Civil Service Career Path

 

The Public Sector consists of the Civil Service and the Public Service. The role of the Civil Service is to support the government of the day to develop and implement its policies, both at home and abroad. There are a great range of opportunities available to those seeking a career within the Civil Service. Working in the Civil Service will provide you with opportunities to work on initiatives that will help Ireland respond to the challenges of a changing world, whether that’s in the realm of justice, managing the economy, or innovating public services. This is an ideal career path for people strongly motivated to serve the people of Ireland.   

The Civil Service is a diverse and inclusive workforce, with ample opportunity for progression and upskilling. We have a huge variety of roles to suit school leavers, college graduates and professionals of all levels of skills and experience. These range from general grades such as Clerical Officer, Executive Officer and Administrative Officer to specialist roles such as Engineer, Economist or Policy Analyst to name just a few. You can learn more about career paths in the Civil and Public Service below.

 

Discover the Benefits

Not only do we have exciting career opportunities on offer, there are also great benefits to working in the Civil Service too. Check out some of these benefits below:

 
Green circle with person in the centre

Dynamic Work Environment: We offer a dynamic work environment where you can engage in meaningful and interesting work right from the start.

 
Grey cicrle with an icon of a book

Learning and Development: You can avail of a wide range of learning and development initiatives, which allow you to upskill and further develop your Civil Service career.

 
Yellow circle with three people

Inclusive: We recognise and value the importance of attracting and welcoming a workforce that is responsive, accessible, resilient, and reflective of the communities it serves. 

 
Blue Circle with an icon of clock

Flexible Working Arrangements: Depending on the nature of the work, some offices may offer Flexible Working Hours, Work Sharing, a Pro-rata Shorter Working Year or career breaks.

 
Dark Pink Circle with an icon of a person with a speech bubble

Making a Difference: Contribute to purposeful work that impacts directly on our society and citizens.

 

 

Civil Service Career Paths

Meet the people who work across the Irish Civil Service, providing important services to the people of Ireland both at home and abroad. Many start their careers in the Civil Service in entry level positions and progress to more senior roles.



Civil Service Grade Structure

Entry to the Civil Service depends on your level of education, skills and experience. The career ladder ranges from general admin roles such as temporary or permanent Clerical Officer, junior management opportunities such as Executive or Administrative Officer, all the way up to senior management and strategic leadership roles. The below infographic is an overview of the Civil Service Grade Structure and possible career paths. To find out about the competencies needed for some of the roles in the Civil Service, why not take a look at our Competency Model Framework.

graph of career path