HRB Grade VII Job Family (consisting of R&I 4 / Research Officer / Service 4 Grade VII)

 

Background

The Health Research Board (HRB) is a statutory agency under the aegis of the Department of Health. As the lead agency in Ireland responsible for supporting and funding health research, generating health information and promoting the use of evidence in policy and practice, we are motivated and inspired by our vision – healthy people through excellent research and applied knowledge. The Health Research Board’s (HRB) mission is to improve people’s health and enhance healthcare delivery.  An overview of the HRB’s objectives and activities may be found in The HRB Strategy 2026-2030, Bringing research to Life, HRB Strategy 2026-2030.

The HRB employs approximately 130 people and has an estimated budget of €70m pa. The research it funds is central to Ireland’s ambition of becoming a knowledge economy. It is a key communicator to the public on the value of research and information systems in the health area. The HRB is organised around three Directorates:

(1) Corporate Operations Directorate,

(2) Research Strategy and Funding Directorate and

(3) Health information and Evidence Directorate.

Further information about the HRB is available at www.hrb.ie

The Research Accountant post will be situated in the Corporate Operations and will play a key role in supporting the delivery of the HRB’s strategic objectives by ensuring effective financial management of research funding.

The role focuses on delivering high-quality financial reporting, strengthening financial controls, and supporting the optimisation of finance systems and processes.

Working closely with the Research, Strategy and Funding Directorate and other internal and external stakeholders, the post holder will ensure that financial operations deliver value for money and provide timely, accurate and meaningful financial information to support organisational decision-making.

 

Key responsibilities of the post of Research Accountant (Finance)

Duties will include (but are not limited to) the following areas of activity:

Financial Management and Reporting

  • Lead on the financial management and reporting for European-funded grants, working closely with internal funding teams to ensure compliance with grant conditions and to maximise eligible funding opportunities.
  • Manage and oversee the financial administration and reporting on targeted funding from the Department of Health (DoH), ensuring accuracy, compliance and adherence to all regulatory requirements.
  • Lead the review of detailed financial reports for infrastructure grants and other targeted funding streams, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and alignment with funding requirements.
  • Ensure all financial reporting deadlines are met, maintaining high standards of quality and timeliness.
  • Provide assurance on financial data integrity through robust review processes and controls.

Systems and Process Development

  • Develop, implement, and continuously enhance financial processes and procedures to ensure full compliance with EU grant funding requirements and strengthen governance and control frameworks.
  • Lead on the finance workstream for the implementation of the new Grants Management System, ensuring finance requirements are fully integrated and processes are efficient and fit for purpose.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to streamline financial reporting, enhance data accuracy, and strengthen overall process efficiency.

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Respond to growing external stakeholder information requests, ensuring outputs are accurate, consistent, and delivered within agreed timelines.
  • Collaborate closely with internal teams, including the Funding Unit, to inform the development of future grant calls and funding models, providing financial insight and analysis.

Compliance and Risk Management

  • Ensure full compliance with all applicable funding conditions, financial regulations, and organisational policies.
  • Working with the Research Strategy and Funding Directorate ensure HRB’s terms and conditions align with best practice
  • Maintain adherence to established financial processes and strengthen internal controls to effectively mitigate financial and operational risk.

Manage the Research Accounts Officer

  • Manage the Research Accounts Officer to ensure that they have clear objectives, linked to overall organisation strategy and that these are used to maintain performance standards.
  • Agree development goals with staff and maintain performance standards through the HRB’s performance management system.
  • Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and high performance

In addition to the above responsibilities the Research Accountant may be required to undertake other related duties.

 

 

Essential knowledge and experience

Formal requirements include:

  • An NFQ Level 9 Qualification (Master’s Degree) or suitable professional qualification at an equivalent level is required
  • Membership of a recognised professional accounting body – ACCA, ACA or CPA
  • Must have at least five years’ appropriate and relevant professional experience in a research grant environment Experience in financial management within a grant-funded or similar environment
  • Proven communication, creative and influencing skills and the ability to manage professional staff
  • Experience of significantly contributing to the development and implementation of a Grants Management System and/or a Financial Management System

Desirable requirements include:

  • Knowledge of national health research system, and of the Irish academic and health services environment
  • Knowledge of relevant government circulars
  • Experience of managing people and allocating workload
  • Detailed working knowledge of Unit 4 ERP (Agresso)

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A detailed knowledge of the national and international health research funding environment and have the ability to contribute strategically to health research in Ireland
  • Proven experience inter-acting with the finance personnel in Research Performing Organisations and Government Departments.
  • Experience in developing, reviewing, and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and organisational policies
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and timelines
  • Excellent accounting software user and administration skills, ideally with Unit 4 ERP (Agresso).
  • Excellent interpersonal, presentation, report writing and communication skills.
  • Excellent Microsoft Excel skills.
  • Highly proficient in MS Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and SharePoint.
  • Willingness to travel when required

 

 

Competencies

Competencies incorporated into this role profile reflect the competency framework issued in conjunction with the Civil Service Competency Framework which has been adopted by the HRB.  A comprehensive list of expected competencies ca be found at Research Accountant  (HEO) Competency Framework.

 

Reporting relationship

The Research Accountant post will report to the Senior Research Accountant or their designate.

 

Salary scale:

Salary Range for Research Accountant (Finance)              €60,613 – €78,795 (Scales at 01 February 2026)

NOTE:  This post is a permanent, full-time post

Appointment will be made in accordance with the Department of Health guidelines. New entrants to the public service will be appointed at the first point of the scale.

 

 

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae by email to recruitment@hrb.ie You must include the name of the post that you are applying for in the email subject line.

Closing date for applications is 12.00 Noon on 05 June 2026

NOTE: Interviews for this position are expected to take place in our offices on Monday 22 June 2026.

 

If you require further information, please contact Karen O’Donnell, HR Officer at recruitment@hrb.ie or refer to the recruitment page on the HRB website at http://www.hrb.ie/about/recruitment/  for full details on this campaign.

The Health Research Board is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We do not discriminate based on gender, age, race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, membership of the Travelling community or family status. If you have a disability and require accommodations to be made during the recruitment process, please contact HR in advance and we would be happy to assist.

Please Note:

To be eligible to apply for this competition, candidates must be nationals of a European Economic Area (EEA) Member State or otherwise have a current and valid legal entitlement to work in Ireland.

Candidates who do not meet this requirement will be deemed ineligible.