Transport Sector Project Manager – Associate Director/ Director Level
Grant Thornton (NI) LLP
Turn this role into an interview — a resume and cover letter built around what this employer wants.
Job summary
Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland seeks an experienced Senior Project Leader (Associate Director/Director) to guide major transport and infrastructure programmes. You will provide strategic advisory, governance oversight, and assurance services to support high-stakes investment outcomes.
You will lead multidisciplinary teams, drive programme governance, manage risks and dependencies, and deliver complex capital investments in line with strategic objectives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or related field; Master's or PMP/PRINCE2/APM strongly preferred.
- 8+ years' experience for Associate Director or 10+ years' experience for Director leading major transport and infrastructure programmes; governance and stage-gated approvals.
Responsibilities
- Lead and advise on major transport and infrastructure programmes; strengthen governance, assurance and delivery performance.
- Define and drive projects across all lifecycle stages from initiation to benefits realisation.
- Establish governance frameworks; manage interfaces and multi-contract delivery across large-scale programmes.
- Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams; foster collaboration with clients, partners and regulators.
- Develop integrated assurance strategies covering governance, risk, cost, schedule and benefits realisation.
- Assess procurement and delivery models for complex infrastructure projects.
- Produce executive and board reports translating programme data into clear insights.
- Embed proactive risk management and programme controls for successful delivery.
Skills
Education
Job description
We are seeking an experienced senior project leader (Associate Director / Director level) to join our Consulting practice, with a focus on the transport sector. The role offers the opportunity to lead multidisciplinary teams in the delivery of major transport and infrastructure programmes, providing strategic advisory, programme oversight and assurance services that support successful investment and delivery outcomes.
We are seeking an experienced senior project leader (Associate Director / Director level) to join our Consulting practice, with a focus on the transport sector. The role offers the opportunity to lead multidisciplinary teams in the delivery of major transport and infrastructure programmes, providing strategic advisory, programme oversight and assurance services that support successful investment and delivery outcomes.
We are particularly interested in candidates with extensive experience advising on and leading major transport and infrastructure programmes. The successful candidate will play a key role in helping clients establish effective governance, manage programme risks and dependencies and deliver complex capital investments in line with strategic, financial and operational objectives.
Collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team to successfully deliver and manage projects across a range of key transport sector initiatives, including:
- Leading and advising on major transport and infrastructure programmes, supporting client organisations and senior leadership teams to strengthen programme governance, assurance and delivery performance across major capital investments.
- Defining and driving projects across all stages of the project life cycle, from initiation to delivery, implementation and benefits realisation.
- Establishing and overseeing programme-wide governance, monitoring and assurance frameworks while managing complex interfaces, interdependencies and multi-contract delivery arrangements across large-scale infrastructure programmes.
- Leading and mentoring multidisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration across client organisations, delivery partners, contractors, regulators and other key stakeholders.
- Developing and maintaining robust integrated assurance strategies encompassing governance, risk, cost, schedule, design, change control, benefits realisation and programme performance.
- Leading the assessment of procurement and delivery models, supporting clients in identifying appropriate approaches for the successful delivery of complex infrastructure and capital investment programmes.
- Producing executive, board-level and stakeholder reporting, translating complex programme information into clear, evidence-based insights to support decision-making.
- Embedding proactive risk management, programme controls and governance practices that support successful programme delivery and long-term investment outcomes.
- Building and maintaining trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders across the transport and infrastructure sector, positioning Grant Thornton as a strategic advisor and partner of choice.
- Leading client engagement activities, facilitating discussions, workshops and strategic planning sessions to identify client priorities, shape solutions and develop opportunities for future collaboration.
- Engaging senior executives, sponsoring organisations, government bodies, regulators, delivery agencies and industry stakeholders to support successful programme outcomes and sustainable client relationships.
- Developing and expanding key client accounts across the across the transport and infrastructure sector, identifying opportunities to support clients in the delivery, oversight, governance and assurance of major capital investment programmes.
- Leading and directing business development initiatives, including the preparation of proposals and tenders for new transport and infrastructure sector opportunities.
- Collaborating with colleagues across Advisory and the wider firm to develop integrated solutions that address programme, infrastructure and investment challenges across the transport sector.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or a related field; Master’s degree or relevant professional certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2, APM) strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience working within large-scale capital investment and infrastructure delivery environments, including knowledge of programme governance, assurance frameworks and stage-gated approval processes.
