Head of Construction

AECOM Ireland Ltd; Dublin; On-site; EUR 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading infrastructure consulting firm in Dublin is seeking a Head of Construction. This senior leadership role involves overseeing construction projects within the Infrastructure Department, ensuring compliance with quality and safety standards. The ideal candidate should have over 20 years of industry experience, particularly in high-value projects. The position emphasizes leadership, strategic planning, and effective management across diverse construction activities and asset categories.

Qualifications

• Over 20 years of industry experience, including 10 years on complex construction projects.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure development and modern construction methodologies.
• Proven experience in leading multidisciplinary teams effectively.
• Experienced in establishing robust governance structures.
• Capability in designing and implementing best practice frameworks.
• Consistent track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.

Responsibilities

• Oversee safe execution of all construction activities.
• Ensure compliance with legislation and quality standards.
• Provide expert advice for successful delivery of programmes.
• Champion standard methodologies and best practices.
• Manage contractor performance and supply chain effectively.
• Maintain financial oversight over construction project finances.
• Support procurement and ensure compliance with documentation.

Skills

Construction management

Leadership

Financial oversight

Programme planning

Compliance

Job description

Job Description

At AECOM, we are recruiting a Head of Construction to join our Dublin office.

Head of Construction

The Head of Construction is a senior leadership position requiring a seasoned expert in construction management, capable of operating effectively at all levels of the organisation to deliver the Infrastructure Department’s portfolio successfully. The role holder will be accountable for ensuring that all construction activities are executed safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with quality, schedule, and cost objectives.

This role demands a strategic leader who can take a holistic, long‑term view of construction across the Infrastructure Department’s portfolio. The Head of Construction will be responsible for developing and implementing an overarching construction strategy suited to a complex, live aviation environment. In collaboration with the wider senior leadership team, they will define and embed best‑practice frameworks, policies, procedures, and systems that deliver a consistent, standardised approach to construction—ensuring integration, efficiency, and governance across all projects.

The position will oversee a diverse range of construction activities and asset categories, including terminal and commercial buildings, piers, airfields, and aprons. The Head of Construction will provide strategic oversight and leadership across the entire programme lifecycle, ensuring successful delivery from planning through to completion.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safe and compliant delivery: Oversee the safe execution of all construction works, ensuring full compliance with relevant legislation and standards. Maintain accountability for the quality and accuracy of all on‑site Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS).
• Drive constructability excellence: Ensure that constructability reviews are completed for all programmes, actively contributing to reviews and promoting best practice in design and delivery.
• Programme assurance: Verify that all programmes are realistic, deliverable, and achieved within their defined performance metrics. Provide expert advice and guidance to Programme Directors and Programme Controls teams to support successful delivery.
• Standardisation and best practice: Champion a consistent approach to construction delivery across all programmes, establishing and maintaining standard methodologies, processes, and tools that enable efficiency and quality.
• Contractor performance management: In partnership with the Head of Contracts and Commercial, develop and implement a framework for assessing and managing contractor performance in terms of quality, cost, and delivery.
• Supply chain management: Support the effective management of the construction supply chain, ensuring seamless coordination from procurement and goods purchase through to delivery, installation, and handover.
• Financial oversight: Maintain visibility and control over construction project finances, including budget tracking, change orders, purchase orders, and payments.
• Adherence to construction strategy: Champion and reinforce the programme team’s alignment with the overarching construction strategy and delivery plan, ensuring consistent use of approved stages, logs, tools, and methodologies.
• Procurement and tendering: Contribute to the procurement of construction works, ensuring that selected contractors are suitably qualified and that submitted data on durations, methodologies, and costs are robust and accurate.
• Compliance and continuous improvement: Stay abreast of legislative changes and evolving best practices, ensuring that all programmes remain fully compliant and continuously improved.
• Contract and documentation review: Examine and validate contract documentation related to on‑site activities, providing expert guidance to resolve discrepancies in consultation with Programme Directors.

Qualifications

• Extensive industry experience: Over 20 years of professional experience, including a minimum of 10 years managing complex, high‑value construction projects within major aviation or transportation programmes.
• Technical expertise: Strong knowledge of infrastructure development, engineering, and delivery, with particular expertise in modern construction methodologies and best practices.
• Leadership and management: Proven leadership and management experience encompassing construction management, project delivery, and financial oversight, with a demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams effectively.
• Programme planning and governance: Experienced in establishing robust programme planning and governance structures, with the ability to define clear goals, objectives, and accountabilities across teams and stakeholders.
• Best practice development: Demonstrated capability in designing, documenting, and implementing best practice frameworks, policies, and standards for construction management and delivery.
• Proven delivery record: A strong and consistent track record of delivering complex construction and asset development projects on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality and safety.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

For further information the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn Colum Calnan.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public‑ and private‑sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry‑leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long‑term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.