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Wed Nov 19 2025

Fri Dec 5 2025

Permanent

1

Head of Education Therapy Service (Principal Officer Grade) with the NCSE

The NCSE is seeking applications for the position of Principal Officer as Head of the National Education Therapy Service. The successful candidate will have a professional qualification in either Occupational Therapy or Speech and Language Therapy and have significant experience both clinically and in senior management.
The successful candidate will lead the ETS and report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCSE. They will function as a member of the NCSE’s Senior Management Team. They will lead out on the development of the ETS from phase one, through to full rollout. They will work to ensure that children and young people with special education or additional needs, attending special schools, special classes and mainstream classes, have access to speech and language therapy and occupational therapy services, necessary to ensure children and young people achieve the best possible educational outcomes. Initially, the work will focus on recruitment and retention, workforce development, establishing the ETS model within schools, working in collaboration with teachers and principals, practice (student) education, ensuring the service is delivered to children and young people in line with evidenced informed practice, ensuring the ETS is aligned and coordinated with NCSE services and existing children’s services including HSE/HSE funded services.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Department of Education and Youth’s Therapy and Inclusion Unit to ensure service delivery is in line with government policy and best practice. The successful candidate will also work closely with HSE services and other relevant voluntary bodies to ensure the ETS is delivered in a coordinated, seamless manner across education and health services.
A key objective of the role will be to develop OTs and SLTs as core team members of the school community, working alongside teachers and SNAs as members of the school team, focussed on meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs. The successful candidate will work closely with other key stakeholders including the Department of Children, Disability, Equality (DCDE), the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and with other bodies as required, including TUSLA.
It is expected that the ETS will develop from the current 39 number of posts in the NCSE to approximately 500 by end of 2027. The policy approved by Government envisaged as many as 750 Therapy and Therapy Assistant posts with full implementation. The governance and management needs of the service will be reviewed as rollout occurs.

How to apply
Please note that Orange Recruitment will be administering the competition on behalf of the NCSE. Please see attached link for further details including the application process:
https://orangerecruitment.ie/register-ncse/

Please note that all sections of the application form, must be fully completed or your application may receive no further consideration.

Please note candidates will be disqualified if they exceed the 500-word count as indicated for each section.

Closing Date
Your application must be submitted no later than 3.00pm on 5th December 2025

All queries relating to this recruitment campaign should be directed to reception@orangerecruitment.ie with the subject heading Head of Education Therapy Service.

Interviews for these posts are likely to commence mid December 2025.
The onus is on each applicant, to ensure that they are in receipt of all communication from Orange Recruitment/NCSE. Orange Recruitment/NCSE accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date of 3pm 5th December 2025.