ASSISTANT ARTS OFFICER

Westmeath County Council -
County Westmeath

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Job details

Fixed term
€52,761–€63,109 a year
10 hours ago

Benefits

Bike to work scheme
Annual leave
Employee assistance program
Sick pay

Qualifications

IT
Less (style sheet language)
Communication skills
Marketing
B Driving Licence

Full job description

Assistant Arts Officer

Closing date for receipt of applications:
4:00pm on Monday, 17th August 2026

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Assistant Arts Officer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

The Position 4

Qualifications for the Post 6

Particulars Of Office (including recruitment) 8

Competencies for the Post 15

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Post of Assistant Arts Officer

Introduction

Westmeath has a population of approximately 90,000 and is in the heart of the country with

excellent road and rail access to all four corners of the island of Ireland, Westmeath has a rural

tranquillity, but ready access to the country’s main urban cities which include Dublin and Galway in

particular.

Our mission, as set out in the Corporate Plan 2024 – 2029, is:

“To represent, lead and serve local communities and to enhance the quality of life for the people of

Westmeath by promoting the sustainable development of the county and delivering efficient and

inclusive services.”

Westmeath County Council consists of 20 members who are elected every five years; The county is

divided into two Municipal Districts of Mullingar/ Kinnegad and Athlone / Moate with the

administrative headquarters of the Council located in Mullingar. There are also Civic Offices located

in Athlone and Castlepollard. Mullingar is the county town while Athlone is a Regional Growth

Centre under the National Planning Framework.

At a strategic level, the Council operates through its Corporate Policy Group comprising the

Cathaoirleach of the Council and the Chairs of the Local Authority’s four Strategic Policy Committees.

The Chief Executive and the Management Team play a key role in supporting and advising this policy

group.

Westmeath County Council has responsibility for delivering a wide range of services in the local area

with a focus on making Westmeath a prosperous county that seeks to support a vibrant economy,

rural quality of life, active and safe communities, diversity, culture and heritage, healthy and

sustainable natural environment along with a sense of community pride and place. The Council has a

workforce of 600 and a budget of €129.4 million in 2026.

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The Position
The Council now invites applications from suitably qualified persons who wish to be
considered for inclusion on a panel from which permanent and fixed term contract posts for
the position of Assistant Arts Officer be drawn.

The Assistant Arts Officer (analogous Staff Officer) is a key post within the Arts Office. The
post holder will work with internal and external partners to create opportunities for all
community members to engage in the arts throughout Westmeath, as creators, audiences,
and participants. The role involves project management, communications, artist
development, administration, and evaluation. The post holder will support the wider work of
the Arts Office, report to the Arts Officer and be expected to use initiative, work to a high
standard, and demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Duties & Responsibilities

Support Westmeath County Council in the ongoing development and delivery of arts

services provided by the local authority.

Assist with and contribute to the implementation of all elements of the Westmeath

Arts Plan.

Take an operational lead on any arts engagement programmes as specified under

Westmeath County Council / Arts Council framework agreements.

Manage the delivery of projects to a high artistic standard, within budget and within

prescribed timeframes as determined by the local authority.

Lead communications and marketing for Arts Office initiatives across digital and

traditional media platforms.

Support audience development and increase public awareness, participation and

engagement in the arts throughout County Westmeath.

Develop opportunities for creative practitioners and for art form development through

initiatives such as bursaries, production grants, mentoring, training, and networking.

Assist with l funding applications, partnership development and bid writing.

Have responsibility for the day-to-day management of agreed arts budget.

Have responsibility for the delivery of designated arts office programmes and projects.

Support the delivery of public art projects.

Assist with the management of the Westmeath County Council Annual Arts Grants,

Bursaries and Awards Schemes.

In consultation with the Arts Officer, manage, evaluate and assess the impact and

delivery of programmes, including monitoring and evaluating projects to inform

forward planning and decision making.

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Support the development and maintenance of partnerships within the local authority

and external agencies, networks and individuals to maximise opportunities for arts

development across the county.

Develop arts opportunities for children and young people encouraging participation, audience

development, and pathways for emerging creative practitioners.

Promote equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility across all Arts Office initiatives, ensuring

equality of opportunity for creative practitioners, audiences, and participants.

