Senior Staff Officer Staged Recruitment Please note although the closing date for receipt of completed applications is Thursday, 4the June 2026, only the first 100 applications received will be processed in the initial round. All remaining applications will be processed in subsequent rounds. SDCC is an equal opportunities employer. Canvassing will automatically disqualify. Opportunity starts here Come to SDCC to do your greatest work. Were forward-thinking and focused on diversity, inclusion and community. As an equal opportunities employer, were opening the doors to new careers, creating flexible ways of working and putting people at the heart of everything we do. Were the people responsible for local government in South Dublin County. Aside from the exciting range of opportunities to make a real difference in your community, SDCC is a great place to work. Working with us will give you the opportunity to gain experience at the heart of local government and to develop your career in a diverse work environment. At SDCC we provide plenty of opportunity for career progression with structured training, personal development, coaching and mentoring. We offer flexible working including blended working arrangements and a positive work environment. Read our accompanying Employee Value Proposition to find out more. Welcome to a team thats making a difference powered by people like you. Applications Applications will only be accepted through SDCCs e-Recruitment system before midnight on Thursday, 4th June 2026. To expediate the recruitment process, SDCC will initially process the first 100 applications received. This will form Round One of the competition. Once a panel has been established, the Council will continue processing the remaining applications in batches of 100 until such time as all applications received before the closing date have been processed. The Role The Senior Staff Officer is a frontline management position in the Council and is assigned responsibility for managing the performance of a section within a Department handling an area of the Councils activities. They are responsible for ensuring that goals set out in Departmental and Team business plans become operational actions. The office is wholetime, permanent and pensionable. A panel will be formed to fill permanent and temporary vacancies. Persons employed will be required to work in any location within the South Dublin administrative area. Salary / Wages €57,895 - €59,276 - €60,960 - €64,126 - €66,017 - €68,367 (LSI1) - €70,730 (LSI2) 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. 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: (1) (a) have obtained at least Grade D (or a pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level in five subjects (or four subjects 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 (2) Have obtained a comparable standard in an equivalent examination, or (3) Hold a third level qualification of at least degree standard (4) Will have satisfactory experience in administrative procedures, including adequate practical experience in work of an executive nature, office organisation and supervision and management of staff. Confined competition (5) (a) Be a serving employee in 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 organisation and control of staff. A panel may be formed from which future positions may be filled. Recruitment to the post of Senior Staff Officer (Grade Six) will be on the following basis: Panel A (Confined to local authority sector) will comprise of successful applicants in order of merit from within the Local Authority Sector only, that is, 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 or applicable regional assembly) will comprise of all successful applicants in order of merit and may include candidates serving in the recruiting local authority or regional assembly (where applicable). Desirable Education, Training and Experience 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the structure and functions of local government, of current local government issues, priorities, concerns and future direction. 2. Demonstrate relevant administrative experience at a sufficiently high level. 3. Have a career record that demonstrates an ability to manage and supervise staff. 4. Demonstrate effective financial and resource management skills. 5. Have knowledge and experience of operating ICT systems. 6. Be able to lead and manage a team effectively to achieve a common goal, ensuring strong governance standards and ethics standards are adhered to and maintained. 7. Have the ability to motivate, empower and encourage staff under their control to achieve maximum performance by supporting the current Performance Management and Development System (PMDS). 8. Understand the changing environment and be capable of implementing change in order to deliver quality services to our citizens. 9. Understand the representational role of the elected members and be capable of working closely with them to deliver quality services and implement policy decisions. 10. Be self-motivated with ability to work on own initiative. 11. Have strong interpersonal and communications skills and be capable of representing the Council in a professional and credible manner. 12. Have an awareness of Health and Safety legislation and regulations, the implications for the organisation and the employee, and their application in the workplace. 13. Have an understanding of the role and duties of managers in safety management in the workplace. Key Competencies / Skills Management & Change 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 The duties will include but are not limited to: 1. Responsible for the management and administration of a section or sections within the Council. 2. Supervision and management of staff within a section or sections, including assigning and scheduling duties and workload, providing on-going support and handling day to day issues. 3. Planning, allocation and prioritisation of work. 4. Taking responsibility for staff performance and reporting on the progress of work at staff management meetings. 5. Supporting line manager to ensure work programmes are implemented to deliver on the Councils corporate and operational plans, including planning and prioritising work and allocating resources. 6. To develop and maintain productive working relationships, including providing information and assistance when required. 7. To act as a key point of contact and liaison in relation to all operational matters for the section / sections for which they are responsible. 8. To research, analyse and communicate information on specific issues and policies as appropriate, including compiling, preparing and presenting reports, presentations and correspondence. 9. Representing the Council on committees and at meetings and reporting on progress in their section or department as required. 10. Providing support and administrative assistance in the delivery of projects as required. 11. To be involved in the day-to-day financial management of capital and operational expenditure in the section or department. 12. To identify opportunities for improvements, implement and manage change management initiatives within the relevant area of responsibility. 13. Compliance with all organisational policies and procedures within area of responsibility and provide assistance in the understanding and interpretation of policies and procedures to employees, customers and other stakeholders as appropriate. 14. Compliance with Health and Safety legislative requirements, policies and procedures and safe systems of work. 15. To undertake any other duties of a similar level and responsibilities as may be required from time to time.
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