- 8+ years' experience for Associate Director level, or 10+ years' experience for Director level, leading major transport and infrastructure programmes, with demonstrable expertise in programme governance, oversight, assurance, controls and the management of complex, multi-stakeholder delivery environments.
- Strong project and programme management experience leading and managing large multi-disciplinary teams comprised of clients, consultants, contractors and third-party delivery partners.
- Demonstrated experience leading large-scale transport and infrastructure programmes, including the establishment and operation of programme governance, oversight, monitoring, assurance and programme controls frameworks.
- Extensive experience working across the transport and infrastructure sector, with a strong understanding of the governance, regulatory, funding and delivery landscape associated with major capital investment programmes.
- Proven ability to direct and deliver complex, multi-stakeholder programmes across the full project lifecycle, from strategic planning and business case development through to implementation, assurance and benefits realisation.
- Experience developing and implementing programme management approaches, including programme controls, risk management, change control, performance monitoring and continuous improvement frameworks.
- Demonstrated ability to influence and advise senior executives, programme sponsors and strategic stakeholders, shaping programme strategy while supporting successful delivery outcomes.
- Strong organisational and multi-tasking abilities, with experience managing multiple priorities and delivering in complex, high-profile and fast-paced environments.
- Significant experience in originating, leading and closing business development opportunities, including major transport and infrastructure sector tenders, frameworks and complex multi-stakeholder bids.
- Expertise in senior stakeholder engagement, including government departments, transport authorities, infrastructure owners, regulators, delivery agencies and executive leadership teams.
- An ability to balance big-picture thinking with acute attention to detail, translating long-term objectives into practical and deliverable solutions.
- A strong interest in the future of transport and infrastructure, with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with major capital investment, infrastructure delivery and programme assurance.
- Experience developing and growing client accounts within the within the transport and infrastructure sector, with an established professional network and a strong understanding of market trends, client priorities and emerging investment opportunities.
- A creative, problem-solving mindset and initiative-driven approach.
Grant Thornton Ireland is rapidly approaching 3,000 people, in 9 offices across Ireland, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Bermuda. With a presence in over 149 countries around the world and a global network of 73,000 people, we bring our clients the local knowledge, national expertise and global presence to help them succeed – wherever they’re located.
At GT, we work as trusted advisors, bringing local knowledge and national expertise, with a global presence, to help businesses succeed – wherever they are located. We make business more personal by investing in building relationships and empowering our clients to make the right decisions for their organisation now and for the future. Whether that is working with the public sector to build thriving communities, with regulators and financial institutions to build trust, or with a diverse range of businesses to help them achieve their goals, Grant Thornton Ireland work hard to support clients to act on the issues that matter.
At GT Ireland we don’t just predict your future, we build it.
Looking for a more fulfilling role in professional services? One where fresh thinking, collaboration and diversity are valued? At Grant Thornton we do things differently.
A career in a more inclusive working environment, a more collaborative work culture, a more supported, flexible working role, more possibilities to grow and more opportunities to help shape the future for your clients. We respect and value your experience. And we want you to bring your authentic self to work and be at your best. It is how it should be.
At Grant Thornton, we care about our people and work hard to make you feel valued. If you are looking to deepen and develop your skills, knowledge, and experience throughout your career, then that is what you will get, and more.
Please follow this link for information on our generous benefits package.
At Grant Thornton, we provide equitable opportunities for all our colleagues. We are a responsible, sustainable business where equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is at the forefront of our workplace culture agenda, and today, we continue to build and develop on our existing ED&I structure and strategy to meet our workplace culture needs. People are at the heart of our business and teams built with varied individuals present diverse viewpoints, which need to be heard and valued.
We are all at our best when we are able to be ourselves and we view integrity and authenticity as integral values to bring to our day-to-day work-life at the firm. We are excited to see the personality and perspectives you will bring to our team because we know we will all benefit from them. Diversity of thought, background and experience enables better decision-making, improves the quality of our delivery, and helps us to meet the needs of our clients. Our firm is built on people and their ideas, so we want to hear all the new perspectives and fresh thinking you have to offer. You form the bedrock of our firm’s best-practice principles and we will champion you as leaders from day one.
Our reward and benefits are designed to create an environment where our people can flourish. We are committed to building a culture where our people have access to the necessary benefits to help promote a healthy lifestyle and thrive.
We want to create a culture of recognition and celebrating success, by saying thank you to people who surpass our expectations and recognising the right values and behaviours. Our Shout Out recognition scheme is our way of highlighting and promoting achievements. Whether you simply want to say thank you, celebrate a special occasion or give an award for doing something exceptional, you can do all of this and more through the scheme.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
