Software Developer - Senior ICT Specialist at Higher Executive Officer Level in the Civil Service

The closing date for this vacancy is 11/11/2026, 15:00

Vacancy ID

10109

Department/Authority

Civil Service

Department/Authority Website

https://www.gov.ie/en/

Working pattern

Full-Time

Advertising Date

23/10/2026

County

Dublin

Location

Dublin

Closing Date for Application

11/11/2026, 15:00

Grade

Software Developer - Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Contract

Permanent

Type of role

Civil Service

Accessibility Information: We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act. Please see our Statement on Accessibility

Please note that the language you choose to begin your application with cannot be changed once the "Apply" button is selected. If your application form is in English, your communications will be in English.

To submit your application through Irish and receive communications in Irish, please ensure you are on the Irish language version of our website www.publicjobs.ie/ga before you access the vacancy you wish to apply for, and click "Déan iarratas" to apply.

Job summary

The Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialists recruited from this competition will be directly involved in delivering on a range of Government strategies within their appointed organisations. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a larger team delivering on the ambitions of Ireland to be a digital leader and enabling digital engagement with the State by businesses, members of the public and public servants.

Main Duties of the Job

Successful candidates will be integral members of teams that are delivering critical projects of national importance and public prominence such as the National Childcare scheme, interactions with the Revenue Commissioners, digital solutions supporting subsidies in the agri-food sector, company registrations, the census, Driver Licence Online, social welfare supports, registering key life events (such as birth, marriage, deaths), employment permits, and the gov.ie portal, which is now the primary source of information on Government and Government services and is one of the most accessed Irish websites and solutions to meet Ireland’s targets for Europe’s Digital Decade.

Please see the Candidate Information Booklet for full details of the role including specific eligibility requirements.

Information about the organisation

The Civil Service employs over 50,000 people nationwide across the 18 Government Departments and more than 20 other Civil Service offices and agencies. Our vision is inclusive, high quality and integrated service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland.

Selection Process Details

The panel formed from this competition will be used to fill vacancies across the Civil Service. Applicants should note that the majority of vacancies will be in Dublin.

Recruitment for this role is managed by publicjobs.

Software Developer ICT Specialist in the CS_Candidate Information Booklet_10109.pdf – 926KB Opens in a new window https://publicjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/candidate/download_file_opp/10109/406178/1/0/0c7372fc2b64e06c966789dc3c3321989b6151c4

Software Developer

–

Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service Higher Executive Officer

(HEO) Level

Closing Date: 3pm on Wednesday 11 th November 202 6

1

Open competition for appointment as:

Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Level

Vacancy ID: 10109 Contact: Grainne O’Neill Recruitment and Selection Email: [email protected] URL: www.publicjobs.ie publicjobs is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the employment equality act. publicjobs will run this competition in compliance with the Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service, prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) and available on www.cpsa.ie.

publicjobs refers to Public Appointments Service established under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004-2013 2 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who We Are ........................................................................................................................... 4 Why Work in ICT in the Civil Service ...................................................................................... 4 About the Role ....................................................................................................................... 5 Who We Are Looking For ....................................................................................................... 7 Some Key Information and Dates .......................................................................................... 7 Where these Roles will be Located ........................................................................................ 8 Civil Service ICT Profession Career Path............................................................................... 9 Essential Requirements, Qualifications and Experience ...................................................... 10 Relevant Industry Certifications ............................................................................................ 11 Please Note.......................................................................................................................... 11 Competition Process ............................................................................................................ 12

3 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service Who We Are The Civil Service employs over 50,000 people nationwide across the 18 Government Departments and more than 20 other Civil Service offices and agencies. Our vision is inclusive, high quality and integrated service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland. Having the right people in place is essential if we are to deliver on the vision for Ireland to be recognised as a global leader in digital government. In this recruitment competition at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) level for Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialists we are offering you an exciting chance to be a part of delivering on this vision. Candidates should be aware that the office locations for the vast majority of vacancies likely to arise in Civil Service organisations will be in Dublin.

