Assistant Secretary Building Services and Capital Works Support

Office of Public Works; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of Public Works (OPW) seeks an Assistant Secretary – Building Services and Capital Works Support to assist the Chairman and Management Board in delivering capital projects under the OPW NDP Programme, ensuring value for money and robust oversight.

Reporting to the OPW Chairman, the role leads a new division with five direct reports across maintenance, engineering and energy, managing budgets, procurement, risks and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in a large/complex organisation.
• Strong track record in strategic decision making and budgeting.
• Proven ability to lead organisational change and collaborate with senior colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Oversee delivery of a range of capital projects, ensuring value for money and risk management.
• Manage procurement strategies and ensure procurement regulations are followed.
• Lead a division with direct reports across multiple engineering and maintenance units, tracking budgets and timelines.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Public sector experience

Job description

Assistant Secretary Building Services and Capital Works Support

The closing date for this vacancy is 22/10/2026, 15:00

Please note that the language you choose to begin your application with cannot be changed once the "Apply" button is selected. If your application form is in English, your communications will be in English.

Job summary

The Assistant Secretary – Building Services and Capital Works Support will support the Chairman and Management Board to manage the effective delivery of a range of capital projects on behalf of the OPW, as well as its clients.

The successful person will report directly to the OPW Chairman and lead a new Division within the OPW with responsibility for delivering a key element of the projects outlined in the OPW NDP Programme efficiently and on a value for money basis, ensuring excellent project oversight and anticipating and managing risk.

Main Duties of the Job

This role will carry responsibility for a range of units, with five direct reports across Property Maintenance, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Services, Energy Efficiency and Climate Action Delivery, as well as Civil and Structural Engineering.

The successful person will support the Chairman in their role as Accounting Officer, through ensuring sound management of the capital expenditure under their remit, including;

• Reporting to the C&AG and the Public Accounts Committee.
• Managing the procurement strategy required to ensure that construction projects are procured on a value for money basis, in line with public procurement regulations.
• Closely managing the delivery of projects, against budgets and timeframes, with design teams, contractors, specialists, and construction management firms.

As well as the key competencies for Assistant Secretaries, the person appointed will have:

• Have a proven record of accomplishment as a leader and senior manager in a large or complex organisation, with a capacity for sound judgement and strategic decision making.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding and track record in the management of large capital budgets and the development of strategically important capital programmes.
• Proven ability to lead organisational change, to foster organisational development and to collaborate with senior colleagues and staff at all levels and disciplines in the organisation;
• Have led the delivery of large scale capital programmes/projects, ensuring successful delivery, with reference to budgets, timelines and stakeholder engagement.
• Have a proven track record in the areas of dynamic planning, budgeting, and prioritisation at a senior management level in a complex, multi-dimensional organisation in either the public or private sector;
• Have a proven ability to lead organisational change, to foster organisational development and to collaborate with senior colleagues and staff at all levels and disciplines in the organisation
• Have excellent negotiating, influencing and interpersonal skills in an environment of multiple stakeholders, including an ability to recognise and manage different stakeholders’ perspectives to achieve mutually acceptable outcomes.

Information about the organisation

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is a Government Office under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation and Minister of State for the Office of Public Works. With responsibility for coordinating Strategic Flood Risk Management Policy and delivering flood relief schemes, it also has a delivery focus, through maintaining, and managing public property and infrastructure for the State. The OPW employs approximately 2400 staff in a wide variety of positions at its Headquarters in Trim, major centres in Dublin, Kilkenny and Claremorris, along with some 100 locations throughout the country. The OPW’s annual budget is approximately €700m.

Selection Process Details

This is a Top-Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) position.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday 22nd October 2026.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.