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Senior Staff Officer

Donegal County CouncilDonegal€55,641 - €67,977 per yearFull-time

The Competition The Council is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates with relevant experience for the position of Senior Staff Officer (Grade VI). Recruitment arrangements to this grade will now be on the following basis: The Council will form three separate panels of suitably qualified candidates to meet the requirements agreed nationally of the ratio of posts to be confined to the local government sector, open and those confined to Donegal County Council staff. The order of candidates placed on each of the three panels is determined by where they were placed on the overall Order of Merit List.

Panel A (Confined to Local Authority Sector) will comprise of successful applicants in order of merit from within the Local Authority Sector only i.e. candidates serving in a Local Authority or Regional Assembly (where applicable). Panel B (Open) will comprise of all successful applicants in order of merit and may include candidates serving in a Local authority, Regional Assembly and external applicants. Panel C (Confined to the recruiting local authority) will comprise of all successful applicants in order of merit from within the recruiting Local Authority i.e. candidates serving in Donegal County Council. For the purposes of the above, the sector Panel A is comprehended to include all Local Authorities and the three Regional Assemblies only. Staff who are not existing employees of local authorities or regional assemblies are not eligible to apply for competitions confined to the sector (Panel A) or to the local authority (Panel C). 1. The Position The Senior Staff Officer is a middle management position within the local authority and is assigned responsibility for managing the performance of a section / department handling an area of the local authority’s activities. The post holder will operate within defined parameters relevant to the position, in accordance with the Council’s goals. The positions are in various sections of the organisation, the duties will vary depending on assignment. 2. Role, Duties & Responsibilities A non-exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the Senior Staff Officer are set out below: • planning, allocation and prioritisation of work within service areas; • reporting of progress at relevant meetings; • supervision and management of staff as appropriate; • developing and maintaining effective working relationships (internally & externally); • decision making in relation to service delivery; • representing the Council at a variety of meetings as applicable; • presentation of ideas effectively and the ability to write fluently, and to prepare clearly structured written reports; • To undertake any other duties of a similar level and responsibility as may be required from time to time.

A satisfactory competence in the Irish language is deemed desirable and beneficial in relation to any vacancy within the Glenties Municipal District. An assessment of this competence may be carried out as part of the recruitment and selection process.

3. Qualifications & Requirement of the Post The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has declared that the qualifications for Senior Staff Officer will be as set out below: (a) Character: Candidates must be of good character. (b) Health Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service. Successful candidates will be required to undergo a medical examination carried out by the Council’s Occupational Medical advisor prior to appointment. (c) Education, training, experience, etc Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms –

Applicants to Panel B (Open) (i) (a) have obtained at least Grade D (or a Pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level, in five subjects (or four if Irish is included) from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education Established Leaving Certificate Examination or Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme including Irish and/or English and one of the following: Mathematics, Accounting, Business Organisation or Economics, and (b) have obtained at least Grade C (or Honours) in Higher Level (or Honours) papers in three subjects in that examination (or two subjects if Irish and/or one of the following is included: Mathematics, Accounting, Business Organisation or Economics), or (ii) have obtained a comparable standard in an equivalent examination, or (iii) hold a third level qualification of at least degree standard, and (iv) have satisfactory experience in administrative procedures, including adequate practical experience in work of an executive nature, office organisation and control of staff.

Confined Competitions (Panels A and C as appropriate) (v) (a) be a serving employee of a local authority or a regional assembly and have not less than two years’ satisfactory experience in a post of Clerical Officer or analogous post, and (b) have satisfactory experience in administrative procedures, including adequate practical experience in work of an executive nature, office organization and control of staff. (d) Essential Skills Candidates must be able to demonstrate that they have the following skills: Planning & Organisational skills. ➢ Ability to manage resources ➢ Ability to analyse and identify key issues/demands ➢ Ability to work under pressure in a cross functional environment and to tight timelines.

Initiative and delivery of results, e.g. ➢ Track record of achievements. ➢ Problem solving & resolution. ➢ High level of attention to detail. ➢ Compliance with various policies / standards. ➢ Judgement and ability to work autonomously.

Interpersonal skills and communicating effectively, e.g. ➢ Effective verbal and written communication skills. ➢ Ability to present ideas effectively and to present to groups. ➢ Ability to write fluently, and to prepare clearly structured written reports.

Working with others and teamwork, e.g. ➢ To maintain effective working relationships (internally & externally). ➢ To work as part of a team. ➢ To lead, motivate and manage staff, and build effective teams. ➢ Customer focus.

Personal Effectiveness ➢ Knowledge of Local Government & the Council generally. ➢ Knowledge and awareness of key topical and priority issues. ➢ Understanding of political reality / context of issues. ➢ Understanding compliance standards, and policies, procedures, legislation ➢ Maintain a positive, constructive and enthusiastic attitude to their role ➢ Personal Motivation – Strives to perform at a higher level 4. Particulars of the Post (a) General Donegal County Council proposes to create three panels (as outlined above) of qualified candidates for the position of Senior Staff Officer from which it will fill any vacancy that may arise. (b) Probation The successful candidate shall be required to be on probation for an initial period, as determined by the Council. This period may be extended at the discretion of the Council. (c) Remuneration The current annual pay-scale is €55, 641 minimum to max LSI2 €67,977 (as per Circular EL 03/2024). Holders of the post will be paid at the appropriate point on the salary scale in accordance with the relevant Department Circular. New entrants will commence on the minimum point of the scale. (d) Base The base for the post of Senior Staff Officer shall be determined by the Council and will depend on the particular area and service to which the post holder is assigned. The role of Senior Staff Officer may involve some travel, with some trips involving overnight stays and associated costs covered by the appropriate allowances. (e) Residence Holders of the post shall reside in the district in which their duties are to be performed or within a reasonable distance thereof. (f) Working Hours The normal hours of work will be 35 hours per week. The Council reserves the right to alter the hours of work from time to time. Annual leave allowance will be in accordance with Circular LG(P) 07/2011. (g) Conflicts of Interest The post holder shall not engage in any gainful occupation, other than as an employee of a local authority, to such an extent as to impair the performance of his or her duties as an employee of a local authority or in any occupation which might conflict with the interests of the local authority or which might be inconsistent with the discharge of his duties as a local authority employee. 5. Recruitment Process A. Application Form • Applications must be made on the official application form and all sections of the form must be fully completed. • Please do not submit a CV with your application. Only information contained in the application form will be considered when assessing a candidate’s suitability for the post. • Applications must submitted as an e mail attachment in either Word or PDF format only by email to vacancies@donegalcoco.ie • Applications must be received by the deadline specified on the form. • Applications that are late, lost or delayed will not be considered unless official evidence showing that the application was sent within the timeframe can be produced. B. Short Listing Candidates may be short-listed for interview on the basis of information supplied. In the event of a short-listing exercise being required, an Expert Panel will convene to examine and assess the application forms against a set of pre-determined criteria, based on the requirements of the job. It is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications and experience on the application form. Where it is considered, by reason of the number and standard of applications received, that it would be reasonable not to admit all candidates to the interview, only persons likely to attain at the interview a standard sufficient for selection and recommendation for appointment shall be called for interview.

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