Provide mentoring, information, advice and guidance both internally and externally

around the field of arts development, as appropriate.

Prepare documentation and reports as appropriate.

Represent the Arts Service and Westmeath County Council at internal and public

meetings, events and functions as required.

Carry out all duties in compliance with appropriate procedures including the

maintenance of records and information.

Work in a flexible manner in line with the organisation’s corporate objectives and role

and be willing to perform such other appropriate duties in relation to the arts in the

region as may from time to time be assigned by the Council.

Take responsibility for tasks that will be assigned from time to time at the discretion of

the Arts Officer or local authority.

The post holder may be required to perform duties appropriate to the post, other than
those detailed above, and to take instructions from and report to an appropriate Officer or
such duties as designated from time to time.

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Qualifications for the Post

1. Character

Candidates shall be of good character.

2. Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of
ability to render regular and efficient service.

3. Citizenship

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, 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; or
d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a

stamp 4 visa; or
e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act

2015 or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family
reunification and has a stamp 4 visa

A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and
resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa.

4. Education, Training, Experience
Candidates must have on the latest date of receipt of completed application forms:

Hold an ordinary degree (level 7 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications)

in an Arts or Cultural discipline.

(a) Have at least three years’ satisfactory relevant arts development and administration
experience, including experience in the area of programme development and budget
management.
and

(b) Have satisfactory knowledge of a public service organisation
and

Non-Irish Qualifications must be accompanied by a determination from Quality and

Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish their comparability against the Irish National

Framework of Qualifications, overseas qualifications must also be accompanied by a

translation document.

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5. The ideal candidate:

Shall have a good knowledge of current arts practice and the organisation of the

arts in Ireland especially as it applies to the professional development of artists, arts

organisations and festivals.

Have a good knowledge base of local, national and international policy relating to

Art and Cultural development, as it applies to the Local Authority Arts Service.

Have the creative and organisational ability to drive the development and delivery

of professional development programmes in an arts context.

Demonstrate evidence of devising and managing art projects and programmes.

Have excellent organisational, administrative and IT/multimedia skills.

Have excellent communication, interpersonal and teambuilding skills.

Have experience of communications, marketing, audience development or digital

engagement in arts and culture.

Demonstrate the ability to sustain a complex workload.

Demonstrates knowledge of contemporary arts practice, artist development,

audience engagement, and the professional and policy context of the arts and
cultural sector.

Have experience of working with artists and arts companies and producing

professional development learning programmes.

Have experience of supporting artist development, grants, bursaries, commissions or

professional development initiatives.

Have experience in community co-ordination / engagement and in delivery of

community programming within an arts context.

Have experience in developing partnerships and managing projects.

Have an understanding of equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility principles

and their application in arts programming, artist supports and audience
development.

Have experience of developing programmes or initiatives that increase participation

by diverse and seldom-heard artists, audiences or communities.

Have experience of documenting, monitoring and evaluating arts programmes.

Have a proven track record in financial management.

Flexibility to attend after hour functions as required.

Have an understanding of the roles and duties of Arts staff relating to Health and

Safety management in the workplace

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Particulars of Office (including retirement)

1. The Post
A panel will be formed for an initial period of one year and this may be extended for a
further year at the discretion of the Chief Executive. The panel may be used to fill
permanent & fixed term positions that may arise for its duration. Vacancies will be
offered in order of merit as per the panel. Vacancies may arise on a county-wide
basis. Westmeath County Council reserves the right to assign employees to any work
location having regard to funding and/or operational circumstances.

2. Salary
The current salary for the post of Assistant Arts Officer is €52,761 - €63,109 per
annum (including Long Service Increments), which is analogous to Staff Officer salary
scale as per Circular EL 04/2026. Payment of increments is dependent on satisfactory
performance.
Entry point of this scale will be determined in accordance with the Circulars issued by
the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

New Entrants to the Local Authority Service commence on the 1st point of the scale
in accordance with current Government Policy as set out in Department of the
Environment Circular Letter EL 02/2011 of 28th January 2011 and Circular EL 05/2016
dated 5th February 2016.

Remuneration is paid fortnightly by PayPath directly to the employee’s nominated
bank account. The current pay cycle may be revised during the period of
employment.