Why Work in ICT in the Civil Service The Civil Service is at the heart of Irish society and, as Civil Servants, we put the public at the heart of what we do. Everything we do impacts our country, its organisations and most importantly its people. A career in the Civil Service offers you the opportunity to take on exciting and challenging work while making a real difference to people’s lives in Ireland. As a part of the ICT/Digital Profession in the Civil Service, you can play a real part in delivering the Government’s Digital Public Services Plan 2030 and meeting EU Digital Decade 2030 targets making a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of people through being involved in designing, building and maintaining systems which support our digital interactions with citizens and businesses. ICT is a professional discipline within the Civil Service, with its own career pathways, training and development programmes and networking opportunities. As well as offering a rewarding and challenging career, some of the benefits of working in the Civil Service include: • A chance to work on major cross-government projects. • The opportunity to grow your expertise in your chosen area of ICT/digital. • Career progression and mobility opportunities. • Access to Public Service Credit Union. • Access to flexible work arrangements and well-being programmes to support a healthy work life balance such as Blended Working. • Membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. • Access to schemes such as the Bike-to-Work and Tax Saver public transport pass. In addition to this, as an employer of choice, the Civil Service is an advocate of life-long learning for its staff. So, if you are successful and are appointed to the Civil Service, you will be encouraged and supported to undertake further training and certification, at all National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) levels. This will enable you to grow your expertise in your chosen area of ICT, and beyond, and to develop your career. 4 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

The Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialists recruited from this competition will be directly involved in delivering on a range of Government strategies within their appointed organisations. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a larger team delivering on the ambitions of Ireland to be a digital leader and enabling digital engagement with the State by businesses, members of the public and public servants. Successful candidates will be integral members of teams that are delivering critical projects of national importance and public prominence such as the National Childcare scheme, interactions with the Revenue Commissioners, digital solutions supporting subsidies in the agri-food sector, company registrations, the census, Driver Licence Online, social welfare supports, registering key life events (such as birth, marriage, deaths), employment permits and the gov.ie portal, which is now the primary source of information on Government and Government services and is one of the most accessed Irish websites and solutions to meet Ireland’s targets for Europe’s Digital Decade.

About the Role As a core part of the ICT/digital unit of any Civil Service organisation, the role of Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist at HEO level is an important one. These roles are focused on delivering digital solutions to a range of users including members of the public, businesses and colleagues across their own organisation. Successful candidates will be lead members of a technical team using any one of a range of different languages/frameworks to develop applications and digital solutions needed by your organisation. In that context, you will be expected to be able to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding both of how web applications work from frontend to server side and database, and some of the associated problems, as well as technologies associated with each of the following: • Frontend CSS, JavaScript and associated frameworks, client side security, client side performance, implementing designs, accessibility, mobile-enabled. • Server Side MVC web frameworks, dealing with high load, API’s, webservers. • Database Database Design, Database Tuning, No-SQL, SQL. • Languages Popular programming language like Java, python or C#; Object oriented software development. • Deployment Containers; Windows/Linux server configuration in relation to web applications; and Cloud stacks like AWS or Azure. The specific duties of each Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist role will largely be determined by the Department/ Agency to which you are assigned. However, some duties and responsibilities will be common to all such roles and may include: • Developing and supporting end-to-end business application and business intelligence solutions, using agile development methodologies, across a broad set of leading technologies; • Developing software for websites, web applications, desktop, batch jobs and mobile apps; • Developing UI interfaces using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, desktop UI builders and other UI development methods; • Developing server side code in a variety of programming languages - such as VB.net, C#, Java, Python, JavaScript, COBOL, etc.;

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•

•

• • • •

Developing solutions using databases including the design and creation of database models, and also managing and monitoring databases, including traditional relational and NoSQL databases; DevOps development, including setting up cloud infrastructure with code, setting up auto scaling to manage uneven loads, creating CI/CD pipelines to manage deployments and monitoring system performance; Developing object oriented code to solve business problems; Architecting effective software solutions; Developing of test strategies, test harnesses, test cases and the carrying out of software testing, including Test Automation, Performance/Accessibility /Security testing etc.; Designing, implementing and supporting a wide range of ICT/digital infrastructures across a broad set of leading technologies serving internal and external service users.

