Staff Officer

Reporting Relationship

The post holder will report to the Grade VI within National Pensions Management, or other nominated manager.

Key Working Relationships

Successful applicants will engage with the following individuals:

·        Impending Retirees

·        Active staff seeking pension benefits payable under the scheme including some the following – pension estimates, Injury at work, Family law issues , death benefits

·        Colleagues in National HR and Payroll

·        Solicitors re death benefits

·        Spouses / Dependent children of deceased members

·        External financial advisors.

Purpose of the Post

The post holder will be a key team member for the Pensions Team, supporting the development, implementation and operation of the Pensions schemes under the remit of the Health Service Executive.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The position of Grade V – Staff Officer encompasses both managerial and administrative responsibilities, which include the following:

Administration

• To check all aspects of Pensions caseload ensuring compliance with Pension Scheme rules and legislation.

·        To work with financial data.

• Check all Pension review cases to ensure compliance with Public Service pay agreements and lower paid review.
• To check all aspects of Family Law Cases.
• Recoupment of Pension over or under payments.
• P35 reconciliations working closely with colleagues in Payroll in this regard.
• Maintain and develop knowledge of pension’s administration and relevant pension’s legislation.
• Liaising with other HSE departments/areas and other agencies including the Family Law Unit and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Development and testing of all IT systems.
• Implement service plan and business plan objectives within own area.
• Ensure appropriate emphasis on good work practices in relation to record keeping and retention in line with data protection.
• Maintain statistics, reports and records as required.
• Make appropriate use of technology to advance the quality and efficiency of service provision.
• Maintain a good understanding of internal and external factors that can affect service delivery including awareness of national and local issues that impact on own area.
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Promote co-operation and working in harmony with other teams and disciplines.
• Solve problems and make decisions in a timely manner.
• Ensure decisions are in line with local and national agreements.
• Provide administrative support for meetings and attend as required.
• Other duties may be assigned from time to time by the Pensions Manager.

Customer Service

·        Promote and maintain a customer focused environment including monitoring efficiency of service provided by the team and notifying Line Manager of any deficiencies.

·        Ensure that service users are treated with dignity and respect.

·        Act on feedback from service users / customers and report same to Line Manager.

Human Resources / Supervision of Staff

• Supervise and ensure the well-being of staff within own remit.
• Create and maintain a positive working environment among staff members, which contributes to maintaining and enhancing effective working relationships.
• Co‐ordinate, monitor and review the work of the administrative/ support staff.
• Contribute to and take a leadership role in regular staff meetings to keep staff informed and to hear views.
• Identify and agree training and development needs of team and assist in designing plan to meet needs of team and end users.
• Share knowledge with team and provide on the job training as required.
• Manage the performance of staff, dealing with underperformance in a timely and constructive manner.
• Ensure an even distribution of workload among team.
• Manage and control staff attendance and absence.

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Identify opportunities for improvement and implement.
• Embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly by finding practical ways to make policies work, ensuring team knows how to action changes.
• Encourage and support staff through change process.

·        Engage in the HSE performance achievement process in conjunction with your Line Manager and staff as appropriate.

Standards, Policies, Procedures and Legislation

·        Maintain own knowledge of employer policies, procedures, guidelines, and practices, to perform the role effectively and to ensure current work standards are met by own team.

·        Maintain own knowledge of relevant regulations and legislation e.g., Financial Regulations, Health & Safety Legislation, Employment Legislation, FOI Acts, GDPR.

·        Ensure consistent adherence to procedures within area of responsibility.

• Adequately identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risk within their area of responsibility.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water, and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job 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 which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/ or experience

This role is being advertised to open competition as it was unable to fill from a recent confined campaign

1.      Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc.

(a)    Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:

(i)               Have satisfactory experience as a Clerical Officer in the HSE, TUSLA, other statutory health agencies, or a body which provides services on behalf of the HSE under Section 38 of the Health Act 2004.

Or

(ii)              Have obtained a pass (Grade D) in at least five subjects from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education Leaving Certificate Examination, including Mathematics and English or Irish1. Candidates should have obtained at least Grade C on higher level papers in three subjects in that examination.

Or

(iii)             Have completed a relevant examination at a comparable standard in any equivalent examination in another jurisdiction.

Or

(iv)             Hold a comparable and relevant third level qualification of at least level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework maintained by Qualifications and Quality Ireland, (QQI).

Note1:

Candidates must achieve a pass in Ordinary or Higher-level papers. A pass in a

foundation level paper is not acceptable. Candidates must have achieved these grades on the Leaving Certificate Established programme or the Leaving Certificate Vocational programme. The Leaving Certification Applied Programme does not fulfil the eligibility criteria.

And

(b)   Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of suitability, for the proper discharge of the office.

2.      Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

3.      Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Post Specific Requirements

·        Experience of working in a busy pension’s administration area, or in an area which involves the processing of numerical data.

·        Experience of working with multiple stakeholders, as relevant to the role.

Other requirements specific to the post

Have access to appropriate transport to fulfil the requirements of the role.

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge

Professional Knowledge & Experience

Demonstrates:

·        Excellent MS Office skills to include Microsoft Access, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

·        Knowledge of the health service and how it works.

·        Knowledge and experience of using an email system effectively e.g., Outlook, Lotus Notes.

·        Knowledge and experience relevant to the role as per the duties & responsibilities, eligibility criteria and post specific requirements of the role.

·        The ability to work in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Communications & Interpersonal Skills

Demonstrates:

·        Effective communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner.

·        Strong written communication skills.

·        The ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

Planning & Managing Resources

Demonstrates:

·        Excellent planning and organisational skills including using computer technology effectively.

·        The experience of managing tight deadlines while effectively handling multiple tasks.

·        The ability to manage within allocated resources and a capacity to respond to changes in a plan.

Evaluating Information, Problem Solving & Decision Making

Demonstrates:

·        The ability to appropriately analyse and interpret information, develop solutions and contribute to decisions quickly and accurately as appropriate.

·        Initiative in the resolution of complex issues.

·        The ability to recognise when it is appropriate to refer decisions to a higher level of management.

·        A capacity to develop new proposals and recommend decisions on a proactive basis.

·        Flexibility, problem solving and initiative skills including the ability to implement change.

Team Working

Demonstrates:

·        The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

·        The capacity for management responsibility and initiative.

·        Motivation and an innovative approach to the job within a changing working environment.

Commitment to a Quality Service

Demonstrates:

·        Awareness and appreciation of the service user.

·        A commitment to promoting and maintaining high work standards.

·        A commitment to providing a professional service to internal and external stakeholders.

Remuneration

The Salary scale for the post is: (as at 01/01/2024)

€49,210 - €50,685 - €52,187 - €53,721 - €55,264 - €57,064 - €58,868 LSIs

New appointees to any grade start at the minimum point of the scale. Incremental credit will be applied for recognised relevant service in Ireland and abroad (Department of Health Circular 2/2011). Incremental credit is normally granted on appointment, in respect of previous experience in the Civil Service, Local Authorities, Health Service and other Public Service Bodies and Statutory Agencies.