Clerical Officer

Title: Clerical Officer Panel

Employer: The Pensions Authority

Level: Clerical Officer (Standard Scale)

Posts: The Authority is seeking to establish a CO panel as part of this recruitment process from which any permanent or temporary CO posts in the Authority which arise during the lifetime of this panel may be filled.

Tenure: Permanent and temporary (subject to satisfactory completion of probation)

Location: Verschoyle House, 28-30 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2

The Pensions Authority currently operates a hybrid work model (HWM). The HWM requires all employees to attend the office for a minimum of one day per week.

Please note the Authority’s HWM is subject to change in line with Government guidelines and the Authority’s business needs.

Closing date: 12 noon on Tuesday 23 May 2023

The Pensions Authority
The Pensions Authority is a statutory body established under the Pensions Act 1990. The Authority supervises compliance with the Pensions Act by scheme trustees, Personal Retirement Saving Account (PRSA) providers, Registered Administrators and employers. Occupational pension schemes and PRSAs have between them over €115 billion in assets. Additionally the Authority is responsible for advising the Minister for Social Protection on pension matters generally.

Further information about the Authority and the work we do can be found on our website www.pensionsauthority.ie

Working at the Pensions Authority
The Authority is an equal opportunities employer. Our employees come from varied professional backgrounds in both the private and public sector and include actuaries, lawyers, accountants, regulatory specialists, data analysts, qualified financial advisors, pension administrators, investment specialists, customer service support, and software and hardware engineers.

A career in the Authority will give you a unique opportunity to work in pensions regulation and to develop your potential while contributing to the Authority’s vision of achieving a pensions landscape which encourages pensions savings by being secure, well managed and understandable.

Day-to-day work of the Authority
The day-to-day work of the Authority is carried out by our 90 employees working together in eight Units as follows:

• Supervision and Enforcement,
• Technical,
• Policy,
• Legal,
• Data,
• IT,
• Programme Management Office,
• Operations.

Further information about the work of each Unit can be found on our website in the organisational structure section.

Career development
Through our continuous learning and development programme, we provide employees with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge required to efficiently and effectively carryout their roles to serve the public interest. The Authority is committed to investing in the expertise of our employees so they can progress their careers in our organisation and beyond.

Each Unit works collaboratively and plays an important role in delivering the Authority’s objectives. In the delivery of our objectives there are various cross-Unit projects and business as usual activities underway at any one time in a variety of areas such as supervision; compliance and enforcement activity; data management and analysis; policy development; providing legal and technical advice; IT systems development; HR; finance; procurement andcommunications. Employees have the opportunity to input into and influence how the Authority does its work. These activities enable employees to gain an array of experiences from across the organisation.

Benefits of Working at the Pensions Authority
Our modern city centre office, located on Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, is easily accessible by DART, Luas and many bus routes. Whilst employees are contracted to work in our Dublin 2 office, employees can currently avail of our hybrid working arrangement. Our hybrid working policy requires employees to attend the office for a minimum of one day per week and is subject to change in line with Government guidelines and the business needs of the Authority.

All employees must work from the territory and jurisdiction of Ireland while working remotely with the Authority.

Below are just some of the benefits that the Authority has to offer:

• public sector pay rates, pension benefits and annual leave entitlements;
• dynamic work environment;
• career progression opportunities;
• personal development opportunities through employer-sponsored academic education, paid study leave, and extensive in-house training and development programmes;
• flexible working hours and the potential to accrue flexi leave for those operating at CO, EO and HEO grades;
• tax saver tickets, Bike-to-Work Scheme and bike storage onsite;
• wellbeing initiatives: lunch and learn sessions on popular topics, mindfulness classes, mental health awareness talks, provision of fresh fruit daily, subsidised pilates classes, health initiatives, employee networking initiatives, confidential employee assistance programme; and
• an active and inclusive social committee hosting varied activities.

The Role of the Clerical Officer:
The duties of the Clerical Officer involve clerical and administration tasks and may vary depending on the nature of work carried out by the assigned operating Unit. The Clerical Officer will normally report to an Executive Officer.