Other responsibilities common to the role of any Senior ICT Specialist role at HEO-level in the ICT profession may also include: • Managing and mentoring a team to maximise performance, ensuring a focus on human-centred service design, continuous improvement, agile and quality service delivery; • Promoting the effective use of ICT and digital services to support the business of the organisation and in particular to promote world class delivery of digital government services; • Engaging in collaborative problem solving with other ICT areas and business units, ensuring that your work is informed by the overall organisational strategy; • Monitoring ICT/digital developments at international level including strategies and policy development by multilateral institutions such as the EU, OECD and UN, and demonstrating and maintaining a broad knowledge of technology solutions, current trends and techniques; • Critically evaluating and analysing business information, translating business requirements into design options that are (i) cost effective (ii) efficient (iii) sustainable and reusable, (iv) comply with standards and (v) enhance business processes; • Working closely with and managing external contractors and vendors; • Researching and summarising findings as well as producing high-quality reports as required; • Working within and across departments/ agencies, where project delivery involves multiple organisations; • Undertaking such training and development, by yourself and your team, as may be required to ensure that you stay up to date with the technologies in your area of operations; • Other broader activities associated with ICT/ digital service delivery as budget and people management, procurement, compliance, project management, stakeholder engagement, research, and assessment of projects from a feasibility and value for money perspective, etc; and • Such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by your Manager. Please Note: This list is not exhaustive but serves to reflect the type of the duties included in the role. Other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

6 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Who We Are Looking For We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, logical, imaginative and keen to learn new skills, and who want to further develop their software developer career as part of the Civil Service. Do you have: • strong technical aptitude and see opportunities for digital and ICT to deliver world class government services to individuals and businesses? • good communication skills and team leadership skills? Are you: • someone who can effectively promote the effective use of ICT and digital services to support the business of the organisation? • someone who also takes a thorough and structured approach to organising tasks and solving problems and who can deliver on time against project deadlines? • comfortable leading a team and working as part of project and multidisciplinary groups? • someone who can establish and maintain good working relationships with others, identify their needs and be receptive and responsive to their queries? • confident and persuasive and able to explain complex ideas to a non-technical audience in a structured and concise manner? • someone who keeps up to date with emerging technologies and is always eager to learn new skills? • happy working in an environment where there is ongoing and significant change? • focused on providing the best possible service to the public and to customers in your organisation? If so, then we have a role for you!

Some Key Information and Dates Applications are via the publicjobs site only. Register now if you do not already have an account. Competition Closing Date: Your application must be submitted on the publicjobs website not later than 3pm on Wednesday 11th November 2026. Starting Salary: €60,029 Starting Annual Leave: 29 days Hours of Attendance: 41 hours and 15 minutes gross or 35 hours net per week Principal Conditions of Service: Please CLICK HERE to view the Principal Conditions of Service applicable to the role including full details of pay scale and incremental points. Eligibility to Compete and Certain Restrictions on Eligibility: Please CLICK HERE to view the Eligibility to Compete and Certain Restrictions on Eligibility applicable to the role. Interviews are expected to commence from December 2026 For full details on the recruitment process, see the Competition Process section on page 12. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your application within 24 hours of applying, please email [email protected] You should check your publicjobs.ie Application Centre on a regular basis as email notifications about updates/tests/Interviews etc. published in the “Review Communications” area can sometimes be filtered into your Junk/Spam email folders. You are also advised to check all these folders regularly.

7 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

A Day in the Life of Alex, a Senior ICT Specialist working in Software Development My day tends to start with a 10-minute stand-up meeting where I go through a Kanban board with the rest of my team. This allows me to catch up on the progress of projects with other developers and facilitates the team to help each other with issues they might have. I might, for instance, take on a code review, agree to test another developer’s work or offer a solution to a problem. After the stand-up I start work on any project tasks I have taken on while also checking in throughout the day with the staff members reporting to me. My role is varied, and this is one of the reasons why I love it! I could be writing or testing a piece of code, developing a creative software solution to solve a problem, working on one of our in-house software projects or contributing towards a cross government or European initiative. During my time in the Civil Service, I have had the chance to be part of development teams delivering high quality software as part of some very exciting projects. I've also been exposed to a multitude of technologies which has greatly enhanced my own experience and skill set. Every day is a learning day of some form, which makes the work very rewarding. What I really enjoy about my job is that I am constantly learning and developing myself, and at the same time making a real contribution to building quality digital services that will make a difference in peoples’ lives. Our human-centred approach to service design makes for really interesting collaboration with my colleagues in business units and, sometimes, their service users. One of the great things about this role is the varied nature of the work - it means that I am always learning, as is my team. Digital, enabled by ICT, is the way of the world now and is a constantly evolving area of work. This makes the role both a challenging and exciting one. It’s essential for me to keep up to date not just on the technology front, which I do by monitoring websites and social media channels, but also the broad digital strategy and policy context, nationally and internationally.

