etc. All elective policies can be applied for in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions and are subject to the business needs of the organisation.

In addition, the Civil Service operates a Mobility Scheme for all general service grades. This initiative provides staff with valuable career development opportunities, enabling them to gain experience in diverse roles across various Civil Service organisations and geographical locations.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Eligibility

To be eligible, you will need to meet certain requirements by the date of the position offer:

You must 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 or a Stamp 5 permission.

Please note that a 50 TEU visa, which is a replacement for Stamp 4EUFAM after Brexit, is acceptable as a Stamp 4 equivalent.

Fulfil Health and Character and Reference Check requirements

It is important that you list any previous civil or public service employment, if you have availed of a voluntary redundancy or retirement scheme and or are in receipt of an ill-health retirement pension. Failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action.

IRISH PROFICIENCY

As part of our ongoing commitment to support the Irish language, our leadership on the Gaeilge365 programme and to comply with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, we are gathering information on candidates’ capacity to speak Irish.

Under this legislation, public bodies are required to ensure that 20% of new recruits can perform their duties through Irish by 2030. While this position is not an Irish language speaking role, we are asking all applicants to indicate their current level of Irish language ability.

This information will be used for workforce planning purposes only and will not form part of the selection process for this competition.