Sectoral Liaison Officer

We are currently recruiting for a Staff Officer based in Belfast. The successful candidates will be required to start once the vetting paperwork, ANI clearance has been completed.

Start date: ASAP

Rate of pay: £19.59

Hours of work: Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm

Sectoral Engagement and Relationship Management

• Act as the principal liaison between the Office of the Irish Language Commissioner and public authorities to support the implementation of Irish language best standards.
• Build and sustain constructive, professional relationships with senior officials across the public sector to promote compliance and best practice in the provision of services through Irish.
• Build positive relationships with voluntary/community Irish language organisations and sector advocacy groups.
• Promote awareness and understanding of best practice standards, statutory duties, and the role of the Commissioner.

Advice, Guidance and Support

• Provide clear, proportionate and practical advice to public authorities on meeting Irish language obligations and embedding good practice.
• Support public authorities in interpreting standards and requirements in line with their functions, capacity and service context.
• Contribute to the development of guidance materials, toolkits, templates and briefing documents.
• Identify examples of effective practice and support their dissemination across public authorities.

Monitoring and Implementation Support

• Assist in monitoring compliance with published best practice standards by public authorities.
• Identify barriers, risks and opportunities within sectors and elevate issues as appropriate.
• Contribute to policy development and organisational learning by sharing sectoral insights and emerging trends.
• Gather data, analyse information and produce reports for the Commissioner on the progress of the service delivery in Irish.
• Support the development of the Commissioner’s Annual Report.

Complaints and Investigation Support

• Facilitate dialogue to resolve potential issues between members of the public and public authorities regarding language service provision.
• Assist with the handling of complaints, investigations and formal enquiries as required.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with colleagues within the Office of the Irish Language Commissioner to ensure a consistent and joined‑up approach to sectoral engagement.
• Contribute to cross‑sectoral initiatives, events, workshops and consultations.
• Engage, where appropriate, with external stakeholders to support the promotion and understanding of the Irish language.

General Responsibilities

• Ensure all work is carried out in line with equality duties, data protection requirements and organisational policies.
• Maintain accurate records of engagement, correspondence and actions.

The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive.

Essential Criteria

1. At least 2 years’ experience in a liaison, public body, or advisory role within the public, voluntary or community sector.
2. Proven ability to build relationships with senior officials, community groups and public representatives.
3. Experience of drafting clear guidance, reports, or briefing material for a professional audience.
4. Proven analytical skills with the ability to identify issues, assess impacts, and propose practical solutions.
5. Excellent written and spoken Irish, with the ability to produce high quality professional outputs through Irish and English.

RecCoBelfast

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