Associate Director, Government & Infrastructure, Strategy and Transactions, Belfast

Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn Bhd; Belfast; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global advisory firm is seeking a Director for its Strategy and Transactions team in Belfast. The role involves leading infrastructure projects, providing strategic advice, and managing a diverse client portfolio. Ideal candidates should have relevant accounting qualifications, strong leadership skills, and experience in infrastructure advisory. EY offers competitive remuneration, flexible working options, and opportunities for career development.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration package

Support for flexible working

Career development opportunities

Total Rewards package including health and well-being support

Qualifications

• Proven relevant and transferrable work experience.
• Experience in infrastructure advisory and/or corporate finance advisory.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Working effectively as a senior member of the team under supervision.
• Providing strategic advice on client projects.
• Managing client portfolios.
• Developing business relationships for new opportunities.

Skills

Accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA or equivalent)

Leadership skills

Strong understanding of financial performance

High level of numeracy

Strong interpersonal skills

Education

Qualified with ACA, ACCA or equivalent qualification

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Overview

Location: Belfast

Other locations: Primary Location Only

Date: 31 Oct 2025

Requisition ID: 1643769

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.

The opportunity

Strategy and Transactions– Government & Infrastructure – Director. The publication of Project Ireland 2040 by the IRISH Government publicly stated its commitment to develop Ireland over the period to 2040. This was followed by the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 and the National Planning Framework and more recently the Government’s Climate Action Plan. These ambitious but challenging strategy documents outline the Government’s key areas of focus and its €165 billion capital expenditure plan to make Ireland a better country for all its people. In Northern Ireland, Infrastructure 2050 outlines the future likely direction for the development of infrastructure in Northern Ireland. EY’s Government and Infrastructure team is looking to further expand to capture the opportunities these investment plans provide and assist our clients deliver upon them.

Our team advises on all aspects of the development, structuring and financing of infrastructure and real estate projects. We help clients understand the business, investment and public policy opportunities arising from increased investment in infrastructure and offer a coordinated approach to procuring, structuring, executing and managing major infrastructure, real estate and complex service projects and transactions. Our professionals are drawn from finance, investment banking, Government, economics, construction, funds management and industry.

Your key responsibilities

• Working effectively as a senior member of the team under the supervision of Partners within SaT G&IA as well as other EY departments in both Ireland and internationally on the following assignments:
• Strategic advice - various advice relating to strategic matters, which vary considerably from client to client
• Business planning & business case - various advice relating to strategic matters, which vary considerably from client to client
• Procurement – advising public and private clients in relation to the procurement of infrastructure assets through different forms of contracting and procurement models
• Mergers, buyouts and disposals - buying and selling businesses and assets in infrastructure sector
• PPPs – advising public and private clients in relation to the procurement and funding of infrastructure assets through PPP
• Understanding our client requirements, co-developing our approach with the client, and providing value to our clients through insights, factual conclusions, and advice.
• Develop and maintain business relationships and market profile with a view to winning business for the practice
• Lead and manage a challenging and varied client portfolio, both public and private side
• Develop and maintain new products and service offerings
• Lead both internal and external projects
• Responsible for client engagement on assignments on day-to-day basis; updating client on project progress; discussing tasks to be completed and deliverables to be provided.
• Actively managing project financials and administration including client take on process, WIP control, billing etc.
• A focus on anticipating and identifying risks that require escalation and subsequently escalating these risks to more senior staff as appropriate.
• Working closely with colleagues you will ensure that work is properly executed, documented and concluded in compliance with our Quality & Risk Management guidelines.
• Actively establishing, maintaining, and strengthening your internal and external relationships.
• As an influential member of the team, you will help create a positive learning culture. You will be responsible for mentoring and developing more junior members of staff and providing constructive feedback on both a formal and informal basis. You will also be responsible for recruitment and retention of team members.
• Maintaining and constantly upgrading technical knowledge and personal skills.

Skills and attributes for success

• Ideally you will have an accounting qualification – Chartered Accountant or equivalent; a sound grasp of Irish Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and/or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and financial accounting
• High level of business awareness and a strong understanding of the factors that drive financial performance
• Highly numerate with a sound grasp of Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• A track record in infrastructure advisory and/or corporate finance advisory, experience of working in a professional services environment, and exposure to high profile transactions, would all be a distinct advantage
• Familiarity with the development or formal review of financial models is a pre-requisite
• Strong leadership skills, willingness to learn and a positive attitude

To qualify for the role you must have

• Qualified with ACA, ACCA or equivalent qualification with proven relevant and transferrable work experience
• Strong interpersonal skills and client focus are important, as well as attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Demonstrable organization and self-management skills
• Excellent business development and relationship management skills

What we look for

The Government and Infrastructure Advisory (G&IA) team works with all levels of Government, leveraging sector insights and delivering tangible, measurable business benefits. Our senior practitioners come from across all disciplines across the Firm and form long-term, trusted relationships with our Government clients, supporting them with highly informed, strategic advice to resolve their most pressing business issues.

What working at EY offers

We offer a competitive remuneration package where you’ll be rewarded for your individual and team performance. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well-being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions. Plus, we offer:

Support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around
Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
The freedom and flexibility to handle your role in a way that’s right for you

About EY

As a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, we’re using the finance products, expertise and systems we’ve developed to build a better working world. That starts with a culture that believes in giving you the training, opportunities and creative freedom to make things better. Whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime.