Finance Executive(12-months contract)

About Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland is the national research and innovation funding agency, which was established on 1 August 2024; it amalgamates the activities of the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland. Research Ireland will drive world-class research and innovation in Ireland, funding excellence in all disciplines across the spectrum of Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, Technology and others.  About the Role:  Research Ireland (RI) is seeking applications for a Finance Executive (12-month contract role) pending the outcome of the RI organisation review. In addition to managing a higher volume of awards for Research Ireland following the establishment of Research Ireland, there are also wider organisational requirements for RI Finance team in 2026 including a significant project relating to the upgrade of Sesame Grants Management system. This role will be a key Finance resource to ensuring the success of this project. In addition, there is a requirement for additional capacity to deal with the significant procurement activity undertaken by the Finance Team to support the user departments including IT.  Reporting primarily to the Finance Manager - Grants, but also to the Finance Manager – Accounts, this Finance Executive will join the Finance and Grants team and will support all aspects of the grants management process, be a key resource on the upgrade of Sesame Grants Management system and assist with significant procurement activity and other finance related duties as required. It is envisaged that this role will be split approximately 50% Grants/Sesame activity  and 50% procurement. The successful candidate will be assigned to the Finance & Grants team within the Finance, Operations & Research Policy Directorate.  Key ResponsibilitiesGeneral Post-award management of awards including initiating payments for awards on the grants management system. Monitoring and managing interim financial reports. Processing budget reallocation and no-cost-extension requests. Approving interim payments and de-commitments on awards.  Regular interaction and engagement with the Programme and the Finance team to ensure that the financial aspects align with the overall grants administration activities. General assistance with the Pre-award aspects of the programmes; providing financial input into the letter of offers for programme calls, managing queries in relation to budgets submitted. Assisting with the upgrade of the Sesame Grants Management System. Assisting with the multi annual forecasting of grants expenditure to feed into the Financial Planning model. Assisting in running procurement tender competitions. Associated procurement activities to ensure RI remains compliant with procurement rules.Managing procurement templates, updating as required and publishing on SharePoint. Advising on the appropriate financial information and insurance to include in each tender competition. Be familiar with all OGP Frameworks and advise RI staff of same. Checking financial and insurance data for prospective tenders.  Managing the contracts register on SharePoint on a quarterly basis. Managing and organising tender documentation for Audit purposes. Assisting in year-end C&AG audit, along with internal audits which take place during the year. Other Ad hoc duties related to Finance activity as required.  This job specification is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive. It will be reviewed from time to time with the post holder.    Essential Criteria:Experience in working in an administrative capacity in a research environment.Strong PC skills Experience with managing tasks effectively and to tight deadlines A self-starter with the ability to work under pressure Attention to detail and quality assurance Ability to work in a team environment  Desirable Criteria:Bachelor’s degree in Business/Finance, or a related discipline.  Application ProcessTo apply for this post, applicants must submit an up-to-date CV, and a cover letter (maximum of two pages) which will demonstrate the following:  Possession of the required qualifications and experience as outlined above. Project management experience and results orientation, including relevant example(s) from career to date; and Experience of working in a team environment.  Applications must be submitted as one document online through the online applicant management system on or before COB (Irish Local Time) 28th November 2025.  Salary Details:The starting salary for this post will be €52,026 per annum for new entrants to the Public Sector. This salary will rise over time, as per the salary scale detailed below.Salary scale: €52,026- €74,725 per annum with contributory superannuation (pension).Government policy continues to be that starting pay on recruitment from open competition for all posts within the public sector should be at the minimum of the relevant salary scale and are not subject to negotiation. Remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government policy.Benefits:Competitive salary with defined progression through the gradePension scheme (Single Public Service Pension Scheme).An excellent blended working policyLife insurance29 days annual leaveLearning and development opportunities.Additional information Selection for the position will be by way of competency-based interviews/presentation. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend for an interview, which may include a competency-based interview, and/ or other such assessment methods as deemed appropriate. RI reserves the right to invite candidates to a second-round interview and to undergo further assessment. Please note, interviews may take place over video-conference or other remote technology where appropriate. The role will be based in the RI office located in Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 FX65. RI is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of our workforce. We encourage you to reach out to us directly should you require assistance or reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process with RI.