Sonas Technical is a CPSA approved recruitment agency. We recruit permanent and contract construction, engineering and technical staff for Irish public bodies, semi-state organisations and the contractors who deliver for them.
Public sector hiring runs to different rules. Pay is set by national scales rather than by the market. Clearance and training have to be in place before a start date. Procurement decides who you can buy from. This page covers how we work inside that.
Permanent recruitment for public bodies
Most of what is written about public sector recruitment is about agency cover. Permanent hiring is the harder problem and gets less attention.
A public body competing for a senior engineer or a project manager is bidding against private sector packages it cannot match on base salary alone. The hire is won on the work, the scale of the programme, the pension and the stability. That case has to be made to someone who is not applying for anything, by someone who can make it credibly.
We run those searches directly. Mapped market, direct approach, a shortlist assessed against the grade and the competency framework, and candidates who understand what they are joining before they interview.
Contract and agency staffing
Where the requirement is temporary, or the permanent headcount is not yet sanctioned, we supply on an hourly or daily charge rate. Pay, employer PRSI, holiday pay, insurance and payroll administration sit inside the rate. You approve a timesheet and receive one invoice.
We are one of four Tier 1 suppliers on HSE24802 Lot 2 Maintenance and Technical.
Compliance
Public sector placements carry a compliance burden that private sector placements do not. We carry it.
- Garda vetting, and international police clearance where a candidate has lived abroad
- Right to work verification and employment permit support
- Mandatory training completed and evidenced before a start date
- Qualification and professional body verification
- Pay determined against the correct national scale
- Insurance and indemnity cover
- A personnel file that holds up under audit
Roles we recruit
- Clerks of Works and Technical Services Officers
- Civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers
- Project managers and programme managers
- Quantity surveyors and contract administrators
- Building surveyors and facilities managers
- Energy and sustainability engineers
- Health and safety officers
- BIM and CAD technicians
- Water, wastewater and utilities engineers
Who we work with
Our public and semi-state clients include the HSE, the Office of Public Works, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, ESB, Irish Rail and the Housing Agency. We also recruit for the main contractors and consultancies delivering public infrastructure, including work on MetroLink.
CPSA approval
We are licensed by the Commission for Public Service Appointments, which sets the codes of practice governing appointments to the Irish public service. Our process meets the merit, fairness and transparency standards a public body has to be able to evidence. More on our CPSA approved recruitment agency page.
Talk to us about a public sector role
Tell us the grade, whether it is permanent or contract, and when you need the person in post. You will hear back within 24 hours.
Send us your requirement or call 01 443 3917.