Remuneration is subject to all statutory deductions e.g. PAYE and PRSI. Increments
are paid annually subject to satisfactory attendance, conduct and performance and
national agreements. Increments may be withheld if performance, attendance and/or
conduct are not satisfactory.

You agree that in the event of an overpayment of salary or other monies to you, the
Council reserves the right to deduct monies from your “wages” (for the purposes of
the Payment of Wages Act, 1991) for the purpose of reimbursement of the Council of
the amount of the overpayment(s), in keeping with the Payment of Wages Act 1991,
Section 5(5

3. Superannuation and Retirement

Membership of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme or the Single Public
Service Pension Scheme is compulsory for all employees. Details of the relevant
scheme will be provided to the appointee prior to appointment.

A person who becomes a pensionable employee of a local authority who is liable to
pay the Class A rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of superannuation
to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of pensionable remuneration

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plus 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration (i.e. pensionable remuneration less twice

the annual rate of social insurance old age contributory pension payable at the
maximum rate to a person with no adult dependent or qualified children).

A person paying Class A rate of PRSI who becomes a pensionable employee of a local
authority will be required in respect of the Local Government (Spouses and Children's
Contributory Pension) Scheme to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5%
of net pensionable remuneration (i.e. pensionable remuneration less twice the
annual rate of social insurance old age contributory pension payable at the maximum
rate to a person with no adult dependent or qualified children).

A person who becomes a pensionable officer of a local authority who is liable to pay
the Class D rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of his/her
superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 5% of pensionable
remuneration. A person paying Class D rate of PRSI who becomes a pensionable
Officer of a local authority depending on their existing scheme, may be a member of
a dependent scheme i.e. either the Local Government (Widows & Orphans
Contributory Pension) Scheme or Local Government (Spouses and Children’s
Contributory Pension) Scheme and if a member of either scheme will be required in
respect of this to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of pensionable
remuneration in accordance with the terms of the scheme.

Employees are admitted to the Superannuation Scheme in accordance with the terms
of the Local Government Superannuation (Consolidation) Act, 1998 and the
Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, with effect from date of
appointment. This scheme is contributory and provides pension, retirement and
death gratuities.

In order for a new entrant to the scheme to qualify for a pension, the employee must
have served a minimum of two years’ employment in a local authority.

For new entrants under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, effective from 1st
January 2013, superannuation contributions are as follows: 3.5% of net pensionable
remuneration and 3% of pensionable remuneration. Pension and retirement lump
sum will be based on career-average pay; pensions will be coordinated with the State
Pension Contributory Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions)
Act 2012: The compulsory retirement age for new entrants as defined by the Public
Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 is 70 years.

Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004:
There is no mandatory retirement age for ‘New Entrants’ from 1st April 2004 to the
public service as defined in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 2004. 65 years is the minimum age at which a person may be paid. As
a new entrant to the public service, under the terms of this legislation, new entrants
will not be required to retire on grounds of age.

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Anyone who is not a ‘New Entrant’ to the public service, defined in the Public Service
Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, is subject to compulsory
retirement age of 70 years.

4. Probation
a. There shall be a period after such appointments take effect during which such

persons shall hold the position on probation.

b. Such period shall be one year, but the Chief Executive may at his/her discretion
extend such period.

c. The person appointed shall cease to hold office at the end of the period of
probation unless the Chief Executive has certified that the service of the person in
such office is satisfactory.

The Local Authority shall require persons to whom appointments are offered to take
up such appointments within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to
take up the appointments within such period or such longer period as the local
authority in its absolute discretion may determine, the local authority shall not
appoint them.

5. Annual Leave

The annual leave entitlement shall be 30 and public holidays will be governed by the
provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and local agreements which
may apply from time to time.

6. Working Hours

Normal working hours are 35 hours per week. The Council reserves the right to alter
your hours of work from time to time.

The person appointed may be required to attend meetings as occur outside of normal
working hours at which your attendance is required by virtue of the position you hold
with Westmeath County Council, any such attendance will be considered as part of your
normal duties.

All hours worked are subject to and recorded in accordance with the provisions of the
Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, and the Organisation of Working Time
Regulations 2001.

7. Sick Leave
The terms of the Public Service Sick Pay Scheme will prevail.

8. Location
Westmeath County Council reserves the right to assign the successful candidate to any
premises in use by the Council, now or in the future.

