Senior Executive Engineer

Job title: Senior Engineer

Employer: Clare County Council

Location: Clare

Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 18th September 2025

Salary: Starting at €79,090

Clare County Council/ Comhairle Contae an Chláir is the authority responsible for Local Government in County Clare. The corporate headquarters are located at Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis and there are four Municipal Districts (Ennis, Shannon, Killaloe, and West Clare) which are supported through area offices in Ennis, Scarriff, Shannon, Ennistymon and Kilrush. There are 28 elected members, approximately 990 staff and an annual operating budget of €192 million in 2025.

Clare County Council provides a diverse range of services across a large geographic area. Key services areas include planning, Local Enterprise Office, community development, transportation, motor tax, water, environment, emergency services along with housing, libraries, and sports & amenities, property management, derelict sites, and vacant homes. These operations are supported by internal services which include ICT, corporate, finance and human resource functions.

There is a diverse demographic across urban and rural communities with tourism bringing seasonal changes in population and activity in the county. The Shannon estuary, Shannon Airport, industrial zones, and geographic location between larger urban areas, coupled with the unique landscape and heritage add to the diversity of activity in the County. Local democracy is strengthened through the Municipal Districts and changes in legislation and regulation have placed greater emphasis on the role of the Local Authority in driving economic activity, ensuring accountability, accessibility and innovation while placing the customer and the community to the fore of service delivery.

The Senior Executive Engineer will be required to lead a team or teams and to provide technical and managerial support across all local authority service areas and to liaise with external agencies and support the democratic process. They will be required to report to their appropriate line manager, assist the management team as may be required and deal with the elected members in respect of their role in the County and to attend the full Council and Municipal District meetings. They may also be required to deputise for the Senior Engineer.

They will be responsible for the efficient management of staff and the work programme of the directorates/department and function to which they are assigned. Managers at this level work within defined parameters relevant to the position, in accordance with the Local Authority's vision and objectives and the role is interchangeable across directorates. The Senior Executive Engineer will be required to work closely with elected Councillors to deliver the full range of services and implement local policy decisions.

In the current economic climate, senior managers are charged with service delivery and change management in an environment of limited resource availability, both human and financial. Delivery of efficient services and value for money is crucial.

The ideal candidate shall have the following Skills and Experience:

• Have experience of managing and leading multi-disciplinary and cross functional teams and have the ability to motivate, empower, encourage and achieve maximum efficiency and value for money from the personnel and processes under their control;
• Have experience of maintaining sound employee relations and conflict resolution
• Have experience of managing and scheduling a multiannual portfolio of projects within budget and on time;
• Have a track record of delivering results;
• Have an understanding of Clare County Council services and structures or have the ability to quickly acquire same;
• Be capable of working in close consultation with key stakeholders and in seeking co-operation and consensus with a whole range of bodies and representative groups;
• Be experienced in meeting regularly with stakeholders, providing updates, presentations and reports, taking customer feedback and ensuring any learning from same is used to enhance the operations of the organisation;
• Be experienced in contributing to the operational and strategic planning processes and in the implementation of the agreed aims of same;
• Have excellent interpersonal, communication and influencing skills;
• Have good knowledge and awareness of statutory obligations of Health & Safety Legislation, the implications for the organisation and the employee and their application in the workplace;
• Have experience of managing finance and budgets and ensuring value for money;
• Have experience of providing information on the pattern of demand and activity and the skills to schedule/programme the carrying out of work;
• Have an understanding of the role and duties of managers in safety management in the workplace;
• Have good general ICT skills;
• Have a focus on the customer and on service improvement including taking ownership and resolving issues arising;
• Knowledge of local government structure and services, its mandate, and activities;
• Time Management and organizational skills - an ability to achieve delivery of competing demands within prescribed timelines and deadlines;
• Evidence of planning and organising skills;
• Report writing and presentation skills, and the ability to communicate clearly with others;
• Evidence of self-sufficiency, being capable of evaluating proposals and identifying improvements on a proactive basis and adapting readily to change.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 18th September, 2025.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.