RTB Executive Officer 2026: Applications Closed, Interview Guide

Applications closed at 5pm Irish time on Saturday, 5 September 2026. This guide was rechecked on 8 September and is now for applicants preparing for the next stage. The official careers page says applications will not be accepted after the closing date.

The employer is the Residential Tenancies Board. Lex Consultancy runs its recruitment. The competition creates a panel for Executive Officer vacancies, which may be permanent or fixed term. Initial shortlisting uses a CV and cover letter, followed by a competency interview. The booklet also allows additional testing, so it is not a guaranteed test-free route.

If you applied, follow your own messages from Lex Consultancy and the official RTB careers page. The booklet expects interviews during the fortnight beginning 21 September 2026. That is provisional scheduling information, not confirmation of your interview date.

What an EO at the RTB actually does

Executive Officers work across business units such as Customer Experience and Registrations. Day to day that means customer contact by phone, email and web, investigating cases in tools like ServiceNow and RTB365, running quality checks, and liaising with internal teams including Legal, Dispute Resolution and Communications.

One line in the booklet is worth reading twice: officers may be moved between business units for operational reasons. You are applying to a grade in an organisation, not to one desk.

The essential skills tell you what the interview will probe. Strong digital skills, named as Excel, Word and Outlook. Written and verbal communication. Experience managing stakeholders, including members of the public. Task management with several priorities running against deadlines. Attention to detail. Comfort writing and working with technical reports. Analytical skill, meaning you can take complicated information and produce a practical recommendation. And a commitment to public service.

The money

The role sits on the Executive Officer PPC scale. Rates effective 1 June 2026 start at €38,803 and rise by increments to €57,289 and then €58,624. Two long-service increments sit above that, at €60,527 and €63,227. The separate non-PPC scale starts at €37,211.

The upper figures are reached through progression and qualifying service. They are not the starting salary offered to a new entrant.

The eligibility requirements

The competition accepted either a qualification at NFQ Level 6 or above, or equivalent, or at least two years of relevant experience in a similar role. Applicants also needed the essential skills and other eligibility conditions in the booklet. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee shortlisting.

On top of that you need the essential skills for the role, and health such as to give a reasonable prospect of regular and efficient service.

The booklet also sets out restrictions affecting local authority members and certain public service retirement or redundancy arrangements. Refer to the official document if any of those circumstances applies to you.

How selection works

Four steps, as the booklet sets them out.

Application, in the specified format, before the deadline that has now passed.

Shortlisting. An expert board selects a group for interview who, on pre-determined criteria, appear from their CV and cover letter to be the most suitable. The booklet is careful here and so should you be: not being shortlisted does not mean you are unsuitable, only that others matched the criteria more closely on paper. Lex Consultancy emails all applicants at the end of shortlisting, so you hear either way.

Interview, expected during the fortnight commencing 21 September 2026, in person at the RTB’s offices in O’Connell Bridge House, D’Olier Street, Dublin 2. The format is semi-structured, and you are asked to provide examples of the competencies for the role. Those competencies are in Appendix 1 of the booklet, and they are what to prepare from.

References, taken after a successful interview.

The booklet also reserves the option of a second-round interview, technical tests or psychometric testing. It is written as a “may”, so treat it that way. Prepare for the competency interview and hold the rest as possible rather than scheduled.

The panel

Everyone who succeeds is placed on a panel in order of merit. It stands for twelve months from the date it is established, and appointments are made from it as EO vacancies arise. The RTB may choose not to use the panel where a post requires specific skills. How many appointments come out of it inside the twelve months is not published, and nobody can tell you in advance.

The application format, for reference

The closed application stage required one MS Word document, containing two things.

A cover letter of one page, explaining how you meet the requirements of the role.

A CV of no more than three A4 pages, carrying your name and contact details, career history with responsibilities, achievements and any staff or budget responsibility, education and training history, professional memberships, and your current salary and Civil or Public Service grade if you have one.

The booklet said applications would be acknowledged and directed applicants to [email protected] if no acknowledgement arrived within 48 hours. If you applied on time and still have no acknowledgement, check this with Lex Consultancy.

Keep a copy of what you submitted. When preparing for interview, check that your examples are consistent with the responsibilities and achievements in that application. The competition is closed; this section is a record of the requirements, not an invitation to submit a late application.

Questions people ask

Can I still apply? No. The stated deadline was 5pm on 5 September 2026, and the RTB careers page says late applications are not accepted.

Was a degree required? No. The education route was NFQ Level 6 or equivalent, or above. An alternative route accepted at least two years of relevant experience in a similar role, alongside the other requirements.

Is there an aptitude test? Not as a stated stage. Shortlisting works from your CV and cover letter, and the next stage is an in-person interview. The booklet does reserve the option of technical tests or psychometric testing, so it cannot be ruled out.

When are interviews? Expected during the fortnight commencing 21 September 2026, in person at O’Connell Bridge House, D’Olier Street, Dublin 2.

Is this a publicjobs competition? No. It is advertised on the publicjobs.ie job board, but that listing states publicjobs has no involvement in the recruitment and selection process. Lex Consultancy runs it for the RTB.

Where to start

If you are shortlisted, start with the competencies in Appendix 1 and your invitation instructions. Prepare examples that show what you personally did, why you chose that approach and what changed. A further interview or assessment remains possible.

The RTB is not publicjobs and this is not a PAS competition. A semi-structured competency interview still asks for the same thing: a specific situation, your part in it, what you did, and what came of it. The STAR method is how to shape an example so a board can score it. How many examples to bring works out how big a bank you need to cover every competency without using the same project four times. The competency interview walkthrough covers how boards mark what they hear, which most people leave until last.

For general interview practice, see the STAR coaching and mock interview options on our pricing page. The free taster offers general reasoning practice if you want to explore that separately. These are independent resources, not RTB materials or a statement of what your assessment will contain.

Sources and updates

Rechecked on 8 September 2026 against the official candidate information booklet, issued 17 August 2026, and RTB careers page. This update marks applications closed, corrects the panel’s permanent or fixed-term scope and clarifies that additional testing is possible. Follow your official invitation for the confirmed interview arrangements.

Browse related public service administration competition guides.

PublicServicePathway is an independent practice resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to publicjobs.ie, the Public Appointments Service, the Residential Tenancies Board, or Lex Consultancy.