28th May 2021
Senior Official/Deputy Director of Communications (Temporary – 1 Year)
Section: Communications
Location: INTO Head Office, Dublin
Overview of the role
INTO’s communications team ensures members and employees are kept up to date with union developments, promotes the voice of the membership externally and delivers high-impact campaigns and events.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the comprehensive planning and coordination of union communications, including a wide array of publications and a monthly magazine. An experienced communicator, the successful candidate will be an experienced people manager and motivator that remains calm and confident under pressure.
Reporting to the Assistant General Secretary/ Director of Communications, this is a role for someone with advanced skills in both planning and delivering effective communications. The ability to establish and hold a comprehensive communications strategy, and to roll this out with the buy-in of key stakeholders, will be vital in moving the union’s communications forward in a meaningful and coherent way.
Main duties and responsibilities
This key strategic role will involve:
- Responsibility for a coherent and planned approach to producing union publications. Providing editorial support where required and project managing the delivery of publications, to ensure a consistency of message whilst maintaining the individuality of each publication according to its audience.
- Developing, driving and monitoring the INTO’s online presence across a range of platforms and overseeing the production of content for online communications.
- Promoting a positive image of the INTO and the primary teaching profession in the media locally and nationally.
- Creating informative and interesting press releases, press kits, newsletters, and related marketing materials.
- Public affairs monitoring and engagement through fostering and developing positive relationships with key stakeholders.
- Producing weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activity reports for the communications section.
- Managing communications aspects of major INTO events and campaigns.
- Managing personnel assigned in the communications section to ensure successful delivery of objectives.
- Such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the General Secretary.
The successful candidate will have:
- A strong academic background and solid professional experience.
- Proven success in writing in a variety of media with the ability to convey complex information in a user-friendly way.
- Strong analytical, reporting and project management skills and ability to work on own initiative.
- Strong social media skills.
- Strong people management experience, including staff development and performance management.
- A thorough understanding of the current issues in education and industrial relations.
- Ability to manage a diverse team and to collaborate across the organisation.
- Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
- Experience of external and internal communications management.
- A results driven approach with demonstrable evidence and a strong track record of innovation, passion and flexibility in advancing a communications strategy.
The successful appointee will enter into a detailed contract of employment with the INTO and the place of work will be INTO Head Office, Parnell Square, Dublin.
A letter of application and curriculum vitae together with the names and contact details of two referees, should be submitted by email no later than noon, Friday, 25 June 2021 to Bernie McHale, Senior Official, HR bmchale@into.ie.
Official (Temporary – 1 Year)
Section: Legal, Industrial Relations and Equality Section
Location: INTO Head Office, Dublin
General Job description
The INTO is the largest teachers’ organisation in Ireland representing the trade union and professional interests of 50,000 members in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The successful applicant will be required to work as part of a dynamic team as part of the Legal, Industrial Relations and Equality Section in Head Office committed to achieving the INTO’s objectives. The Official will carry out such duties as may be assigned by the relevant Assistant General Secretary and/or Senior Official, under the overall direction of the INTO’s General Secretary. The Official will be accountable to and report to the relevant Assistant General Secretary under the overall direction of the General Secretary.
The successful candidate must have a third level qualification and a minimum of five years relevant professional and practical experience. Relevant knowledge and experience of the law and/or industrial relations will be an advantage. The successful candidate will also be expected to have knowledge of the INTO and the education system.
Initial duties and responsibilities:
- Dealing with and managing casework within the section’s policies and management structures
- Representing INTO members individually and collectively in a range of forums – including at board of management meetings, Teaching Council, Workplace Relations Commission, and such other forums as may be required
- Researching, preparing, drafting and editing submissions and correspondence/emails to a very high standard
- Advising INTO members on legal, employment and trade union matters including by telephone and at meetings and responding to queries via telephone, email etc.
- Such administrative duties – including filing – as may be necessary for effective organisation of work
- Representing members and/or the INTO with other agencies or organisations
- Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and case law affecting members’ conditions of employment and industrial relations
- Designing and delivering modules for INTO training
- Carrying out any such other projects, tasks and duties as may be assigned by the relevant Assistant General Secretary under the overall direction of the General Secretary.
Required competencies:
- A relevant third level qualification and a minimum of five years’ professional experience.
- A strong understanding of the INTO and its key priorities
- Knowledge of current educational, legal, industrial relations and equality issues affecting members
- Excellent work ethic, capacity to act on own initiative within overall line management structure, and a positive ‘can do’ attitude and approach to work
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including commitment to work effectively and co-operatively in a team environment within head office management structures
- Excellent oral communication skills, including the capacity to present cases effectively on behalf of INTO members and address various groups within the INTO, for example at seminars and/or union meetings
- Excellent drafting and editing skills, including the ability to write to a very high standard, with accuracy, attention to detail and precision
- Project management skills to ensure that a task is taken through all necessary stages to successful completion
- Strong organisational and time management skills including the capacity to manage priorities and deadlines calmly and in a competent manner
- Proficient IT and research skills
- Willingness to work flexibly including when required/requested outside of normal working hours
- Capacity and willingness to provide a quality service to INTO members and contribute to the progress of INTO objectives, policies and services
- Capacity and willingness to work across all departments of the office if so, assigned by the General Secretary
You are required to hold a valid full driving licence and to continue to hold such a licence during your employment with INTO. You are required to have a car available for your use on INTO business. Travel and Subsistence rates are paid in accordance with Public Service rates and conditions.
A Letter of application (maximum two pages) and curriculum vitae, together with the names and contact details of two referees, should be submitted by email only to: bmchale@into.ie by noon on Friday, 25 June 2021.
General terms and conditions will also be available on request from bmchale@into.ie.