Where these Roles will be Located If successful in this competition, you will be placed on a panel in an order of merit from which Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist vacancies arising across the Civil Service will be filled. The panel formed from this competition will fill Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist vacancies across Civil Service Departments and offices. NOTE - Although the majority of vacancies arising over the lifetime of the panel will be in Dublin, a limited number of vacancies may also arise in some regional locations which may be filled from this panel. For a breakdown of the number of candidates assigned to these roles in recent years, please see our overview of recent assignments across locations HERE. Candidates should also be aware that requirements in relation to working onsite at their place of work will be in line with their organisation’s Blended Work Policy.

8 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Civil Service ICT Profession Career Path Furthering your career as a Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist can lead to opportunities for you to advance further in the future. The chart below represents the career path for all ICT/digital professionals in the Civil Service.

At Higher Executive Officer-level the Civil Service recruits’ Senior ICT Specialists into ICT/Digital teams across a range of disciplines including: • • • •

Software Development; Infrastructure and Operations; Networks and Cyber Security; and Digital Business Engagement

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Essential Requirements, Qualifications and Experience Given the technical nature of the roles to be filled, you must have a relevant qualification which is matched with experience appropriate to this Software Developer Senior ICT Specialist role. It is up to you to make sure that your application form showcases the experience you have gained so far. Accordingly, you must, on or before Wednesday 11th November 2026, meet one of the following sets of criteria: A. Hold a degree qualification at Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major award (i.e. ordinary level degree), or higher, in a relevant computing or computational discipline and have at least 3 years directly relevant* hands-on ICT software development experience from your employment to date. OR B. Hold a degree qualification at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major award (i.e. honours degree), or higher, with computing or computational modules taken in the final year and have at least 3 years directly relevant* hands-on ICT software development experience from your employment to date. OR C. Hold a major award qualification of at least Level 6, or higher, on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) in a relevant computing or computational discipline, for example: an NFQ Level 6 qualification from a Post Leaving Cert Course at an ETB, or the FIT Tech Apprenticeship and have at least 5 years directly relevant* hands-on ICT software development experience from your employment to date. OR D. Have achieved at least two industry-recognised certifications one of which must be in an area of software development (see page 11 for a range of examples) and have at least 5 years directly relevant* hands-on ICT software development experience from your employment to date. * Examples of relevant experience should be appropriate to software development and include, but are not limited to, areas such as software and applications development, in particular your background in coding. During this recruitment process, candidates must be able to demonstrate that they: • have excellent coding skills and can deliver well written, efficient code; • can translate user requirements into elegant coding solutions and can analyse and solve difficult coding problems; • have achievements, from their career to date, of where/ how they have delivered ICT/digital solutions, or any elements thereof, to the benefit of the business of their organisation in the area of software development; • can effectively manage a team of ICT, digital and business specialists ensuring a focus on continuous improvement and service delivery; • can take initiative with a proactive approach to the introduction of ICT/digital solutions; • have excellent communication skills and be comfortable working as part of and at times leading a team or project group; • have strong analytical thinking, leadership, communication and networking skills; • have a clear ability to organise and prioritise work tasks in a busy work environment which is characterised by competing demands from a range of different work areas. As a Senior ICT Specialist, candidates must also be able to demonstrate the Key Competencies identified for effective performance in this role. 10 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Relevant Industry Certifications Software development-related Industry certifications considered relevant and appropriate for candidates for this software development recruitment competition include, but are not limited to: • Python, C++, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, .NET languages, COBOL and SQL Other Industry-based certifications which can be combined with a relevant software development certification, could include any of the following: • Project management – e.g. Prince and PMI, foundation level or above; • Knowledge domain-specific awards such as the Special Purpose Award in Business Analysis at Level 8 on the NFQ. • Vendor-based certifications at intermediate level or above (which should have been achieved in the past 5 years): o Operating systems (incl. Microsoft Windows operating systems, Linux, desktop and mobile). o Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, IBM and Microsoft Azure cloud technologies, Virtualisation (VMWare, HyperV, etc.). o Microsoft (e.g. MTA, MCP, Microsoft 365 Certified, Microsoft Azure), IAM, DBA, Security, Data Centre, Cisco (CCNA/ CCDA or higher), HPE and Aruba, Juniper, Brocade, Linux, Check Point, Citrix, Palo Alto, Fortinet etc. • Other frameworks, methodologies and industry-recognised certifications such as: ▪ Angular JS, the Electron Framework, ISTQB, CSDP, ITIL, COBIT, iSAQB TOGAF, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, DevOps, CITA, IASA, CISSP, etc. Please Note Attendance at courses, without completion of an appropriately assessed examination and validated qualification, will not be considered as valid qualifications. It is your responsibility to provide details of the level of certification you have achieved and demonstrate how these align with the requirements set out here, i.e. the requirement for administrator level, or higher, certification and in particular, details of the recognised assessment body issuing the certification/ qualification. Qualifications/eligibility may not be confirmed until the final stage of the process, therefore, those candidates who do not possess the essential requirements, on or by the dates as specified, and proceed with their application are putting themselves to unnecessary effort/expense and will not be offered a position from this competition. The onus is on the candidate to ensure they fulfil the eligibility requirements as set out. publicjobs reserves the right to deem an applicant ineligible at any stage if it is apparent that the candidate does not hold the required eligibility/qualifications e.g. from the submitted application form. Candidates who are unable to demonstrate that they hold/will hold the required qualification(s) by the deadline specified may be withdrawn from the competition at any stage. An invitation to tests, interview or any element of the selection process is not acceptance of eligibility. Candidates who are placed on a panel and come under consideration for a position will be required to provide documentary evidence of their eligibility, including qualifications. Please be aware a transcript of results may be required; therefore, the onus is on candidates to have this information available if requested by publicjobs.

