Job Title: Graduate Development Officer
About the Role:
This is a highly sought-after opportunity to join our team as a Graduate Development Officer. As a key member of our organization, you will play a crucial role in delivering integrated supports to clients across various rural development, environmental, and social inclusion initiatives.
The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic and outgoing individual with a creative and innovative approach to problem-solving. You will have a strong interest in supporting or delivering community or business-led development initiatives and possess high-level IT proficiency. Strong administrative skills are also essential for this position.
As a Graduate Development Officer, you will work closely with a multi-disciplinary team to design, develop, and deliver supports to clients. Your responsibilities will include mentoring and supporting local community and voluntary groups, engaging in outreach activities, and facilitating strategic collaborative partnerships.
Key Responsibilities:
* Mentor and support local community and voluntary groups to enable them to understand and access available community-led local development supports.
* Engage in outreach activities to support communities and targeted clients to access and participate in appropriate, relevant activities and initiatives.
* Support community-led initiatives in the areas of community development and enhancement, environment, sustainability, a just transition for all, employment creation, enterprise, and social enterprise development.
* Facilitate and drive strategic collaborative partnerships and networks focused on developing targeted responses to identified social inclusion and economic development needs.
* Provide support to Development Officers and communities to undertake Participative Community Socio-Environmental-Economic Planning processes.
* Help identify and develop appropriate responses to gaps in supports, skills, and services within the Ballyhoura area.
* Support clients with the preparation of applications for grant aid from the full range of available sources.
* Deliver a range of coordinated supports to clients experiencing social exclusion.
* Develop the skills and capacity within the management and staffing structures of community organizations relating to governance and management best practice.
* Empower clients to participate more effectively in local, regional, and national decision-making structures.
* Achieve and report on key programme indicators.
* Update and maintain client relationship systems in line with company policy and Programme Operating rules.
* Anticipate opportunities and develop creative and innovative project ideas, proposals, and applications.
* Participate in the development and delivery of inter-territorial and transnational projects.
* Disseminate information and create awareness to improve knowledge and uptake of the range of finance and other supports available to clients to implement their ideas.
* Monitor inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impacts through data collection, reports, case studies, and by any other means which may be required by the company and/or programmes.
* Participate in and comply with all company actions and activities relating to continuous improvement.
Person Specification:
* Enthusiastic and Outgoing
* Creative and Innovative
* Flexible and Responsive
* Thrives on responsibility and autonomy
* Interested in locally led environmental, economic, or social initiatives
* Available to work outside normal office hours
* Eager to learn and pursue new opportunities
* Legally eligible to work in Ireland
Qualifications and Experience:
Diploma, Graduate degree, post-graduate qualification, Masters or higher; Graduated in 2023, 2024 or expect to graduate in 2025; People from all educational backgrounds are welcome to apply. Disciplines that will be particularly relevant include environmental sustainability, tourism marketing and development, arts and culture, community and rural development, digital skills, climate change, renewable energy, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences, quantity surveying, engineering, archaeology.
Required Skills and Experience:
* Strong interest in supporting or delivering community or business-led development initiatives
* High level of IT proficiency
* Strong administrative skills
* Full clean driving licence
Benefits:
* Flexible working
* Laptop
* Generous holiday entitlement
* Company Closure days