Senior Executive Scientist

publicjobs; Leinster; On-site; EUR 73,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

Meath County Council is seeking a Senior Executive Scientist to lead a multidisciplinary team in the Environment Directorate. The role focuses on water-related matters, with potential work across waste, air, noise and climate action, driving statutory and corporate environmental protection and monitoring programmes.

The successful candidate will manage budgets, coordinate enforcement, engage with stakeholders, and contribute to policy and planning reports while ensuring high performance and

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of scientists, environmental technicians and administrative staff.
• Deliver and oversee the Council’s Water Framework Directive obligations and water-related programmes.
• Develop, implement and monitor annual work plans across National Enforcement Priorities (NEPs).
• Oversee surface water sampling, monitoring and reporting, and manage related licences and data platforms.
• Lead on enforcement under applicable legislation and coordinate with external stakeholders.
• Prepare reports for management, elected Council and committees; engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Ensure delivery of efficient, value-for-money services within resource constraints.

Job description

Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 26 November 2026

Salary: Starting from €80,680

About the Employer:

Meath County Council is the authority responsible for Local Government in County Meath with its corporate headquarters located at Buvinda House, Navan.

Meath County Council is the primary unit of Local Government in County Meath. The Council is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of public services in Meath, with an overarching vision to "Make Meath Even Better". This is through a focus on making it the lead county for economic prosperity, social development and environmental protection, with efficient and good value services and a Council representing the people and communities of County Meath in an effective and accountable manner.

The Council is one of the county’s major employers, currently employing approximately 1,060 staff. The Council’s Revenue Budget for 2026 is €258m and its 3-year rolling Capital Programme 2026-2028 has an estimated spend of €1.24b.

Meath County Council’s mission is to drive the economic, social, cultural and environmental improvement of the county to enhance the quality of life of the people of Meath.

The Council is guided by the following Core Values which underpin its operations and services:

• Strong customer, citizen and community focus;
• High standards of conduct, probity and impartiality;
• Accountable, accessible and responsive;
• Innovation and sustainability;
• Integrity and respect for all.

As a public body, the Council has obligations under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect human rights.

About the Role:

The successful applicant will report to the Senior Engineer in the Environment Directorate or a nominee. The role will include responsibility for overall management of a team of staff including scientists, environmental technicians and administrative staff.

The main focus of the role is on water related matters, however, the appointed candidate may also be required to work in other areas of environmental activity including waste, air, noise and climate action.

The Senior Executive Scientist will be responsible for the efficient management of their prescribed work area. Managers at this level work within defined parameters relevant to the position, in accordance with the Local Authority's vision and objectives.

In recent years, Meath County Council has achieved excellent or strong scores across virtually all National Enforcement Priorities (NEPs) in the EPA’s annual Local Authority Performance Framework. The successful candidate will be required to perform a central and integral role in maintaining and building upon this high performance.

This is a key management role with responsibility for the delivery of statutory and corporate environmental protection and monitoring programmes. The Senior Executive Scientist will play a key role in developing and implementing change programmes to meet the evolving challenges of national, regional and stakeholder strategies.

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 Senior Executive Scientist duties include but are not limited to the following:

Management and delivery of the Council’s Environmental and Natural Waters functions including –

• Delivery of the Council’s obligations under the next cycle of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
• Implementation and management of the Water Action Plan 2024 including development, implementation and utilisation of the Water Action Work Plans and Tracker.
• Develop, implement and manage annual work plans across all work areas and National Enforcement Priorities (NEPs).
• Assign and manage resources (including staff) available to ensure the successful delivery of all work plans, NEPs and programmes, including achieving National Agricultural Inspection Programme (NAIP) target.
• Manage and ensure successful delivery of the annual National Inspection Plan for Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems target.
• Manage and ensure all monitoring data is uploaded to EDEN and all other relevant platforms.
• Perform the role of RMCEI Co-ordinator and proactively oversee and participate in achieving and surpassing RMCEI targets, compiling and returning data and drafting and submitting RMCEI reports/case studies to the EPA by the annual deadline.
• Manage Discharge Licencing (Section 4 and Section 16, where applicable) including developing and overseeing a work plan to review existing licences, identify and put in place new licences, ensure monitoring and follow up/enforcement and develop and utilise a licence tracker.
• Manage and oversee the required surface water (WFD) sampling and reporting programme;
• Manage matters relating to Bathing Waters including overseeing the annual Bathing Waters Monitoring Programme to help maintain existing Blue Flag status and to support the possible designation of further bathing locations as Blue/Green Flags.
• Manage and ensure a timely response to water pollution incidents/complaints, including all necessary site inspections/investigations, stakeholder engagements, reporting and follow-up.
• On an ongoing basis, oversee and ensure that all cases assigned on the Council’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system are actioned and closed out promptly and appropriately.
• Lead on initiating and driving enforcement under pertaining legislation, including prosecution and cross compliance.
• Proactively identify and address misconnections.
• Manage all duties required under water abstraction legislation, including monitoring licenced abstractions.
• Manage all activities and responsibilities under the Drinking Water Regulations with regard to Private Regulated Water Supplies.
• Review and report on all planning applications referred to you and as required by the Planning Department, review and report on forward plans including County Development Plan, Master Plans, etc.
• On an ongoing basis, liaise and engage proactively and collaboratively with all internal and external stakeholders including, the River Basin Management Service, IFI, NPWS, Uisce Eireann, other local authorities, etc.
• Management of the strategic planning, design and development of the Environmental Water Services Regulation and Enforcement service.
• Taking a lead management role in developing, implementing, and managing change.
• Preparation, oversight and management of budgets, both revenue and capital. Undertake site inspections and monitoring/sampling, as required.
• Management of procurement in respect of equipment, consumables and services.
• Full compliance with all requirements of council's safety management systems in relation to fieldwork activities.
• Participate actively in appropriate regional and national structures as required including working groups as nominated by the Senior Engineer or Director of Service.
• Prepare relevant reports as required for Council management, the Elected Council and appropriate Committees of the Council.
• Have an awareness and knowledge of, and ability to contribute to the management and development of other functions in the Environment Section as required, including but not limited to Waste, Noise, Air Quality, Environmental Awareness and Climate Change Adaptation.
• Provide professional input into the Council Development Plans, Local Area Plans, Environmental Assessments, Climate Change & Green Infrastructural Strategies and Council Meeting replies and reports as required.
• Engagement with the Elected Councillors as required including attendance at and reporting to Council, Strategic Policy Committees and other committees as may be required.
• Assess and report on relevant sections of Environmental Assessment Reports submitted as part of development applications.
• Provide advice to the other sections within the council on scientific matters as may be required.
• Ensuring all targets and KPls specified in service delivery plans and service level agreements are met.
• To be aware of trends and developments in the water and environmental areas and to advise on and develop policy and/or service development responses where appropriate.
• To be aware of and advise on new and emerging national policy and assess implications for the Council and respond to these proposals as required.
• Engagement with elected members including, where required, attending and/or making Establish agreed milestones and timescales, setting achievable targets and indicators, deputise for the Senior Engineer as required.
• Any other associated duties as may be assigned from time to time.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 26 November, 2026.

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