Responsibilities of the post
The main duties and responsibilities of this role include:

• General clerical duties – typing, filing, photocopying, inputting data, handling/dealing with correspondence, answering/making phone calls etc.;
• Supporting line managers and colleagues;
• Processing, auditing and examination of various documentation;
• Managing high volumes of data input and validation;
• Dealing with the public/customers (internal and external) e.g. responding to queries and providing information in a professional and courteous manner, in person, on the telephone and via e-mail;
• Use of Information Technology e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, database, e-mail and internet;
• Providing secretarial support for meetings and taking minutes when required;
• Maintaining complete and accurate files and records, for example, by using the Authority’s data system or other filing systems that are in place;
• Providing reception cover e.g. operating the switchboard, answering and directing calls, greeting visitors, logging post/cheques etc.;
• Supporting supervisors and colleagues as required;
• Working as part of a team to deliver high quality services;
• Completing routine accounts work;
• Complying with any duties that may be assigned from time to time by the relevant Unit Head.

The above is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to review.

General conditions of employment Pay
Entry will be at the minimum (first point) of the Clerical Officer (Standard) Scale, which is €27,132 for persons appointed on or after 6 April 1995. The salary scale for the position, as per Circular 02/2023 is as follows:

For persons appointed to the public service after 6 April 1995: €27,132, €28,838, €29,271, €30,117, €31,365, €32,611, €33,856, €34,763, €35,791, €36,985, €37,825, €39,007, €40,181, €42,014, €43,454 (LSI-1), €44,115 (LSI-2) Long service increments may be payable after 3 (LSI-1) and 6 (LSI-2) years’ satisfactory service at the maximum of the scale.

Increments are normally awarded annually subject to satisfactory performance; however, payment of increments and/or the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time inline with Government pay policy.

Tenure
In the event of appointment to a permanent or temporary position with the Authority the appointee must serve a probationary period, which normally will last for nine months. If at any time during this period it appears that the appointee would not be suitable for final appointment the probation will be terminated.

Panel
As part of this recruitment process, the Authority may establish a panel of successful candidates in order of merit. Any panel created will expire after a designated period from its establishment (usually nine months), or when it has been exhausted, whichever is sooner. The Authority may decide that only a certain number of candidates will be placed on any such panel. Qualification and placement on a panel is not a guarantee of appointment to a position. Candidates not appointed at the expiry of the panel will have no claim to a position thereafter because of having been on the panel.

More detailed information regarding establishment of a panel (if any), duration of any such panel and placement on the panel will be provided to successful candidates.

If you are placed on a panel, and are subsequently offered an assignment, you must be available to take up the post as offered. Vacancies may need to be filled with immediate effect; therefore if you are not contactable, the Authority will immediately move on to the next available candidate. Candidates who wish to be considered for positions which may arise must be available for the full duration of the contract offered. Extended holiday plans during this period may affect your possible assignment.

Hours of attendance
Hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount, on average, to not less than 43 hours and 15 minutes gross or 35 hours net per week. Normal working hours are from 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday, including lunch.

The Authority operates a flexible working hours system, which allows certain employees within prescribed limits, to avail of a more flexible system of attendance to enable them to manage their time and attendance.

Where extra attendance is necessary, payment or time off in lieu may be allowed in accordance with the normal regulations for the grade. Please note that hours of attendance may be subject to change from time to time in line with Government/local policy and practices.

Annual leave
The annual leave allowance for the position of Clerical Officer is 22 working days per year, rising to 23 after five years’ service at the grade and 24 after 10 years’ service at the grade. This allowance is subject to the usual conditions regarding the granting of annual leave in the Civil Service, is based on a five day week and is exclusive of the usual public holidays.

Closing date
The closing date and time for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 23 May 2023.

If you do not receive an acknowledgment of receipt of your application within three working days of the closing date, please contact PensionsAuthority@cpl.ie. Please note the requirement above relating to the email subject heading.

It is the Authority’s strict policy that applications will not be accepted after the closing time.

Note: If you are an EU/EEA/UK national, you will be asked to show proof of right to work in Ireland. If you are a non-EU/EEA/UK national, you will require a current and valid work visa for the Republic of Ireland. Remote working outside of the territory and jurisdiction of Ireland will not be facilitated except for employees residing in Northern Ireland.

Please note the Pensions Authority cannot provide employer sponsorship for employment permit purposes.