Sector Officers

Open competition for appointment as: Sector Officer in the Irish Coast Guard, Department of Transport

Background The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) is a Division within the Irish Maritime Directorate (IMD) of the Department of Transport. The IRCG’s mission is deliver a world class search and rescue, maritime casualty, and pollution response service and their purpose include: • Reducing the loss of life within the Irish Search and Rescue Region and on rivers, lakes, and waterways. • Protecting the quality of the marine environment within the Irish Pollution Responsibility Zone, Harbours, and Maritime Local Authority areas and to preserve property. • Promoting safety standards, and by doing so, prevent, as far as possible, the loss of life at sea and on inland waters and other areas. • Providing an effective emergency response service.

The IRCG is one of the four Principal Emergency Services (PES), who along with an Garda Siochana, National Ambulance Service and Fire Service, are a declared blue light emergency service.

Further information on the IRCG, it’s Vision and Values can be obtained on its website.

The IRCG currently has six vacancies for Sector Officers in their Coast Guard Units & Support (CGU&S) section.

Coast Guard Units & Support Section The Coast Guard Units & Support (CGU&S) is a section within the IRCG. It is responsible for the management, resourcing, and training of the volunteer Coast Guard Units (CGUs). There are 44 CGUs divided into six sectors strategically located around the coast and on the inland waters of Ireland. Each of the six sectors is managed by a Coastal Unit Sector Manager (CUSM). All CGUs are staffed, trained, and equipped to provide a mixture of the current four core functions within their communities:

• Coastal search capability • Cliff rescue capability • Boat rescue and support capability • Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) search capability

CGUs are declared operational by CGU&S to the Operations section of IRCG who then task the units, as required, to respond in line with their unit capabilities.

The Role The Sector Officer is a new grade within the IRCG and is equivalent to an Executive Officer in the Civil Service.

They will work with assigned CGUs and report to the Coastal Unit Sector Manager (CUSM) of that sector. The role will involve working closely with the volunteer CGUs, Coast Guard and Maritime Administration personnel and other internal/external stakeholders. On the job training will be provided as appropriate. The Sector Officer is required to comply with the organisational values of ‘Pride’ and ‘Respect’ as part of this role.

This post also carries a mobility obligation and Sector Officers are required to be available for service at all CGUs within their sector and also to travel to work in other sectors, when required. IRCG road vehicles will be provided for official business use only when the nature of their employment warrants the provision. The Officers driving them will be responsible for their control, cleanliness, and maintenance.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities The duties of the post may include some or all of those listed below: • Supporting CGUs by undertaking the following tasks: o Conducting routine inspection of vehicles, buildings, boats, and equipment to a fixed schedule, completing appropriate checklists and administrative duties. o Initiating corrective action against defects, monitoring corrective actions, and maintaining defect records. o Managing CGU equipment, inventory and logistical requirements including associated administrative duties. o Managing local inventories. • Supporting management of the planned maintenance system. This includes recording, monitoring, and reviewing periodic service, maintenance, repair, inspection, and defect reports and compiling periodic reports on same. • Supporting maintenance and repair works undertaken by third party contractors, including associated logistical and administrative support. • Supporting the CUSM by assisting in the following tasks: o Effecting corrective actions to findings identified through audit, inspection, and safety meetings. o Managing and implementing the requirements of the safety management system. o Procuring goods, equipment, and services. o Managing the fixed asset register. o Managing inventory, vehicles, buildings, boats, and equipment including the update of computerised maintenance management system. o Providing general unit management support including logistical support and associated administrative tasks. • Carrying out any other duties relevant to the role that may be assigned to the Sector Officer from time to time.

The position is a uniformed grade. The successful candidate will be required to wear their uniform in a presentable manner and to maintain a smart and neat appearance, as determined by Coast Guard Management.

Working Environment The work will be divided between office and field. Depending on the needs of the business, a typical week may consist of 4 days travel and 1 day of office-based administrative duties. Please note, a significant amount of travel is required as Sector Officers are obliged to travel to various locations within their sector on a regular basis and on occasion to travel to other sectors as needed. Travel and subsistence payments will apply at central civil service rates.

Location of Vacancies For management purposes, the CGUs are divided into six sectors: • East (Office located in Dublin City) (Greenore, Co. Louth to Courtown, Co. Wexford) • Southeast (Various locations in Waterford) (Curracloe, Co. Wexford to Ballycotton, Co. Cork) • South (Office located in Cork City) (Guileen to Goleen, Co. Cork) • Southwest (Office located in Killarney, Kerry) (Castletownbere, Co. Cork to Killaloe, Co. Clare) • West (Office located in Castlebar, Mayo) (Kilkee, Co. Clare to Achill, Co. Mayo) • Northwest (Various locations in Donegal) (Ballyglass, Co. Mayo to Greencastle, Co. Donegal)

There are currently six vacancies – one for each sector. A panel will be formed from this competition to fill any further vacancies which may arise in any of the Sectors.

Candidates are required to specify on the application form (tick boxes) the Sector in which they are willing to be placed. Candidates can only select a maximum of 2 sectors. The onus is on candidates to select their correct sector choice(s). Changes to these choice(s) will not be permitted after the closing date. No exceptions will be made.

PRINCIPAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE The appointment is subject to the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005, the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, and any other Act for the time being in force relating to the Civil Service.

Pay Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) Pay Scale 1st January 2024 is EO equivalent and is as follows: €35,687 €37,589 €38,663 €40,759 €42,638 €44,455 €46,266 €48,039 €49,830 €51,581 €53,440 €54,685 €56,461 (LSI1) €58,251(LSI2)

The PPC pay rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main/personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme, or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC).

A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

Long service increments may be payable after 3(LSI1) and 6(LSI2) years satisfactory service at the maximum of the scale.

Important Note Entry will be at the minimum of the scale and the rate of remuneration will not be subject to negotiation and may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Different terms and conditions may apply if you are a currently serving civil or public servant.

Subject to satisfactory performance increments may be payable in line will current Government Policy.

Payment will be made fortnightly in arrears by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into a bankaccount of your choice. Payment cannot be made until a bank account number and bank sort code has been supplied on appointment and statutory deductions from salary will be made as appropriate.

You will agree that any overpayment of salary, allowances, or expenses will be repaid by you in accordance with Circular 07/2018: Recovery of Salary, Allowances, and Expenses Overpayments made to Staff Members/Former Staff Members/Pensioners. Annual Leave The appointee will be entitled to 23 days annual leave a year rising to 24 days a year after 5 years’ service, 25 days after 10 years’ service, 26 days after 12 years’ service and 27 days after 14 years’ service. This leave is exclusive of public holidays.

Hours of Attendance Hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount to not less than 41 hours and 15 minutes gross and 35 hours net per week. Extra attendance will be compensated as set out in the requirements of Circular 14/2014.

Location The officer’s headquarters will be within their sector or as may be designated from time to time by the Head of the Department. When absent from home and headquarters on duty the appointee will be paid travel expenses subject to standard Civil Service practices.

Closing date Your application must be submitted on the Publicjobs website not later than 3pm on Thursday, 9th May 2024. IMPORTANT NOTE The above represents the principal conditions of service and is not intended to be the comprehensive list of all terms and conditions of employment which will be set out in the employment contract to be agreed with the successful candidate(s).