Senior Staff Officer

Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board invites applications for the post of permanent wholetime Senior Staff Officer Grade VI. Initial duties will be in the Payroll Section of the Human Resources Department. KWETBs current payroll function is moving to a shared operating model whereby KWETB will retain certain stated payroll activities and the Department of Education and Skills Education Shared Business Services (ESBS) will take over certain stated payroll activities from November 2021. The ESBS Payroll Shared Services is the consolidation of the individual payroll functions of all 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to one shared pay centre. KWETB currently has an annual payroll budget of approx. €95 million.

Reporting/Accountability Relationship The Senior Staff Officer Grade VI will report to the Administrative Officer Payroll Manager.

Job Description The Senior Staff Officer will have responsibility, under general direction, for a large section or area of the HR Department. The Senior Staff Officer may have a large, multi-level staff and will take responsibility for decision making in the section or area. The Senior Staff Officer will have responsibility for staff management, project management and data management. The post is a supervisory position within KWETB and the Senior Staff Officer will be assigned responsibility for the day to day operation and supervision of work areas, section or team. The Senior Staff Officer will • promote and maintain best practice throughout the HR Department to ensure a quality service is delivered at all times • be required to be flexible in this position and must be prepared to undertake such other duties as assigned to them by the HR Manager. Such duties may be outside the normal area of work.

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week – Monday to Friday A Pilot Blended Working Scheme is currently in operation.

Salary: €56,755 - €69,338 (incls 2 x LSI) Key Responsibilities of the Post: Under the guidance of the Payroll Manager: • Responsible for the supervision and coordination of payroll processing operations. • A high level of excellent customer service delivery across all departments including Schools, Further Education and Training centres and Organisation support and Development. • Act as a Payroll system (CORE) approver and Financial system (P2P) approver for KWETB. • To ensure that all payroll staff are clear in their role and responsibilities and are carrying out their duties efficiently and on time • Liaise and coordinate day to day operations and adhere to strict deadlines with Education Shared Business Services (ESBS) • Bring a focus and drive to building and sustaining high levels of performance, addressing any performance issues as they arise. • Develop capability of staff in the payroll team through supportive feedback, coaching and creating opportunities for skills development. • Plan and prioritise work in terms of importance, timescales and other resource constraints, reprioritising in light of changing circumstances for self and relevant staff teams. • Responsibility for keeping up to date on Circular Letters/legislative requirements/collective agreements relevant to areas of responsibility and ensuring, under the guidance of the Payroll Manager, same are implemented efficiently. • To conduct on going reviews of compliance with internal controls such as Internal and external audits. • To produce reports, as required, for the Senior Management Team and APO HR and APO Finance. • Carry out any other duties and projects as appropriate to the grade which may be assigned from time to time. • Provide professional support and advice to all Line Managers in relation to areas of responsibility. • Undertake tasks in other areas of the HR Department as assigned by the HR Manager from time to time. • Effective communication with all sections of HR and other departments within KWETB. • Be accountable to the Payroll Manager and HR Manager, in all matters relating to areas of responsibility. • Assist in the planning, development and implementation of new systems as required with special reference to the introduction and development of computerised systems. • Liaise with staff in other departments, the public and outside agencies in a confidential, courteous and professional manner. • Ensure all information received within the Department remains confidential. • Contribute to the setting of organisational tone through policies and the development and promotion of good internal controls in relevant areas of responsibility. • Monitor and manage good communication protocols for dealing with managers, staff and other stakeholders to ensure the information delivered is relevant, appropriate and timely, and ensure they are in line with KWETB policies and procedures. • Attend and contribute to working groups and committees of KWETB, as requested. • Represent the Payroll Section of KWETB at meetings, if required, with external agencies/bodies/groups that are necessary for the proper discharge of the post. • Maintain a strong focus on self-development, seeking feedback and opportunities for growth. • Research issues thoroughly, consult appropriately to gather all information needed on an issue. • Carry out any other duties appropriate to the grade which may be assigned from time to time.

