Ms Eimear Fitzpatrick

Biography

Eimear has worked in Waterford Institute of Technology for the past 17 years predominantly in the Research support arena. Since December 2017, Eimear has been working as the HR Business Partner for Research in the Institute. Working in collaboration with the senior management in both the office of Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies and the Human Resources Department to shape, guide and deliver an effective and consistent HR service for WIT’s research community.

Eimear is responsible for aligning Institutional and HR strategy with research careers and training and development opportunities to assist both Researchers and Management in WIT’s diverse research units and centres. She is the Institutional Lead on the European Commission Human Resource Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R), and is responsible for guiding WIT’s HRS4R Action Plan. Under her leadership WIT became the first Institute of Technology in Ireland to receive the HR Excellence in Research Designation in 2014, she successfully led the award attainment in 2016 and most recently she has managed the Institute’s award renewal application in 2020.

Acting as a change agent, Eimear brings forward new HR ideas for Researchers, provides practical solutions whilst considering the organisational culture and budget constraints. She is responsible for development and implementation of HR Research policies, processes and support. Eimear developed the Institute’s Open and Transparent Merit based Recruitment (OTM-R) Policy.  She also introduced a number of professional development support initiatives including WIT’s Broaden Your Horizons Researcher Development Programme, The Odyssey Researcher Mentoring Initiative, WIT’S Research Open Doors series, WIT Supervisor’s Seminar series, Just Come and Write Sessions, SpeedResearch Researcher Networking and Researcher Orientation.

Eimear is passionate about enhancing a working environment whereby Researchers are motivated to achieve their full potential, while maximising their contribution to the specific needs of the Institute. Actively promoting employee wellness at WIT, she has introduced a vast array of Researcher Wellbeing initiatives. She is an active member of WIT’s HRS4R Operational Committee, WIT’s Employee Wellbeing Committee, the WIT 50 Committee, and WIT’s COVID 19 HR Sub Group. She is also the WIT representative on the Marie Curie ITN ORBITAL Training and Doctoral Studies Sub-Committee.

Previous roles include EU Programme Officer, driving WIT’s Horizon 2020 agenda, Project Manager of the EU MSCA IAPP CODEMISUSED research project, and Research Staff Officer at WIT. Eimear has acted as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission on the evaluation of Human Resource Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) applications for Research Performing Organisations applying to attain the HR Excellence in Research designation.

Eimear holds a Master of Business Degree (MBS) specialising in Business Management and a Bachelor of Business Studies (Hons) Degree specialising in Human Resource Management.

Skills include HR Policy Development; Strategy Development, Change Management, Professional Development, Employee Wellness and Engagement, Research Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement and Event Management.