Director of Services

publicjobs; Leinster; On-site; EUR 69,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Offaly County Council is seeking a Director of Services to lead multiple service areas in Offaly, reporting to the Chief Executive. You will drive performance, oversee strategic planning, and manage large multidisciplinary teams and budgets.

The role requires delivering high‑quality local government services, guiding policy support for council committees, and delivering reform initiatives within a challenging resource environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in senior local government management is essential.
• Ability to develop and implement strategic plans.
• Proven leadership of large multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of core programmes and services across the Local Authority.
• Provide policy support to members of Strategic Policy Committees and the Local Community Development Committee.
• Oversee budgets and drive substantial change programmes including Local Government Reform.
• Engage with stakeholders including government departments, agencies and the public to ensure value for money.

Job description

Job title: Director of Services - Offaly County Council

Employer: Offaly County Council

Location: Offaly

Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 24th September 2026

Salary: Starting from €115,332

About the Employer:

County Offaly is located in the centre of Ireland in the province of Leinster and is one of twelve local authorities comprising the Eastern and Midlands Region. County Offaly has a population of 83,150 (2022 Census) with approximately 60% of the population residing in rural areas. The principal towns are Tullamore (the county town), Edenderry, Birr and Clara. Offaly shares a border with seven other counties and has a total land mass of approximately 200,000 hectares. The county is traversed by the Grand Canal and is bordered by the River Shannon to the West and Slieve Bloom mountains to the South, both of which play a key role in the economic and tourism development of the county.

Offaly County Council consists of 19 members elected every five years; the most recent local elections having taken place in 2024. The county is divided into the three Municipal Districts of Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry with the local authority administrative headquarters located in Tullamore.

At a strategic level, the Council operate through its Corporate Policy Group comprising the Cathaoirleach of the Council and the Chairs of the local authority’s four Strategic Policy Committees as well as a Municipal District representative. The Chief Executive and the Management Team play a key role in supporting and advising this policy group.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director will be expected to fulfil a key leadership role in the Local Authority with responsibility for the delivery of programmes and functions/services of the Local Authority. In addition, the Director provides policy support and advice for members of the Strategic Policy Committees and the Local Community Development Committee.

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 Directors of Service are responsible for ensuring the delivery of quality services across key areas within the Local Authority such as:

• Economic and Community Development
• Spatial Planning and Development Management
• Water/Waste Water Services on behalf of Irish Water
• Environmental and Emergency Services
• Roads, Transportation, Safety and Traffic Management
• Housing Services and Ukrainian Support
• Recreation, Leisure, Arts, Culture, and Heritage
• Support Services including Human Resources, Corporate Governance, Corporate Planning and Risk Management

Directors of Service are members of the senior management team of Local Authorities and report directly to the Chief Executive. Each Director of Service is typically responsible for a number of functional areas and may also be responsible for a Municipal District within a County.

Directors of Service support the Chief Executive in advancing the physical, economic, social and cultural life of a County, and in developing and overseeing the organisational structures and resources needed to deliver an extensive range of services to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Directors of Service generally manage large multidisciplinary teams and budgets, both capital and operational. They are required to manage and lead their functional areas in a strategic manner and implement substantial change programmes; for example, the ongoing programme of Local Government Reform. Innovation and continuous improvement are significant priorities.

Directors of Service play a key role in supporting the Council members in fulfilling their statutory and representational functions in accordance with the principles of good Governance. This includes working effectively with the Council Members providing policy support, keeping Councillors informed, and developing proposals for agreement by the Members prior to implementation within their area of responsibility.

External relationships are important to the effective delivery of services by the Local Authority, and Directors of Service play a vital role in networking and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government, other Government Departments, State Agencies, business owners, community and voluntary groups, and the general public, etc.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 24th September, 2026.

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