Senior Sports Development Officer

Role and Responsibilities

The Senior Sports Officer will plan, promote and develop sport and recreation in Fingal. The officer will be responsible for the delivery of initiatives which will develop and expand the range of opportunities for all the people of Fingal County to more fully participate in recreational, sporting and physical activity. The vision is to increase participation in sport, recreation and physical activity while supporting excellence regardless of age, gender, ability, economic or social circumstances.

Duties

The person appointed will carry out their duties subject to the control and direction of the appropriate officer. The duties will include but are not limited to:

• To prepare reports for and attend meetings of the Fingal Sports Partnership, as required, as well as the production of reports for Area Committees, SPCs and Council meetings, and any other reports as required by the Senior Sports Officer, Director or Manager.

• To liaise, as necessary, with Community Development personnel of the Division in their area teams, so as to facilitate the effectiveness of their work.

• To contribute to the production of an annual programme and annual report for the Division.

• To contribute to the production of and subsequent review of a Play and Recreation Strategy for the county.

• To liaise with the administrative staff of the Section to facilitate the smooth management of the Division, including the planning and review of budgets.

• To deputise for more senior officers, as appropriate.

• To undertake other duties as assigned by the Director.

• Undertake any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

These duties which are indicative rather than exhaustive are carried out under general direction.

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

Qualifications and requirements of the post

Character

Candidates shall 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.

On the latest date for receipt of completed application forms, candidates shall:

(i) Possess a third level qualification of at least degree level in Sports Development, Leisure Management, Health Fitness, and Leisure Studies

(ii) Have three years relevant experience in Sports Health Fitness Development

(iii) Hold a current clean full driving licence, and have access to a car at all times for use in their work

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.

Step 1: Initial Screening

In the first instance, all applications received by the latest date and 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. Fingal County Council will endeavour 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 and 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 Senior Staff Officer 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, including Garda vetting, occupational health, verification of education qualifications, have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.

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 one point five percent of their pensionable remuneration plus three point five percent of net pensionable remuneration, that is 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 dependant 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 five percent 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 one point five percent of their pensionable remuneration in accordance with the terms of the Scheme.

Probation

Where a person who is not already a permanent employee of a local authority is employed, the following provisions shall apply:

(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

Fifty seven thousand eight hundred and ninety five euro, fifty nine thousand two hundred and seventy six euro, sixty thousand nine hundred and sixty euro, sixty four thousand one hundred and twenty six euro, sixty six thousand and seventeen euro, sixty eight thousand three hundred and sixty seven euro, seventy thousand seven hundred and thirty euro.

Health

For the purpose of satisfying the requirement as to health it will be necessary for successful candidates, before they are employed, to undergo a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the Local Authority.

Citizenship

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

a citizen of the European Economic Area. The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

a citizen of the United Kingdom; or

a citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the European Union and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

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

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

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 United Kingdom or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa.

Retirement Age

The retirement age is 70 years.

Recruitment

A local authority may decide, by reason of the number of persons seeking admission to a competition, to carry out a shortlisting procedure. 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.

Selection will be by means of an interview conducted by or on behalf of the local authority. Candidates will be required to pay any expenses incurred by them in attending the interview.

Panels may be formed on the basis of such interviews. Candidates whose names are on a panel and who satisfy the local authority that they possess the qualification declared for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for employment may, within the life of the panel, be employed as appropriate vacancies arise.

The local authority shall require a person to whom employment is offered to take up such employment within a period of not more than 6 weeks and if he or she fails to take up the employment within such period or such longer period as the local authority in its absolute discretion may determine, the local authority shall not employ the person.