Senior Executive Technician

This is an opportunity to gain employment in the role of Senior Executive Technician with Kildare County Council.

The Position & Role

The Senior Executive Technician will be required to lead a team or teams and to provide technical and managerial support across all local authority service areas. Positions may arise in any area of the Council’s functions which include Planning, Corporate, Environment, Water, Transportation, and Housing. Opportunities may also arise within other Departments including the Procurement team in the Finance Department.

The Competition

The purpose of this recruitment campaign is to form a panel for Kildare County Council from which Permanent/Temporary posts may be filled for Senior Executive Technician as vacancies arise.

The Candidate

The ideal candidate for the position shall demonstrate through their application form and at the interview that they have the following essential experience and skills:

• Excellent professional/technical knowledge and skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Possess excellent graphic presentation skills

• Ability to prepare and present technical reports

• An ability to interpret and critically analyse data

• Excellent team leadership skills

• Ability to work independently or within multi-disciplined teams

• Problem solving skills

• Planning and organisational skills

• Possess strong ICT and presentation skills

• A good understanding of safety management in the workplace including Health & Safety legislation and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties of the post of Senior Executive Technician will depend on placement of the post, but in general they will include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical services relevant to the area of responsibility to which he/she has been assigned, e.g., site inspection, site surveying, creation of drawings and graphics, report writing and such other duties associated with the grade relevant to the area of responsibility;

• Creation and monitoring of work procedures and document management;

• Co-ordinating the maintenance and management of IT systems in their area of responsibility;

• Management and co-ordination of Contracts and Contractors appointed to carry out construction works on behalf of the Local Authority;

• Operating the appropriate technology as required to carry out the work to which he/she has been assigned e.g. CAD, Graphics, Revit, GIS Software such as ESRI/ArcGIS, Autodesk’s AutoCAD and/or Microstation CAD software, Microsoft Office Suite of Applications, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint;

• Function as a Team Leader, this includes: prioritising work as determined by the Head of Department/Service, functioning as a facilitator and co-ordinator between team members and other departments and external agencies and being responsible for the allocation of work and ensuring task completion;

• Adherence to the Council’s corporate health and safety systems and implementation of department and section health and safety controls, including those relating to risk assessments. A good knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety Legislation Regulation and their implications for the organization and employees and their implication in the workplace;

• Liaising with other Departments, members of the public and external agencies in relation to operation aspects of assigned work;

• Preparing of estimates;

• To assist in the response to questions raised by the public, consultants and contractors in relation to maps and records;

• Preparing of public consultation display material and assistance at public consultations;

• Coaching and mentoring to Technicians Grade I, Grade II, Executive Technicians;

• Contributing to individual staff development, personal development and team development initiatives;

• Providing necessary information to Senior Management relevant to their area of responsibility;

• Management and supervision of staff and the co-ordination of duties of staff under their control, monitoring delivery through the Performance Management Development System (PMDS);

• Undertaking any course of training organized by Kildare County Council which he/she is designated to attend.

The above specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Qualifications and Requirements of the Post

Character:

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health:

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

Education, Training and Experience etc.:

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:

(a) have satisfactory experience, in a technician post at Grade I or higher level or in an analogous post under a local authority or health board in the State,

(b) have at least seven years satisfactory relevant experience in a technician post at Grade II or higher level or an analogous post,

(c) have a thorough knowledge of all the technical aspects of local authority work and also a deeper knowledge of at least one relevant section of the work and possess such training or experience as would enable them to take charge of such a section of the work,

(d) have adequate experience in dealing with other departments within their own organisations and with other bodies,

(e) have adequate experience in the direction, supervision and control of staff, and

(f) possess technical training and experience of a high standard and adequate administrative ability.

Please supply copies of any certificates, diplomas or degrees you may have with the application form.

Non Irish Qualifications must be accompanied by a determination from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish their comparability against the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, overseas qualifications must also be accompanied by a translation document. If these documents are not supplied your application will be deemed ineligible.

Particulars of Employment

The Post

The post is permanent (i.e., 35 hours per week).

