Insight Officer (Open Competition)

Role Profile

A. Details

Position: Insight Officer

Grade: Executive Officer (EO)

Whole time equivalent: Full time (35 hours per week)

Reports to: Head of Insight and Public Engagement

Duration: 2 Year contract

Role Closing Date: 12 noon Tuesday 12th May 2026.

B. Department & Role Overview

The Arts Council is the Irish Governments agency for supporting and promoting the arts in Ireland. We work in partnership with artists arts organisations public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life.

At the Arts Council we are committed to basing our decision-making policy development advocacy and advice on evidence. To support this our strategy Making Great Art Work commits us to developing greater capacity in the fields of research data and insight.

In developing our capacity in these areas we are conscious that conducting research and generating data is only the first step in driving evidence-based planning. How we interpret leverage and communicate our findings is what dictates its potential impact.

The insight team is responsible for analysing available research and data identifying strategic and actionable insights and successfully communicating and embedding these insights across the organisation to drive evidence-based strategic thinking.

Overall responsibility for insight sits within the Strategic Development Department (SDD) of the Arts Council. While insights are generated across the organisation it is the role of the SDD to provide a framework that supports and facilitates good practice and maintains oversight.

C. Key Responsibilities

As an Officer you will:

• Support the values vision and mission of the Arts Council;

• Have a clear understanding of the Officer role objectives and targets and how they support the objectives of your Department the Arts Councils strategic goals and the ten year strategy Making Great Art Work;

• Strive to develop implement and support new ways of working effectively to meet objectives;

• Actively share information knowledge and expertise to help the team to meet its objectives;

• Be flexible and willing to adapt positively contributing to the implementation of change;

• Take responsibility and be accountable for the delivery of agreed objectives;

• Successfully manage a range of different projects and work activities at the same time;

• Maintain a strong focus on delivering high performance and service delivery;

• Create and maintain collaborative internal and external relationships;

• Utilise and promote project management guidelines and templates;

• Provide cover to other Teams/Departments as required.

As the Insight Officer you will:

• Organise and analyse large datasets to identify trends patterns and insights expressing complex information in a clear concise way;

• Support the delivery of the Arts Councils annual survey of the Arts in Ireland; Arts Insight including survey design verifying and checking data identifying key insights and delivering presentations both internally and externally;

• Support the policy development process by working closely with arts teams to understand their data needs and deliver actionable insights;

• Make use of strong communication and presentation skills to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences;

• Manage and deliver the analysis and visualisation of internal data liaising with colleagues across the organisation to verify data visualising data in a clear and succinct way identifying key insights and presenting to Senior stakeholders;

• Manage and respond to internal stakeholder requests consulting multiple data sources identifying strategic and actionable insights and presenting them in a coherent and compelling way;

• Forge strong strategic relationships across the organisation helping to build familiarity with and confidence in research data and insight.

• Support the Arts Council to develop data and insight capacity and competencies;

• Carry out day-to-day project management activities including planning and scoping progress tracking and status reporting updating project management logs;

• Act as a point of contact for enquiries relating to relevant areas of insight and as a key link person with other Arts Council departments and teams and with external strategic partners;

• Track budgets and manage payments and service supplier related paperwork;

• Liaise with the data protection team to ensure all appropriate measures are taken and internal and national regulation adhered to.

Note: Arts Council roles and responsibilities are subject to change as per on-going and future organisational requirements and developments. Other duties appropriate to the grade that may be assigned from time to time.

D. Skills Knowledge and Experiences

The role will require you to have:

• Strong proficiency in advanced Excel and data visualization tools (e.g. PowerBI or Tableau) demonstrated experience working in SPSS and SSMS. SQL knowledge is desirable but not essential. Experience with Python or R would be an advantage;

• Previous experience of working in an insight/data role;

• Excellent presentation skills including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences;

• Excellent analytical skills including the ability to gather and analyse research and data engage in critical analysis and express complex information in a clear concise way;

• Excellent strategic thinking skills including the ability to prioritise key findings and goals;

• Excellent communication skills with an ability to express yourself in a clear and articulate manner when speaking in writing and when using other social tools of communication;

• Excellent interpersonal skills including the capacity to deal with a range of different people in varying positions;

• Excellent administrative skills and a proven ability in project management;

• An ability to be methodical and thorough and pay attention to detail;

• Experience of multi-tasking across projects and programmes of work;

• Experience of working on your own initiative on projects and programmes of work;

• An understanding of the work of the Arts Council as a public body and of its strategic objectives - as set out in its 10-year Strategy Making Great Art Work - available on the Arts Councils website;

• A commitment to high standards of public service;

• Excellent IT competencies - allowing you to operate the various elements within the Arts Councils IT systems; including its online services CRM EDM the Microsoft Office suite of programmes

• Ideally have Irish language verbal and written skills although this is not an absolute prerequisite for the role.

D. Qualifications

• A third level degree or equivalent professional qualification in a field relevant to insight is desirable but not essential.