Senior Executive Officer

Role overview

Westmeath County Council is seeking a Senior Executive Officer to join its team in County Westmeath, Ireland. This is a full-time on-site position starting from a salary of €60,029.

About the employer

Westmeath County Council is made up of 20 elected members chosen every five years. The county is organised into two Municipal Districts: Mullingar/Kinnegad and Athlone/Moate. The main administrative base is in Mullingar, with Civic Offices also operating in Athlone and Castlepollard. Mullingar serves as the county town, while Athlone is recognised as a Regional Growth Centre under the National Planning Framework.

At a strategic level, the organisation works through its Corporate Policy Group, which includes the Cathaoirleach and the Chairs of the four Strategic Policy Committees. The Chief Executive and Management Team support and advise this group. The council delivers a broad range of local services aimed at supporting a prosperous county, a strong economy, rural quality of life, safe and active communities, cultural and heritage diversity, a healthy and sustainable natural environment, and a strong sense of civic pride. The organisation employs about 600 people and manages a 2026 budget of €129.4 million.

Role summary

The Senior Executive Officer reports to the Director of Service and is accountable for the efficient leadership, direction, and development of the assigned department or function. The role operates within the Council’s corporate plan, with a strong emphasis on service quality, value for money, policy delivery, and effective change management. It requires a proactive leader who can bring innovation, flexibility, and a strong customer focus while working closely with senior leaders and elected representatives to deliver strategic objectives and public services.

Key duties

• Interpret and apply the legislation, policy framework, and operational context that govern the Council’s statutory responsibilities.
• Put agreed strategies into action and recommend adjustments where services need to be expanded, improved, or made more effective.
• Support the work of the Strategic Policy Committees and the Corporate Policy Group.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with elected representatives, outside agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Define targets, reporting needs, and performance indicators, and help shape corporate plans, strategies, and annual service plans.
• Work collaboratively across disciplines to deliver high-quality services.
• Plan, agree, and oversee work programmes, deadlines, and priorities to ensure delivery is timely and effective.
• Set up and coordinate the resources needed to support service delivery, including budgeting, financial oversight, and procurement.
• Manage and supervise staff up to Administrative Officer level or equivalent, including training, development, and upskilling.
• Provide leadership that strengthens teamwork, motivation, employee commitment, morale, and engagement in line with best practice and relevant law.
• Ensure sound governance and act consistently in the public interest.
• Maintain strong awareness of health and safety legislation, regulatory obligations, and workplace application.
• Understand managerial responsibilities in workplace safety management.

Candidate profile

The successful candidate should bring substantial management-level experience, a track record of delivering agreed strategies, and the ability to improve service scope, quality, or output. The role calls for someone with proven people-management capability, strong interpersonal judgement, and the ability to build trust, openness, and productive relationships. A high level of customer orientation, communication, negotiation, influencing, engagement, and conflict-resolution skill is essential, along with strong organisation, autonomy, resilience under pressure, and the ability to work across functions and to tight deadlines. Experience with internal controls, compliance, finance, budgets, and value-for-money management is also required.

Additional information

The closing date for completed applications is 3:00 pm on Thursday, 9 July 2026. Full application details are available through the employer’s recruitment information. The organisation states that it follows an equal opportunity policy and welcomes applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.