Assistant Director Network Enhancements

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail is seeking an Assistant Director to lead the Network Enhancements programme within the Capital Investments portfolio. You will oversee delivery from preliminary design to close-out, coordinating with CI leadership and external partners to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery across Buildings, Civils and Railway Systems.

The role requires extensive rail/building project experience, executive liaison skills and a strong safety culture.

Qualifications

• 15+ years’ experience in major rail or capital projects.
• 5+ years in a leadership role in infrastructure delivery.
• Strong governance, funding, procurement and assurance knowledge.
• Experience engaging with executive groups and senior stakeholders.
• Active membership in a relevant professional body is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the coordination of the NE programme with CI leadership, stakeholders, consultants and contractors.
• Own delivery performance in scope, quality, schedule and budget.
• Forecast and manage a programme of works with multi-disciplinary teams and external providers.
• Governance across the NE programme, ensuring compliance with systems and procedures.
• Drive continuous improvement of delivery tools, processes and governance.
• Promote a positive safety culture and ensure health and safety compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Programme delivery

Governance

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

The Assistant Director (AD) is responsible for delivering a set of projects on behalf of Iarnród Éireann which, collectively, represent the Network Enhancements (NE) Programme of Works, within the wider Capital Investments (CI) Portfolio of projects. Key focus areas for the NE programme include projects in the areas of Buildings and Civils, Railway Systems and Multi-annual programmes, including projects delivered on behalf of third parties.

Reporting directly to the Delivery Director CI, the role represents a priority appointment within the Delivery Pillar of the CI Operating Model, with responsibility for the management of all aspects of project delivery from Phase 3 - Preliminary Design, through to Phase 7 - Close Out and Review.

The NE programme team encompasses a substantial, multi-disciplinary team of industry professionals, with expertise across Project Management, Project Controls, Design (Architecture; Civils/Structural; MEP; Permanent Way); Construction and Safety, working in collaboration to deliver a wide variety of complex projects on behalf of Iarnród Éireann and a number of associated third party organisations. It will be the responsibility of the AD to provide oversight and leadership in respect of all projects across the programme, whilst engaging with the Delivery Director and the wider CI Leadership Team to ensure alignment on overall strategic direction and project performance.

The AD is expected to be a high calibre individual who will be the primary ambassador for the NE programme, requiring a significant level of interaction with the Iarnród Éireann Executive Group, plus key internal and external stakeholders, as projects progress through the delivery life cycle.

Responsibilities:

Delivery:

• Leading the co-ordination of the NE programme of works, working closely with the CI leadership team, the programme delivery team, stakeholders, consultants and contractors.
• Owning and managing performance in respect of delivering to scope, quality, schedule and budgetary parameters, reporting on performance in line with agreed systems and procedures throughout the delivery phase.
• Forecasting and managing a programme of works to ensure optimal utilisation of a substantial multi-disciplinary team, flexing delivery capability by engaging external service providers where necessary to meet the demands of an evolving work programme.
• Managing the programme governance structures on a consistent basis across all projects within the NE programme, in compliance with agreed systems and procedures.
• Working in close collaboration with the CI leadership team to drive continuous improvement of the CI Division in respect of management systems, tools and processes.
• Ensuring that all expenditure is properly authorised in accordance with corporate policies and procedures, with all costs are accurately and appropriately captured and recovered.

Safety:

• Ensure that all activities are compliant with the relevant safety management system and ensure that the requirements for the health, safety and welfare of all colleagues and customers are in accordance with Iarnród Éireann safety operating standards and external legislative requirements.Ensure that staff, contractors, consultants and outside bodies comply with the relevant safety management system and company policy, standards and procedures.
• Comply with the requirements of the Safety Responsibility Statementand advance the targets detailed in the current Iarnród Éireann Safety Plan and any other corporate or departmental safety initiative.
• Actively promote a positive safety culture within the NE programme.
• Continually improve the safety performance of the NE programme of works, influencing the supply chain to meet this objective.

People:

• To ensure constant communication with all colleagues within this area and to support the Iarnród Éireann people management policies within the Team.
• Actively promote a positive performance management culture, facilitating a basis for staff to chart and work towards achieving their personal professional development.
• Ensure that all staff are appropriately qualified and/or certified and assessed as competent to carry out their assigned tasks.
• Ensure staff under your control are briefed on HR company policies and that you apply such policies appropriately.

Governance:

• Establish and maintain governance structures, reporting frameworks and programme controls for large/complex scheme.
• Lead risk, opportunity and change management processes, ensuring robust configuration control.
• Ensure compliance with rail industry standards, statutory requirements, environmental obligations and funding conditions.

Key Qualities:

• A strategic thinker, with a proven track record as a hands-on leader in Infrastructure delivery
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of capital project and programme delivery and how this supports and integrates with a wider capital investment plan.
• Ability to effectively lead large multi-disciplinary teams, balancing internal resources with the support of external consultants to maximise efficiencies across the programme.
• Strong planning, governance and delivery skills with the ability to set team goals, objectives and priorities, aligned with the strategic objectives of the organisation, establishing clear roles and responsibilities for all direct reports.
• Exceptional communication, analytical and negotiation skills, possessing the ability to interact and maintain credibility with people at all levels across the organisation, up to and including the Executive Group and Board of Iarnród Éireann, as well as with industry stakeholders at the most senior levels.
• Excellent change management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• An ambassador for a core safety leadership culture and associated behaviours, promoting health and safety across the Programme and the wider organisation.
• Minimum 15 years’ experience in development and construction of significant rail, transport or other major capital development programmes/projects.
• Minimum 5 years’ in a leadership position related to infrastructure delivery.
• Strong understanding of public‑sector governance, funding, procurement and assurance processes (DoT, NTA, DPER).
• Transportation sector experience.
• Member of a relevant professional body or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.