The above list is not exhaustive and duties may be varied having regard to the changing needs of the organisation and the terms of the post can include delivery of responses to unpredictable work demands as they arise.

Requirements and Eligibility for the post: Candidates must: • have the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies to carry out the role. Competencies will be informed by best practice Public Appointment Service competency frameworks for the Irish Public Service; • be capable and competent of fulfilling the role to a high standard; • have obtained at least Grade D3 in five subjects in the Leaving Certificate Examination (higher, ordinary, applied or vocational programmes) or equivalent or have passed an examination at the appropriate level within the QQI qualifications framework which can be assessed as being of a comparable to Leaving Certificate standard or equivalent or higher or have appropriate relevant experience which encompasses equivalent skills and expertise;

Desirable Requirements: • Supervisory experience • Experience of the payroll process, ideally in the use of ESI or CORE. • Ability to interpret and convey policy • Well developed decision making abilities • Excellent administrative and IT Skills. • Excellent Customer Service • Strong Communication Skills, both written and oral. • Demonstrable initiative • Strong attention to detail

Professional Relationships: ➢ The senior staff officer will work in liaison, contact and co-operation with: The Chief Executive, Directors of Organisation Support and Development, Director of Schools and Director of Further Education and Training, Principals, Adult Education Officers, Managers and Coordinators throughout Kildare and Wicklow ETB to provide a high level of Customer Service to all staff ➢ The Department of Education and Skills, SOLAS, and other departments, state bodies and external organisations relevant to the operation of Kildare and Wicklow ETB ➢ The Comptroller and Auditor General and the Internal Audit Unit – Education and Training Boards ➢ Education and Training Boards Ireland and senior administrative staff in other Education and

Training Boards The above list is not exhaustive.

Competencies required The appointee to the Senior Staff Officer (Grade VI) post will be required to show evidence of the following competencies:

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development • Clearly understands the role, objectives and targets and how they fit into the work of the Organisation. • Develops the expertise necessary to carry out the role to a high standard and has a thorough understanding of the Code of Practice for the Governance of Education and Training Boards • Is proactive in keeping up to date on issues and key developments that may impact on the Department and/or wider ETB service • Consistently reviews own performance and sets self-challenging goals and targets

Leadership Potential • Is flexible and willing to adapt, positively contributing to the implementation of change • Contributes to the development of policies in the Department/Organisation • Seeks to understand the implications of taking a particular position on issues and how interdependencies need to be addressed in a logical and consistent way • Maximises the contribution of the team, encouraging ownership, providing support and working effectively with others • Formulates a perspective on issues considered important and actively contributes across a range of settings

Analysis & Decision Making • Is skilled in policy analysis and development, challenging the established wisdom and adopting an open-minded approach • Quickly gets up to speed in a complex situation, rapidly absorbing all relevant information/data (written and oral • Uses numerical data skilfully to understand and evaluate service issues • Identifies key themes and patterns in and across different sources of information, drawing sound and balanced conclusions • Sees the logical implications of taking a particular position of an issue Delivery of Results • Assumes personal responsibility for and delivers on agreed objectives/goals • Manages and progresses multiple projects and work activities successfully • Accurately estimates time parameters for projects and manages own time efficiently, anticipating obstacles and making contingencies for overcoming these • Maintains a strong focus on meeting the needs of customers at all times • Ensures all outputs are delivered to a high standard and in an efficient manner • Use resources effectively, at all times challenging processes to improve efficiencies

Interpersonal & Communication Skills • Communicates in a fluent, logical, clear and convincing manner verbally and in writing • Is able to listen effectively and develop a two-way dialogue quickly • Maintains a strong focus on meeting the needs of internal and external customers • Effectively influences others to take action • Works to establish mutual understanding to allow for collaborative working

Drive & Commitment to Public Service Values • Consistently strives to perform at a high level • Maintains consistent effort under pressure and is resilient to criticism or setbacks at work • Demonstrates high levels of initiative, taking ownership for projects and demonstrating self sufficiency • Is personally trustworthy and can be relied upon • Places the citizen at the heart of all processes and systems.