Head of Connection Projects (Regional)

EirGrid Group; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

EirGrid is seeking a Head of Connection Projects (Regional) to lead the end-to-end delivery of customer connection projects across the transmission system in Ireland. The role reports to the Director of Grid Connections Delivery and requires strategic leadership, stakeholder collaboration and strong governance to accelerate delivery at pace and scale.

The role focuses on improving the customer connection journey, strengthening governance, and providing clear visibility to customers during the

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in a regulated infrastructure or utility environment.
• Strong understanding of grid connection delivery and delivery processes.
• Ability to balance customer needs, regulatory requirements and long-term priorities.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for a regional connection projects operating model with clear governance and transparency.
• Improve visibility of requirements, timelines and decisions throughout delivery.
• Align technical, commercial, regulatory and operations inputs to enable practical decisions.
• Develop performance frameworks, reporting and lessons learned to measure progress by outcomes.
• Lead and motivate a high-performing regional team to deliver customer connection projects.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Change management

Executive presence

Communication skills

Regulatory understanding

Grid connections knowledge

Education

Engineering degree

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Job description

We are at the heart of Ireland’s energy transition, connecting, operating and transforming the electricity grid to support a low carbon, renewable future. We are building talented teams that tackle real world challenges every day and help us to achieve our goal to prepare the grid to carry up to 80% of Ireland’s electricity from renewable sources.

We are proud to be a certified Great Place to Work, recognised for our culture built on trust, collaboration and inclusion. At EirGrid you will find supportive teams, opportunities to grow and meaningful work. We also offer secure employment with a range of flexible and family friendly working policies to support your life and wellbeing.

If you are ready to make an impact and grow your career in a purpose-led organisation, your journey starts here.

The Opportunity

We are now seeking a Head of Connection Projects (Regional) to join the Chief Infrastructure Office within our Dublin or Cork Offices. The successful candidate will report to the Director of Grid Connections Delivery and will provide strategic leadership for EirGrid’s customer connection delivery agenda, helping to power up Ireland’s electricity grid for a secure, clean energy future.

The role holder will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of projects required to facilitate new connections to the transmission system, including generation, demand and interconnection. This is a critical leadership role that will balance customer needs, system requirements, regulatory obligations, delivery constraints and long‑term public interest priorities in support of secure, clean and affordable electricity.

Success in the role will be determined by the ability to strengthen the customer connection delivery journey, improve governance and accountability, provide clearer customer visibility through the delivery phase and work collaboratively across EirGrid and the wider energy ecosystem to accelerate delivery at pace and scale.

The Team

The Chief Infrastructure Office is responsible for leading the development and delivery of the power system and interconnection investment programmes, in collaboration with partners, customers and communities. With an ultimate target of having a decarbonised power system in advance of 2050, the office plays a central role in delivering the grid infrastructure needed to support Ireland’s growth, competitiveness and decarbonisation ambitions.

The Connection Projects function leads the delivery of customer connection projects across the transmission system, working with customers, developers, the Transmission Asset Owner, the Distribution System Operator, regulators and internal teams to progress projects from offer engagement through design, construction, energisation and asset ownership transfer.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for an effective operating model to enable the delivery of connection projects within a defined regional team, establishing clear expectations for transparency, governance, performance and customer impact.
• Improve the quality and predictability of connection outcomes, giving customers clearer visibility of requirements, dependencies, timelines and decisions throughout delivery.
• Align technical, commercial, regulatory, legal, infrastructure delivery and system operations inputs so connection decisions are practical, evidence-based and aligned with Ireland’s long‑term electricity needs.
• Lead the development of performance frameworks, reporting, lessons learned and process metrics that identify barriers, remove friction points and measure progress by outcomes and impact.
• Build, lead, motivate and engage a high performing team in the delivery of customer connection projects in the region, ensuring the right capabilities are in place to deliver business objectives.
• Champion digital customer engagement, trusted data and information portals that improve transparency, query management, decision-making and consistent communication through the connection lifecycle.
• Build trusted, collaborative relationships with customers, developers, industry representative bodies, regulators and senior internal leaders, helping turn complexity into progress.
• Advise the Director of Grid Connections Delivery on performance, constraints, delivery risks, customer impacts and organisational changes required to improve outcomes and accelerate progress.

About You

Successful Candidates Will Have

• Relevant third level qualification in engineering, programme management or a related discipline; postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• Significant senior leadership experience in a complex regulated, infrastructure, utility, energy, telecoms, transport, engineering, public service or business-to-business environment.
• A proven track record of improving process performance, delivery acceleration, customer engagement, stakeholder collaboration, governance or operational outcomes at scale.
• Strong understanding of grid connection delivery, complex delivery processes, issue resolution, escalation management, performance frameworks and continuous improvement.
• Strong commercial, regulatory and delivery judgement, with the ability to balance customer needs, system requirements, public interest obligations and long‑term strategic priorities.
• Experience leading change across functional boundaries, bringing clarity, pace, ownership and accountability where delivery depends on multiple teams and competing priorities.
• Strong executive presence, communication skills and judgement, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, explain complexity clearly and build trust through openness and follow-through.
• An understanding of the Irish energy sector, regulated utilities, grid connections, market operations or critical national infrastructure would be a strong advantage.

Closing date for applications

9th October 2026

We value potential as much as experience. If you believe you can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every requirement.

We're dedicated to diversity and inclusion at EirGrid. We recognise the strength that comes from having a diverse workforce and the importance of a supportive culture for all our people to achieve their potential. Our diversity and inclusion networks have been designed to create an inclusive culture that enables our people to feel a sense of belonging at work.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable accommodations are offered at every stage of our recruitment process