Social Innovation Sports Officer

Applications

Applications will only be accepted through SDCC’s e-Recruitment system before midnight on Thursday, 26th March 2026.

The Role

The office is wholetime, temporary and pensionable on a specified purpose contract for the purpose of supporting the delivery of Sport Ireland’s Sport4Empowerment (S4E) programme. This post will be fully funded through the European Social Fund + Programme 2021-2027 with grants administered through Sport Ireland. A panel will be formed to fill temporary vacancies. Persons employed will be required to work in any location within the South Dublin administrative area. The role will be part of the Active South Dublin team.

Salary / Wages

€52,239 - €53,799 - €55,392 - €57,019 - €58,657 - €60,567 (1st LS1) - €62,484 (2nd LSI).

Hours of Work

The successful candidates’ normal hours of work will be 35 hours per week. SDCC reserves the right to alter your hours of work from time to time. Work evenings & weekends when required.

Annual Leave

Annual leave entitlement for this position is 30 days.

Qualifications

Character

Candidates will 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.

Essential Education, Training and Experience

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

Level 8 in any of the following areas Health, Exercise Science, Physical Activity, Diversity and Inclusion, Social Justice, Community Development, Education or related field.

And

Candidates should have a minimum of 2 years’ relevant experience working with two or more of the target groups and stakeholder engagement.

OR

Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience working with two or more of the target groups and stakeholder engagement.

Must have access to a car and hold a current Irish driving licence.

In-depth knowledge and understanding of the lived experience of two or more target groups.

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) such as report writing, grant applications and interpersonal skills.

Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) Good project management, organisational, stakeholder, and time management skills.

An understanding of research and evaluation methods and an appreciation of research integrity and the ethical issues of carrying out research with target populations.

Effective team player in the context of a multidisciplinary team.

Ability to work under pressure.

Health/safety and risk awareness.

Demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning.

Be prepared to work evenings & weekends when required.

Ability to travel efficiently between sites.

Desirable Education, Training and Experience

Further Education or Training relevant to the post in relation to physical activity, social integration/inclusion and D&I.

Experience of facilitating physical activity and sports activities with people of differing abilities and/or from underrepresented groups.

An understanding and experience in the delivery and/or implementation of social innovation/design of innovation programmes and use of design thinking principles.

Knowledge of the sport and physical activity sector and policies.

Key Competencies / Skills

• Delivering results

• Performance through People

• Personal effectiveness

• Local government knowledge and understanding

Candidates are requested to give an example of a situation which highlights the behaviour, skills and attitude that underpin effective performance in these areas and which demonstrates their suitability to meet the challenges of this role. Candidates should ensure the example used clearly demonstrates their ability in this area and that the scale and scope of the example given is appropriate to the post and level of the post.

Duties

Duties will include but are not limited to:

Lead the design, planning and delivery of the S4E programme at a local level with a focus on building skills and confidence to foster social inclusion and engage with and maintain sport participation independently.

Coordinate ESF+ programmes with the objective of fostering active inclusion with a view to promoting equal opportunities, non-discrimination and active participation, and improving employability, in ESF+ target groups locally.

Ensure the design and delivery of the ESF+ programme aligns with European Social Fund requirements and complements existing Sport Ireland and LSPs policies and plans.

Monitoring impact on programmes and supporting the sharing of information and replication of programmes in other LSPs. The project is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Provide timely, standardised data and reporting on activity and outcomes on the programmes.

Collaborate with Sport Ireland to support the successful delivery of this project.

Develop and support strong working relationships with other LSP