Job Vacancy – Education Support Officer

April 26, 2023
|In Homepage, Education
|By si

Education Support Officer

Swim Ireland is the National Governing Body (NGB) for Swimming, Water Polo, Diving and associated Aquatic Disciplines on the island of Ireland. Swim Ireland’s Head Office is based at Irish Sport HQ, National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 with circa 50 employees. Swim Ireland’s remit as a Governing Body is to increase participation, run the competitive aspect of our sport and to provide a framework for regulation. For further information, please see our website at www.swimireland.ie.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Education Team as Swim Ireland embarks on a new 4-year strategy. The Education Team are responsible for delivering teaching and coaching courses to the leisure industry and Swim Ireland clubs. Swim Ireland are proud to be the leading provider of swim education on the island of Ireland. We are the only delivery and awarding body whose qualifications are recognised by Sport Ireland Coaching and Sport NI (the two Sport Councils within Ireland).

Swim Ireland selection process aims to ensure that we get the right people recruited into the right role. We want to ensure that you have the best opportunity to display your skills and experience. Swim Ireland has identified Core Values that we consider to be integral to delivering exceptional service to our stakeholders. These Core Values are

  • Skills, Professionalism, Knowledge
  • Wellbeing & Inclusivity
  • Integrity and Excellence in Governance
  • My Passion, Our Vision
  • Teamwork & Collaboration

If selected for interview, you will be provided with a candidate support pack giving you information and guidance on the selection process.

Role and Reporting Structure

Led by the Head of Education, this role will report to the Education Partnership Manager within the larger Education Team, a team of five. The Education Support Officer will be responsible for organising the delivery of a variety of courses, working with leisure facilities and swimming pools around Ireland. This is a customer facing role and suitable for someone who is outgoing and enjoys engaging with our members as well as our tutor workforce.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Responsibilities for the Education Support Officer include the following:

Swimming Teaching & RLSS UK (Ireland) Qualifications

  • Organise various Education courses to include Swimming Teaching and RLSS courses.
  • Complete administration of all Swimming Teaching and RLSS courses from initial enquiry, through to awarding of qualifications.
  • Complete daily, weekly, and monthly department checklists.
  • Manage candidate queries and bookings through phone and email.
  • Liaise with Swim Ireland Tutors, RLSS Training Assessors and facilities on course organisation.
  • Manage queries related to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Equivalency of teaching qualifications.
  • Review and approve/ cancel credential applications.
  • Review and approve tutor expenses and ensure prompt payment of invoices.
  • Liaise with Communications Department to promote new courses.
  • Support the set-up of conferences, tutor courses and CPDs. Support Education Partnership Manager and RLSS Development Executive with course administration and promotion.

Learn to Swim Partners

  • Provide administrative support to the Education Partnership Manager.
  • Support Learn to Swim Partners with course bookings and enquiries.
  • Support the management of Learn to Swim stock, order fulfilment and invoicing.

Customer Support and Experience

  • Respond to all phone and email queries within 24 hours.
  • Escalate unresolved complaints to Education Partnership Manager within 48 hours.
  • Identify gaps in customer support and work with Education Team to address in a timely manner.
  • Continually seek to improve customer experience.
  • Provide content for weekly and monthly Education newsletters and social media.
  • Share positive customer experiences directly with Swim Ireland tutor workforce and/or through monthly Education newsletter

Build and Improve Professional Relationships

  • Maintain key stakeholder relationships with Sport Ireland Coaching, Ireland Active and RLSS.
  • Develop and maintain positive relationships with leisure facilities and Swim Ireland tutors.
  • Collaborate with other Swim Ireland departments on key Strategic projects.

Other

  • Attend Swim Ireland conferences, competitions and events as required.
  • Attend leisure industry events and networking opportunities.
  • Support other departments in Swim Ireland in the delivery of their work such as Safeguarding and Youth Development; Clubs, Community and Competitions; and Performance.
  • Support the roll out of Swim Ireland initiatives.
  • Other duties as required.

Essential Requirements

  • Be eligible and available to work in Ireland on a full-time basis.
  • Excellent written and spoken English.
  • Available to work occasional unsociable hours including evenings and weekends to support course delivery, competitions, and events.
  • Excellent working knowledge of IT and software packages including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Excellent communication and administration skills (email and phone).

Education and Experience

  • Relevant experience in a similar role.
  • Swim Teacher/ Coach qualification is desirable but not essential.

Key Qualities

  • Attention to detail.
  • Excellent customer service skills.
  • Creative and innovative.
  • Strong work ethic and ability to work in a dynamic environment.
  • Flexible and adaptable attitude.
  • Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.
  • Team player and ability to work on their own initiative as well as in a small, dedicated team.

Applicants should note that this list is not exhaustive and is subject to change as appropriate.

Remuneration and Location

Salary €26,000 per annum

Position Tenure: 3 year fixed-term full-time contract

Position Location: Swim Ireland Head Office, Irish Sport HQ, Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Some level of hybrid working will be permitted but is dependent on the requirements of the business.

Appointment will be made subject to satisfactory:

Garda Vetting and suitable reference checks.

Applications to include Cover Letter and CV should be made for the attention of the HR Manager – chloekinahan@swimireland.ie .

Closing date for applications is Monday 8 May 2023 at 12pm.

Interviews will take place during the week commencing Monday 15 May 2023. Applicants will also be invited to complete an administration / IT assessment prior to interview.

At Swim Ireland, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every element in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate to for this or other roles. We would particularly welcome applications from black & minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in the Swim Ireland team as a whole. We always appoint on merit.

Swim Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.