Open competition and an opportunity for candidates, internal and external, to have a major role in the leadership of the Irish Probation Service – Apply now!!

TITLE OF POSITION: Deputy Director of the Probation Service

OFFICE: Department of Justice

LOCATION: Nationwide

TENURE: Permanent

Background

The Irish Probation Service, is an agency of the Department of Justice and is a national service, with a remit to contribute to safer communities and fewer victims through offender rehabilitation. This is achieved by the effective assessment and management of offenders, challenging offending behaviour and facilitating the integration of ex-offenders. The Service provides probation supervision, community service, community return, offending behaviour programmes and specialist support services to both adult and young offenders. It also provides a probation service to prisons and places of detention to rehabilitate offenders and facilitate prisoner re-integration. The Service has responsibility for the supervision each year of 15,000 offenders in the community nationally.

The Role

The Deputy Director is a key member of the senior management team and will support the Director in the day to day operation and management of the Probation Service.

Principal Duties/ Responsibilities

• Accept personal authority, responsibility and accountability for the operation of areas of the Probation Service for which s/he will report and be accountable to the Director for all functions delegated. The successful candidate must be able to operate within a high-pressure working environment in which there is keen political and media interest;
• Contribute as a member of the Probation Service senior management team in discharging all managerial functions relevant to effective and efficient delivery of operational and other services within the context of democratic political accountability structures. The successful candidate will be required to maintain, keep under review and where possible, enhance strategies for the efficient running of the service. The Deputy Director will assist the Director in providing high quality information to the Department of Justice within the deadlines set to enable a considered response to be made to Parliamentary Questions, Press Queries, Ministerial correspondence etc.
• Maintain efficient and effective management systems and professional practice across the Service, including delivery of quality offender assessment and supervision, human resource and financial management functions and ensure the provision of meaningful management information to measure on-going performance of the Service in achieving its objectives;
• Contribute to the formulation and evaluation of policies and strategies and lead on the implementation of high-level goals as set out and agreed with the Director and the Department of Justice;
• Represent the Probation Service and the Department at Departmental, Cross Department, Sectoral and National and International Fora;
• Provide leadership, guidance and support for staff ensuring that high professional standards of performance are maintained and high-quality service is delivered to service-users and stakeholders alike; and,
• Deputise for the Director as required.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must on or before the closing date Thursday 22nd July 2021 have:

•  A qualification at minimum Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualificiations in the social sciences field;
• A proven track record as a leader and senior manager in probation or social work;
• The capacity to operate effectively at senior management level in a highly pressurised public service environment;
• Well developed policy and analytical skills, including sound judgement and timely decisiveness;
• An ability to strategically plan and drive through to implementation, while sustaining an operations management focus;
• Substantial experience and a track record of managing large operational
  areas and of providing strong and demonstrable leadership in an
  organisation/system facing significant cultural change and development;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and team-working skills, including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a multidisciplinary team and outside agencies and stakeholders;
• Proven leadership, people management, sound judgement and decision making skills.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS;

• A relevant professional qualification;
• Strong working knowledge of governance policies and practices;
• Experience in implementation of modernisation/change agenda.

Eligible Candidates can be:

(a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

(b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

(c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons

as well as other eligible groups outlined in the competition booklet.

The competition closing date is 22^nd July 2021.

Click here to go to the recruitment page.

Click here to access the website of the Irish Probation Service.