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COMPETITION PROCESS How to Apply Applications should be made online through www.publicjobs.ie. At publicjobs, we have recently transitioned to a new recruitment platform with the aim of enhancing our services and the candidate experience. The new service will give you more visibility and control of your application. When accessing our new recruitment platform for the first time, candidates must register as a New User to create a profile (“Register”). To do so, please access the vacancy you wish to apply for on our Jobs Board by clicking on the title of the position. You will be brought to the vacancy where you can click on “Apply” in the right-hand section of our website, or at the bottom of the advertisement. Candidates who have not previously registered on our new recruitment platform will be required to enter some personal details to continue with their application. Account verification will be required, and you must check your email inbox and follow the instructions to verify your account. Please do not confuse registering (creating a profile) with submitting an application. Candidates who have already registered will have an account and should select ‘Login’ from the top right-hand section of the registration page or through the link at the bottom of the page. Once registered and after your email address has been verified, you must then access the application form, ensure all sections of the application form are fully completed and submit it. To do this, you will be required to return to the vacancy you wish to apply for - Software Developer Senior ICT Specialist at Higher Executive Officer Level in the Civil Service - on the jobs board on www.publicjobs.ie and click on “Apply”. This time, you should select the “Login” option in the top right-hand section of the Login Page. Your username is the e-mail address associated with your account. Please note that your username and password are case sensitive. Please carefully note the following instructions. As you progress through the application, at the bottom of every page, there will be an option to “Save and Continue”. The information that you enter is only saved once you click on the 'Save and Continue' button. If you close the browser before clicking 'Save and Continue' or are inactive on the system for 30 minutes or more, you may be logged out of the application form and your information could be lost. It is imperative that all sections of this application form are completed in full. The mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk *. These fields must be completed before you can submit the application form. You may save the form and come back to it later, however, please note that you must submit the form in order to be considered for this competition as unsubmitted applications will not progress to the next stage. All sections on the application form Progress Tracker must show a green checkmark before you can apply. Return to any section on the Progress Tracker missing a green checkmark where guidance on the missing information will be displayed. Please ensure all information is correct before submitting your application as no changes can be made after submission. Once you have submitted your application form, you will be brought to a page confirming the status of your application as “Application received”. You can view the status of your application at any time by logging in, selecting your name in the top right-hand section of the page and selecting “View all applications”. At this point you should consider adding @publicjobs.tal.net to your safe senders or contact list within your email account to avoid not receiving emails because a publicjobs email has been blocked. Only fully completed and submitted applications will be accepted into the competition. The admission of a person to the competition, or invitation to undertake any element of the selection process is not to be taken as implying that the publicjobs or any other body is satisfied that such a person fulfils the requirements. Visit the Help Centre if you have questions or encounter technical difficulties navigating the site Only one application per person is permitted.