The person appointed will be required to report to their place of work by their own means
of transport and at their own expense.

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9. Code of Conduct/Organisation Policies

Employees are required to adhere to all current and future Westmeath County Council
codes of practice including Code of Conduct of Employees and all current and future
organisational policies.

10. Training
It is a condition of employment that successful candidates will be required to participate
in training programmes relevant to the skills for the performance of the duties attached
to the post.

11. Safety and Welfare
Westmeath County Council as an Employer is obliged to ensure, so far as it is reasonably
practicable the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work of all its employees. Under the
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the County Council has a legal duty to
exercise all due care and take all protective and preventative measure to protect the
Safety, Health and Welfare of its employees. The holder of the post shall co-operate with
the terms of Westmeath County Council Safety Statement and Major Emergency Plan.
He/she shall familiarise him/herself with the safety rules and procedures and make
proper use of all safety clothing and equipment.

All employees also have a legal obligation under Safety and Health legislation to co-
operate with management and not engage in any improper conduct or behaviour or do
anything which would place themselves or others at risk. Employees must not be under
the influence of an intoxicant at the place of work.

Employees must comply with all Safety and Health rules and regulations and attend all
required Safety and Health Training.

12. Driver’s Licence & Insurance
It is desirable that the post holder shall hold a full driving licence for Class B vehicles, as
he/she may be required to use your motor car in the course of their duties and for this
purpose provide and maintain a car to the satisfaction of the Council. It is the
responsibility of the post holder to arrange insurance cover for business use and to
indemnify Westmeath County Council with the indemnity specified on your insurance
certificate under the heading “Persons or classes of person who are covered”. Travelling
and subsistence expenses incurred in the course of official duties will be refunded in
accordance with the relevant Department Circulars and Local Authority Travel and
Subsistence Policy.

If, during your employment, your licence is revoked, even temporarily, or if you receive
endorsements on your licence which may affect your duties you are obliged to notify the
Council immediately.

13. Garda Vetting
Successful candidates may be subject to Garda Vetting in advance of appointment to the
position.

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14. Employee Benefits

Examples of some of the current Employee Benefits include:

Allocation of 30 Days Annual Leave per annum (pro-rata)

Access to Flexi Time Scheme

A range of Family Friendly Policies

Availability of an Optical Benefit Scheme

Availability of a Cycle to Work Scheme

A range of Learning and Developmental Opportunities

Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave

Option to become a member of Westmeath County Council’s Social Club

State of the art office accommodation in our Civic Headquarters

Automatically entered into a pension scheme

Access to the services provided under Westmeath County Council’s Employee

Assistance Programme (EAP).

15. Recruitment

Shortlisting Stage:

If the volume of applicants for the position is such that it would not be practical to
interview all candidates, Westmeath County Council may decide to carry out a short-
listing process to select candidates for interview based on an examination of the
application forms, appear to be the most suitable for the position to bring forward to
the interview stage.

Application forms will be examined against a pre-determined criteria based on the
requirements of 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. It is therefore, in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate
account of your relevant qualifications/experience and complete all sections on the
application form.

Candidates can expect all enquiries, applications, and all aspects of the proceedings to
the extent that they are managed by Westmeath County Council are treated as strictly
confidential subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2004.

Interview Stage:

Selection will be by means of a competition based on an interview conducted by or on
behalf of the local authority. The number of persons to be invited shall be determined
by the Local Authority having regard to the likely number of vacancies to be filled.

The interview process is an opportunity for the candidates to give evidence of
knowledge, skills and experience and the Local Authorities opportunity to assess your
suitability for the role.

The invitation to attend an interview, is not to be taken as implying that Westmeath
County Council is satisfied that you fulfil the requirements of the Regulations or is not
disqualified by law from holding the position and does not carry a guarantee that your
application will receive further consideration. It is important to note; the onus is on you

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to ensure that you meet the eligibility requirement for the post before attending for
interview.

Candidates will be required to pay any expenses incurred by them in attending the
interview and the onus is on the candidate to attend for interview on the dates and
times of the interview.

Interviews are conducted by a Board(s) set up by Westmeath County Council. The
Board(s) will assess the merits of candidates (except in so far as they are assessed
otherwise) in respect of matters referred to in the prescribed Qualifications and any
other relevant matters.