Location

Staff will be based at Áras Chill Dara, or other council facilities within the county. Kildare County Council reserves the right to assign you to any premises in use by the Council, now or in the future.

The person appointed will be required to report to their place of work by their own means of transport and at their own expense.

Commencement

Kildare County Council shall require a person to whom an appointment is offered to take up such appointment within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to take up the appointment within such period, or such other longer period as the Council in its absolute discretion may determine, Kildare County Council shall not appoint them.

Working Hours

The current working hours are 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Kildare County Council reserves the right to alter the hours of work from time to time in line with Government Circulars.

Kildare County Council also has a flexi time system in operation, details of which are available from the Human Resources Section. You may be required to work overtime on various occasions.

All hours worked are subject to and recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, and the Organisation of Working Time Regulations, 2001. Kildare County Council requires employees to record their hours using a clocking system.

Reporting Arrangements

The Senior Executive Technician reports directly to the appropriate Director in the Section or to any other employee of Kildare County Council as the Director of Services or other appropriate employee may designate for this purpose.

A system of regular appraisal will be operated during employment, which will involve discussions between the employee and the line manager regarding performance and conduct.

Probationary Period of Employment

Where a person is permanently appointed to Kildare County Council, the following provisions shall apply:

a) there shall be a period after appointment takes effect, during which such a person shall hold the position on probation;

b) such period shall be twelve months, but the Chief Executive may, at their discretion, extend such period;

c) such a person shall cease to hold the position at the end of the period of probation, unless during this period the Chief Executive has certified that the service is satisfactory;

d) the period at (a) above may be terminated on giving one weeks’ notice as per the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts;

e) there will be assessments during the probationary period.

Remuneration

€55,622 per annum to €62,533 per annum (maximum)

€64,761 per annum (LSI 1) (after 3 years satisfactory service at maximum)

€66,993 per annum (LSI 2) (after 6 years satisfactory service at maximum)

On appointment successful candidates will be placed on the first point of the salary scale. Appointment to a higher point of the salary scale may apply to candidates employed elsewhere in the public service, subject to verification of service history.

Remuneration is paid fortnightly by PayPath directly to the employees nominated bank account. The current wage pay cycle may be revised during the period of employment. Remuneration is subject to all statutory deductions, e.g., P.A.Y.E. and P.R.S.I. Increments are paid annually subject to satisfactory attendance, conduct and performance and national agreements.

Increments may be withheld if performance, attendance and/or conduct are not satisfactory.

Superannuation & Retirement

A person who becomes a pensionable employee of the County Council will be required in respect of their Superannuation to contribute to the Local Authority at the appropriate rate.

The terms of the Local Government Superannuation (Consolidation) Scheme 1998 as amended or the Public Services Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 or the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme & Other Provisions) Act 2012 will apply as appropriate on appointment.

Retirement age for employees is dependent on their relevant contract of employment, with due consideration being given to the rules of the Superannuation Scheme to which they belong.

• For appointees who are deemed not to be “new entrants” as defined in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, retirement is compulsory on reaching 65 years of age.

• The minimum retirement age for “new entrants” to the public service as defined in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 is 65. There is no mandatory retirement age.

• Effective from 1st January 2013, The Single Public Service Scheme applies to all first time new entrants to the public service, as well as to former public servants returning to the public service after a break of more than 26 weeks:

Retirement age is set, initially, at 66 years; this will rise in step with statutory changes in the State Pension Contributory (SPC) age to 67 years in 2021 and 68 years in 2028.

Compulsory retirement age will be 70.

Annual Leave

Granting of annual leave, payment for annual leave and arrangements for public holidays will be governed by the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and the nationally agreed annual leave scheme for the sector. The annual leave year runs from 1st January to 31st December. The current leave entitlement for this post is 30 days.

The Chief Executive of Kildare County Council retains autonomy regarding office closures (e.g., Christmas Office Closure). Any days arising from such closure will be reserved from the employee’s annual leave entitlement. Proposed office closure days will be reviewed and advised to all employees each year.

Residence

The person holding the office must reside in, or at an address convenient to the Local Authority, as approved by the Chief Executive.