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Closing date Your application must be submitted on the publicjobs website not later than 3pm on Wednesday 11th November 2026. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your application within 24 hours of applying, please email [email protected] Interviews for these posts are likely to commence from December 2026 You are advised to check your message board on a regular basis as email notifications of updates/ tests/ Interviews etc. issued to your Message board may sometimes be filtered into your Junk/ Spam email folders. You are also advised to check all these folders regularly. The onus is on each applicant to ensure that they are in receipt of all communication from publicjobs. publicjobs accept no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant. Candidates should make themselves available on the date(s) specified by publicjobs and should make sure that the contact details specified on the application form are correct. Requesting Previous Application Forms Candidates who may have previously applied for this, or similar roles, and who wish to be provided with a copy of their previous application form should email [email protected] with this request, confirming three of the following identifiers, as soon as possible. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Full name Date of birth Username *Candidate ID (this would have been included in any communications regarding your previously submitted applications) 5. 5.*PPSN We need 2 unique identifiers (information that is not readily available to others, marked with an asterisk*) in order to verify that you are the account holder. If you only have answers to 1 of the unique identifiers (marked with asterisk*), please answer either of the following questions (if applicable) • list your college/school qualifications • list the last 2 Campaigns that you applied for • list the job alerts that you have set up If you are unable to answer either of these questions, please provide us with the following information: • Address including Eircode • Work phone number • Mobile phone number Selection Process The selection process for this competition may include one or more of the following: • shortlisting of candidates on the basis of the information contained in their application against set criteria based on the requirements of the position • a competitive preliminary interview • pre-recorded video interview • completion of online questionnaire(s) • report-writing exercise or other exercises • presentation or other exercises • a final competitive interview • remote interview • work sample/role play/media exercise and/or any other tests or exercises that may be deemed appropriate