A panel may be formed based on such interview. Candidates whose names are on a
panel and who satisfy the local authority that they possess the qualifications declared
for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for appointment may within the life of
the panel be appointed as appropriate vacancies arise. Placement on any panel from this
competition is no guarantee that a position will be offered.

16. Canvassing
Any attempt by a candidate, or by any person(s) acting at the candidate’s instigation,
directly or indirectly, by means of written communication or otherwise influence in the
candidate’s favour, any member or employee of the Council or person nominated by the
County Council to interview or examine applicants, will automatically disqualify the
candidate for the position being sought.

17. Deeming of candidature to be withdrawn
Candidates who do not attend for interview or other test when and where required by
Westmeath County Council, or who do not, when requested, give such evidence as
Westmeath County Council require regarding any matter relevant to their candidature,
will have no further claim to consideration.

18. Pre-employment
Before contracts of employment are entered into various pre-employment checks are
undertaken. These include medicals, references and may include Garda Vetting.
Westmeath County Council will invite successful candidates to under a medical
assessment. A Medical Examiner will be nominated by Westmeath County Council.
Westmeath County Council will pay the fee for any general medical examination.

19. Data Protection
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on the 25th May, 2018
replacing the existing data protection framework under the EU data Protection Directive.
The personal information (data) collected on the application form, including any
attachments, (which may include the collection of sensitive personal data) is collected
for the purpose of processing this application, and any data collected is subject to
Westmeath County Council’s privacy statement which can be found at
https://www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ourservices/yourcouncil/privacyanddata/

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20. Closing Date

The completed application form must be EMAILED to [email protected]
not later than 4.00pm on Monday 17th August 2026.

Please send using the subject line “Job Application Post, Your Last Name, Your First
Name e.g. Assistant Arts Officer, Bloggs, Joe

Only applications received via email will be accepted.

NOTE: Please send your completed application from an email address that you will
review regularly as communication during the assessment/selection period will
only be through your nominated e-mail address.

The onus is on the applicant to ensure that s/he is in receipt of all communications
from the Council. Westmeath County Council accepts no responsibility for
communication not accessed or received by the applicant.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage

applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.

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Assistant Arts Officer

Key Competencies
Candidates will be assessed at interview under the following competencies. The candidates at
the interview will be questioned on at least some or all of the indicators listed below under each
competency.

Clearly understands the role, objectives and targets and how they fit

into the work of the unit and Department / organisation.

Knowledge, • Develops the expertise necessary to carry out the role to a high standard
and shares this with others

Expertise & Self
• Is proactive in keeping up to date on issues and key developments that

Development may impact on own area, the Department and / or wider public

Consistently reviews own performance and sets self-challenging goals

and targets

Demonstrates the ability to lead the team/service area in a manner

that provides clarity of purpose and a focus on delivery

Demonstrates the ability to show visible commitment to the purpose,

Performance mission and vision of the organisation

Demonstrates the ability to provide a positive sense of purpose for the

Through People
team in terms of its contribution to council objective

Demonstrates the ability to lead and develop the team and its

members to achieve corporate objectives though the effective
management of performance

Demonstrates the ability to translate the business/team plan

objectives into clear priorities and actions for their area of operation

Demonstrates the ability to help establish high quality service and

customer care standards

Delivering Results • Demonstrates the ability to convert operational objectives into specific
wok plans, program activities and schedules, considering the broader
operation plan when setting priorities

Demonstrates the ability to allocate resources across jobs to ensure

that priorities are met and that work is executed in the most efficient
manner possible to deliver quality work and services

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Communicates in a fluent, logical, clear and convincing manner, verbally

and in writing

Has the ability to listen effectively and develop a two-way dialogue quickly

Maintains a strong focus on meeting the needs of internal and external

customers

Interpersonal & • Effectively influences others to take action

Communication • Works to establish mutual understanding to allow for collaborative
working

Skills
• Demonstrates knowledge & understanding role and of the structure and

functions of local government

Demonstrates knowledge of current local government issues and future

trends

Demonstrates understanding of the role of Assistant Arts Officer in this

context

Candidates must achieve 50% of the total marks available in each of the

competencies outlined above at interview to meet the qualifying standard.

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