About Children’s Books Ireland
Children’s Books Ireland is a charity and arts organisation whose vision is simple: Every Child a Reader. We work in English and in Irish, to inspire a love of reading in children and young people on the island of Ireland, and to champion equitable access for all to excellent books. We share our expertise and enthusiasm with the adults who guide and influence young readers, and encourage schools and early childhood settings to build a positive culture of reading and reading aloud. We support and promote authors and illustrators and connect them with their audiences through our work.
For more information about what we do, please visit our website: www.childrensbooksireland.ie
About the role
This role has been created to add capacity to Children’s Books Ireland in order to more effectively deliver on our strategic objective to support artists – specifically, authors and illustrators who make work for young readers. The Artist & Programme Officer will report to the Artist & Programme Manager (formerly the Programme & Events Manager). They will support key programmes and events throughout the year, including the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, the Children’s Books Ireland International Conference, and our range of professional development supports for artists. They will also work closely with the book-gifting team to support the work of artists in schools and other settings. The successful candidate will support the implementation of Children’s Books Ireland’s Artistic Policy, Child Protection Policy and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy through their work with artists.
This new, full-time role will subsume the previous part-time, seasonal role of Awards Administrator, as well as adding capacity to host social meet-ups for artists and acting as first point of contact for queries from authors and illustrators. A good working knowledge of the children’s book sector is a requirement, and having a background in publishing, bookselling, librarianship, arts festivals or another relevant discipline would be an asset. On-the-job training will be provided.
Duties
KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards
The Artist & Programme Officer will support all aspects of the delivery of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards. They will manage all aspects of the administration of the Junior Juries’ programme, from recruiting new groups to sending certificates of completion. This position will involve working closely with colleagues in the areas of communications, media relations and event management.
· Manage recruitment of and communications with Junior Juries island-wide including the mailout of resource packs, maintaining accurate databases, handling queries, etc.
· Work with shortlisted artists and Junior Juries to organise artist visits or online workshops between February and May.
· Support the smooth running of KPMG Volunteer Day by organising visits from KPMG staff to schools nationwide.
· Select Junior Jury groups to receive free books and artist events and execute the ordering and distribution of books to a fixed timeline.
· Assist in the coordination of Garda vetting.
· Assist with the filming of Junior Juries for promotional video to be screened at the awards ceremony and used on social media.
· Attend events where required, including but not limited to the awards ceremonies in Belfast and Dublin.
· Work with the Artist & Programme Manager to oversee some elements of the budget.
· Assist in the production of reports including statistics for various funders and stakeholders.
· Work closely with the Communications Manager and Social Media Officer to generate content for social media platforms.
· Facilitate the evaluation of the Junior Juries’ programme, working closely with the Research & Evaluation Officer.
· Attend regular meetings with sponsors.
Book gifting
· Support the book-gifting team in the recruitment and onboarding of artists for programmes, ensuring that contracts for all artists are signed and filed.
· Facilitate introductory meetings with schools and their Champions of Reading – authors and illustrators whose role is to encourage reading for joy.
· Support the work of our Champions of Reading in schools, including ordering art supplies, gathering and collating feedback, requesting and tracking receipt of invoices and managing enquiries from Champions.
· Ensure that artists’ vetting documents are processed efficiently and kept up to date.
· Visit schools as needed to support Champions of Reading during programmes, including assisting with the running of Monster Doodles, meeting student advisory committees etc.
General artist support
· Act as first point of contact for queries from authors and illustrators, responding or directing queries to colleagues as required.
· Support Children’s Books Ireland social events and coffee mornings, bringing together artists at all career stages and creating communities of practice.
· Work with the Artist & Programme Manager to support the organisation of the annual Children’s Books Ireland International Conference, ensuring that contracts for all artists are signed and filed, supporting the smooth running of the event, and processing invoices from artists after the event.
· Work with the Artist & Programme Manager to support the running of the Raising Voices Fellowship programme, scheduling Zoom calls and processing applications.
· Support the running of events such as the Irish language artists showcase, World Book Day and other ad hoc events with authors and illustrators.
· Support professional development initiatives for artists including #ProperBook, Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary applications and other training as needed.
Requirements
This is a newly created role in the charity, and one of the most important requirements is an understanding of the children’s book sector. The successful candidate will work with authors and illustrators at all career stages, supporting the delivery of programmes and training and acting as first point of contact within the organisation. As such, they must have some experience working with artists in a previous role.
The following skills are essential:
· Be able to confidently carry out the duties outlined above while working independently and as part of a small, creative, fast-paced team.
- Strong interpersonal skills: the ideal candidate will be friendly, professional and able to work with a wide range of partners including funders, artists and school staff.
- Excellent communication skills, responding quickly and efficiently to queries as they arise.
- Strong project management, multitasking, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent digital literacy, with a high level of proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and ability to work with Dropbox, Zoom, Monday.com and Slack.
The following are desirable, but not essential:
- Proficiency in written and spoken Irish.
- Full, clean driving licence and access to a car; some travel to schools island-wide will be required during term-time and while we favour public transport or car-pooling where possible, many of the schools we work with are difficult to access without a car.
Reporting To: Artist & Programme Manager
Location: First floor, 17 North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1. The successful candidate will have the choice of working fully in person or on a hybrid basis, and will be expected to work from the office at least two days a week; this is more flexible in weeks when frequent school visits are taking place.
Start date: 1 June 2026.
Contract duration: Permanent, with a six month probation period.
Hours of work: 40 hours per week including 1 hour paid daily lunch break. Working hours are flexible between 8 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required, for which time off in lieu can be taken in accordance with company policy.
Remuneration/benefits: €29,743 per annum. 5% matching pension contribution from start date. 25 days’ annual leave. Ability to work flexibly. Mobile phone allowance of €35 per month and work from home allowance of €3.20 per day provided. Mileage will be paid in line with company policy for approved travel, and all staff who drive for work must have appropriate insurance in place at their own expense.
To apply: Please email a cover letter and CV (preferably in one combined document) to recruit@childrensbooksireland.ie, with ‘Artist & Programme Officer’ in the subject line, before 4pm on Monday 30th March 2026. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
Children’s Books Ireland is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work and we welcome applications from all qualified candidates, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds and communities. The position will be subject to reference checks and Garda vetting.
Interviews will be held in person in a Dublin City Centre location on Friday 24th April. All applicants will be notified whether they will progress to interview by Friday 10th April.