13 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Shortlisting The number of applications received for a position generally exceeds that required to fill existing and future vacancies. While a candidate may meet the eligibility requirements of the competition, if the numbers applying are such that it would not be practical to interview everyone, publicjobs may decide that a smaller number will be invited to the next stage of the selection process. publicjobs provides for the employment of a shortlisting process to select a group who, based on an examination of the application forms, appear to be the most suitable for the position. This is not to suggest that other candidates are necessarily unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the job, rather that there are some candidates who, based on their application, appear to be better qualified and/or have more relevant experience. During shortlisting, an expert board will examine the application forms against agreed shortlisting criteria which are based on the requirements of the position. The standard of content of each application submitted may also be assessed during this process. Where a competition attracts a large number of eligible candidates, the shortlisting process will apply a scored assessment of the information provided on the application form. A rank order of candidates will then be created and based on that ranking candidates will be invited to the next stage of the process in groups/batches, with those candidates ranked highest invited initially. Subsequent groups/batches may be invited to the next stage of the selection process over the lifetime of the competition on a demand led basis, if required. The shortlisting criteria may include both essential and desirable criteria specified for the position, and it is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications/experience in your application. The onus is on candidates to complete the application form fully and accurately. For certain competitions, candidates may be required to undertake online assessment tests and will be shortlisted in accordance with their ranking in these tests. Applicants must successfully compete and be placed highest on the order of merit to be considered for advancement to the next stage of a multistage selection process, which may include a shortlisting exercise as described above. The number to be invited forward at each stage will be determined from time to time by publicjobs. Pre-Employment Checks Should your place on the panel be reached and you come under consideration for a position, several pre-employment checks must be completed before a candidate is deemed suitable for appointment. These checks are carried out to satisfy publicjobs that the candidate satisfies all necessary requirements. Prior to assigning/recommending a candidate for appointment to a position, publicjobs will make all such enquiries necessary to determine the suitability and eligibility of that candidate. These checks include an evaluation of Citizenship, Health & Character, Garda Vetting & Security Clearance and Reference Checks. Where Citizenship, Health & Character, Garda Vetting and Reference Checks are unsatisfactory or cannot be obtained, publicjobs reserves the right to disqualify a candidate from any further consideration of appointment or termination of your employment where an appointment has already been made. Candidates with Disabilities Attracting candidates from all sectors of society to ensure accessible routes to career opportunities is a key priority of publicjobs. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all candidates. If you have a disability or need reasonable accommodations made during the selection process, (e.g. for interview, assessments or exercises), we strongly encourage you to share this with us so that we can ensure you get the support you need. Reasonable accommodation in our selection process refers to adjustments and practical changes which would enable a disabled candidate to have an equitable opportunity for this competition. We can provide accommodations for any stage of the process, including online assessments, interviews or exercises. Examples of adjustments we provide include the use of assistive technology, extra time, scribes and/or readers or a range of other accommodations. Please be assured that having a disability or requiring adjustments will not impact on your progress in the selection process; you will not be at a disadvantage if you disclose your disability or requirements to us. Your disability and/or adjustments will be kept entirely confidential. 14 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Should you be successful, the disclosure of a disability for this stage of the process will not be passed onto the employing department unless you request that we do so. If you indicate on your application form that you require reasonable accommodations, you will have the following option: A. If you have been provided with reasonable accommodations from publicjobs in the last three years, you should input the details of the most recent competition for which you were assigned accommodations along with your Candidate ID. OR B. You will need to upload a psychologist/medical report as part of your application, which details your disability/requirements. We require a report to better understand your disability and requirements. The report, in addition to your request, helps us determine what accommodations may be suitable for you, in the selection process. The reports will only be shared with our Assessment Services Unit. In the reports, it is useful for us to see the outcome of any diagnostic tests conducted by your psychologist/doctor, and their summary of recommendations in relation to your requirements. You may redact (block out) parts of medical reports/psychologist’s reports that you feel are sensitive or unnecessary for the decision to make reasonable adjustments. Please do not email your medical/psychologist’s report to us – it should be uploaded directly to your online application. Should you have any difficulty with uploading your report, please contact [email protected] publicjobs will ensure that your reasonable accommodations are implemented as necessary, for each stage of the recruitment process. If you have any queries about the reasonable accommodations process or the accommodations you have received, please contact [email protected]. If you wish to discuss any matter relating to the accessibility of our services or building, or if you require support from our Disability Champion Amanda Kavanagh, please contact [email protected] For further information about Diversity and Inclusion please see the Info Hub on our website. Information on the accessibility of our service may be found on the Accessibility page on our website. Review and Complaint Procedures under the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service If a candidate is unhappy following the outcome of any stage of a selection process, they can either: 1. Request a Review of a decision made during the process or 2. Make a Complaint that the selection process followed was unfair. A candidate can follow either one of the two procedures in relation to the same aspect of a selection process, but not both. Where a review of a selection process has taken place under Section 7 (as detailed below), a complainant may not seek a further review of the same process under Section 8, other than in the most exceptional circumstances that will be determined by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) at its sole discretion. There is no obligation on publicjobs to suspend an appointment process while a Review or Complaint is being considered. However, the CPSA expects that, where possible, publicjobs will intervene in cases where it finds an error is likely to have occurred. Requesting a Review under Section 7 A request for review may be taken by a candidate should they be dissatisfied with an action or decision taken by publicjobs. publicjobs will consider requests for review in accordance with the provisions of 15 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

Section 7 of the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service published by the CPSA. When making a request for a review, the candidate must support their request by outlining the facts they believe show that the action taken, or decision reached was wrong. A request for review may be refused if the candidate cannot support their request. The Informal Review will consist of a desk-based examination of any available information in relation to the recruitment process and the decision taken regarding the candidate’s application. The outcome of the Informal Review Process will be communicated to the requester in writing. • A request for Informal Review must be made within 5 working days of notification of the decision and will normally take place between the candidate and a representative of publicjobs who had played a key role in the administrative of the selection process. •

Where a candidate remains dissatisfied following any such informal communication, they may adopt the formal procedures set out below.

