Digital Strategy and Transformation Lead

ESB; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Pension

Staff well-being programmes

Parental leave entitlements

Credit Union

Hybrid working

Job summary

ESB in Ireland is seeking an experienced Digital Strategy and Transformation Lead to steer TechLab as a strategic capability. The role oversees the end-to-end pipeline, operating model and value delivery, collaborating with Enterprise Architecture, Data Analytics and IT to drive innovation.

You will partner with ESB business units to prioritise opportunities, evaluate vendors and guide opportunities from intake through experimentation and investment decisions, within a hybrid-working framework.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in technology, innovation, digital delivery, product, programme, portfolio or transformation roles.
• Experience leading innovation initiatives, proofs of concept or pilots from opportunity assessment through experimentation and delivery decision-making.
• Experience assessing emerging technology opportunities across feasibility, viability, strategic alignment and value.
• Experience managing pipelines with prioritisation, governance, reporting and benefit tracking.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills across senior leadership.
• A relevant third-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end TechLab pipeline from intake to execution, governance, and benefits tracking.
• Own and continuously improve the TechLab operating model, including intake, stage gates and governance.
• Assess feasibility, viability, strategic fit, risk and potential business value of initiatives.
• Recommend whether initiatives should proceed, pause, pivot or stop.
• Lead horizon scanning across AI, cloud, IoT and other emerging technologies to shape roadmaps.
• Collaborate with ESB business units and IT stakeholders to align strategy with experimentation and delivery.
• Identify, evaluate and manage vendors and partners aligned with ESB’s objectives.
• Provide line management and budget oversight for the role’s direct reports.
• Define, track and report KPIs and outcomes to support senior-level decisions.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication skills

Influencing skills

Education

Third-level qualification

Job description

Position description

The Digital Strategy and Transformation Lead will provide strategic leadership, governance and end-to-end operational oversight of TechLab, a core capability within the Digital Accelerator. The role will ensure that emerging technology opportunities are identified, prioritised, evaluated and progressed in a way that delivers measurable value for ESB.

In support of ESB’s strategic objectives of decarbonising electricity, building resilient infrastructure and empowering customers and communities, TechLab provides a structured, enterprise-wide environment to assess and test emerging technologies. This enables ESB to improve operational performance, strengthen innovation capability and progress opportunities from experimentation to business value.

This is an opportunity for an experienced technology, innovation, product, programme, portfolio or transformation professional to shape TechLab as a strategic capability for ESB. The successful candidate will combine strategic judgement, commercial awareness, operational rigour and strong influencing skills to move opportunities from proposal intake through experimentation, evaluation and investment decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end TechLab pipeline, translating strategic intent and emerging technology opportunities into structured, prioritised initiatives and progressing them from proposal intake through experimentation, delivery oversight, governance reporting and benefits tracking.
• Own and continuously improve the TechLab operating model, including its proposition, standards, intake and triage processes, stage gates, decision criteria, governance routines and escalation pathways.
• Assess technical feasibility, commercial viability, strategic fit, risk, delivery readiness and potential business value.
• Recommend whether initiatives should proceed, pause, pivot or stop.
• Lead proactive horizon scanning across AI, cloud, IoT and other emerging technologies, translating relevant insights to support future-state approaches and technology roadmaps that improve value delivery and make effective use of digital, data and automation.
• Maintain a leading-edge understanding of relevant technology developments through research, industry engagement, conferences, demonstrations and active collaboration with strategic partners.
• Partner with ESB business units, transformation programmes, Enterprise Architecture, Data Analytics and IT stakeholders to identify priority challenges, shape practical innovation outcomes, contribute to technology roadmaps and align strategic intent with experimentation and delivery.
• Identify, evaluate and manage vendors, technology providers, research organisations and innovation partners aligned with ESB’s strategic objectives.
• Provide effective line management, coaching and development for the role’s direct report, and oversee resource planning, budget management, operational reporting, process improvement and alignment with wider Digital Accelerator priorities.
• Define, track and report KPIs, benefits and outcomes, aligned with relevant Business Value Frameworks, to demonstrate TechLab value and support transparent, evidence-based senior-level decisions.

Essential

Experience and Qualifications

• A minimum of 7 years’ relevant experience in technology, innovation, digital delivery, product, programme, portfolio or transformation roles.
• Experience leading innovation initiatives, proofs of concept or pilots from opportunity assessment through experimentation, evaluation and delivery decision-making.
• Experience assessing emerging technology opportunities across technical feasibility, commercial viability, strategic alignment, delivery risk and potential business value.
• Experience managing innovation, technology, programme or portfolio pipelines, including prioritisation, governance, reporting and benefits tracking.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with experience working across business, technology and senior leadership teams.
• A relevant third-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

• Experience in management or technology consulting, or in a start-up, scale-up or similarly fast-paced innovation environment.
• Experience in the energy, utilities, infrastructure or another regulated or asset-intensive sector.
• Experience shaping operating models, strategic artefacts, technology roadmaps or transformation programmes.
• Experience in programme or portfolio management, including governance, prioritisation, reporting and benefits realisation.
• Commercial awareness and experience evaluating vendors, partners or emerging technology opportunities.
• Experience applying design thinking, systems thinking, product management or other structured approaches to shaping solutions.
• Relevant training or accreditation in innovation management, technology commercialisation, product management, strategy, project management, SAFe Agile, Scrum, PRINCE2, PMP or an equivalent discipline.
• A full, clean driving licence.

Location

The position will be based in ESB Head Office,27 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, Dublin 2. Occasional travel outside Dublin may be required.

Smart Working at ESB is designed to make ‘in-person’ time together as purposeful as possible while also enabling the effective use of digital tools and hybrid arrangements to preserve our commitment to flexibility. The successful candidate may work flexibly within the jurisdiction where they have been employed, with attendance at the workplace for in-person collaboration at least two days per week. All Smart Working arrangements are subject to regular review based on the operational requirements of the role, the team, and the business.

Reporting To

Strategic Digital Transformation Manager, Digital Accelerator, CIO, Enterprise Services.

Why Work with Us?

• Opportunity to lead Ireland’s transition to net zero carbon future
• Career development through mentoring and training
• Corporate Social Responsibility Opportunities
• Sports and Social Clubs
• Networking opportunities
• Credit Union
• Generous Pension
• Access to staff well-being programmes
• Generous parental leave entitlements
• Strong values-based and inclusive culture
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Great team environment working to our Core Values: Courageous, Caring, Driven and Trusted

Salary

€71,900 - €84,600 per annum (depending on experience)

Closing Date

11th November 2026

Interview

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will complete a Behavioural Interview based on each of the following Behaviours, which underpin how we work at ESB and are critical to delivering our strategy:

• Accountable and Ethical
• Collaborative
• Growing and Adaptive
• Proactive
• Respectful and Supportive

More information available on Our People Promise

Notes

• Your application will be held in reserve for 6 months should you be suitable for the role.
• The successful candidate will be required to evidence their right to work in the Republic of Ireland prior to commencement of employment.