A request for Formal Review must be made within 5 working days of either the notification of the selection decision, or the notification of the outcome of the Informal Review process. Any extension of these time limits will only be granted in the most exceptional of circumstances and will be at the sole discretion of the Chief Executive. • The candidate must address their concerns in relation to the process in writing to the Chief Executive (via email to [email protected], or in writing to Chief Executive Officer, publicjobs, Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1), outlining the facts that they believe show an action taken or decision reached was wrong. •

The Formal Review will be conducted by a person who is completely independent of the selection process The outcome of the Formal Review must generally be notified to the candidate within 25 working days of receipt of the request for review. If the investigation does not produce a decision within this time, publicjobs must keep the candidate informed of the status of the review and the reasons for the delay. Making a Complaint under Section 8 A candidate may believe there was a breach of the Commission’s Code of Practice by publicjobs that may have compromised the integrity of the decision reached in the appointment process. The complaints process enables candidates to make a complaint under Section 8 to publicjobs in the first instance, and to the Commission for Public Service Appointments subsequently on appeal if they remain dissatisfied. On foot of a Section 8 Complaint process, either publicjobs or the CPSA may find that the recruitment and selection process in question has not adhered to the standard set out in the Code of Practice. In such cases, publicjobs and the CPSA may make recommendations in order to prevent such issues from reoccurring again in the future. The CPSA cannot instruct publicjobs to reverse a decision taken in the course of an appointment process. Any candidate wishing for an investigation into the decision taken regarding their application as part of a selection process should request a Review under Section 7, as outlined above. The complainant must outline the facts that they believe show that the process followed was wrong. The complainant must also identify the aspect of the Code they believe has been infringed and enclose any relevant documentation that may support the allegation. A complaint may be dismissed if they the complainant cannot support their allegations by setting out how publicjobs has fallen short of the principles of this Code. The Informal Complaint will consist of a desk-based examination of any available information in relation to the recruitment process. The outcome of the Informal Complaint will be communicated to the requester in writing. • An Informal Complaint must be made within 5 working days of notification of the decision and will normally take place between the candidate and a representative of publicjobs who had 16 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

played a key role in the administration of the selection process. •

Where a candidate remains dissatisfied following any such informal communication, they may adopt the formal procedures set out below.

A Formal Complaint must be made within 5 working days of either the notification of the selection decision, or the notification of the outcome of the Informal Complaint. Any extension of these time limits will only be granted in the most exceptional of circumstances and will be at the sole discretion of the Chief Executive. • The candidate must address their concerns in relation to the process in writing to the Chief Executive (via email to [email protected], or in writing to Chief Executive Officer, publicjobs, Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1), outlining the facts that they believe show an action taken or decision reached was wrong. •

The Formal Complaint will be investigated by a person who is completely independent of the selection process.

The outcome of the Formal Complaint must generally be notified to the candidate within 25 working days of receipt of the request for review. If the investigation does not produce a decision within this time, publicjobs must keep the candidate informed of the status of the review and the reasons for the delay. For further information on the above Review and Complaint procedures please see the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service which is available on the website of the Commission for Public Service Appointments, www.cpsa.ie. Requests for Feedback/Test Rechecks Feedback in relation to the selection process is available on written request. There are no specific timeframes set for the provision of feedback or for carrying out rechecks. Please note that the Review Process as set out in the Code of Practice is a separate process with specified timeframes that must be observed. Receipt of feedback is not required to invoke a review. It is not necessary for a candidate to compile a detailed case prior to invoking the review mechanism. The timeframe set out in the CPSA Code cannot be extended for any reason including the provision of feedback and/or the outcome of rechecks. Unreasonable Conduct Policy An Unreasonable Conduct Policy is in operation in publicjobs. Information on the policy can be found on the publicjobs website. General Competition Information Please CLICK HERE for General Information including Candidate Obligations and GDPR.

17 Software Developer – Senior ICT Specialist in the Civil Service

QO O . . va poistphoibli Sao publicjobs publicjobs, Chapter House, 26/30 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin I. Eircode: DOI C7W6. Phone: Ol 858 7400 You can also keep up to date on publicjobs.ie and follow us on our social platforms: noe x Od