Networks, Platforms & Connectivity Services Lead, Dublin

Allied Irish Banks; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Variable Pay

Employee Assistance Programme

Family leave options

Job summary

Allied Irish Banks in Dublin seeks a Networks, Platforms & Connectivity Services Lead to define and execute the Network and Connectivity Strategy, underpinning critical national financial infrastructure and secure data movement across core banking, cloud, data centres and partners.

You will lead a high‑performing hybrid team, govern the Managed Network Service Provider, and drive SDN, network automation, AI‑enabled operations, and resilience by design to satisfy regulatory and business needs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in network engineering or related infrastructure
• 5+ years operating at senior leadership level with large technical teams
• Experience governing managed service provider relationships and contracts
• Proven ability to design resilient network architectures and disaster recovery
• Experience with SDN, automation, cloud connectivity and AI-enabled operations

Responsibilities

• Shape and implement the Network and Connectivity Strategy for critical infrastructure
• Govern the Managed Network Service Provider with performance accountability
• Ensure availability, recoverability and resilience of network services
• Define future state architecture for enterprise connectivity including data centres and cloud
• Drive automation via Infrastructure as Code and AI-driven operations
• Lead AI-based network operations and predictive resilience initiatives
• Engage with cloud providers and technology partners for innovative capabilities
• Develop and mentor a high-performing hybrid team

Skills

Network engineering

Leadership

Strategic partners

Automation

AIOps

Tools

SDN

Infrastructure as Code

Cloud connectivity

Network Automation

Job description

Networks, Platforms & Connectivity Services Lead, Dublin

At AIB, our values guide how we work and how we support each other. We’re looking for someone who puts Customer First, takes initiative and Owns the Outcome, and is always looking for ways to Eliminate Complexity. You’ll treat colleagues and customers with fairness and Show Respect, and you’ll thrive in a culture built on collaboration where we Be One Team to deliver meaningful impact.

Location/Office Policy: Hybrid (Minimum 3 Days in Office at Central Park)

• Do you want to shape the network and connectivity strategy that underpins critical national financial infrastructure?
• Are you ready to lead the shift to secure, resilient and intelligent network services using automation, cloud connectivity and AIOps?
• Can you inspire high-performing teams and strategic partners to deliver future-ready connectivity for customers and colleagues?

What is the Role:

• The Networks, Platforms & Connectivity Services Lead is a senior leadership role within the Enterprise Delivery (COO) organisation, forming an integral part of the Technology Platforms & Architecture leadership team and reporting directly to the Head of Technology Platforms & Architecture
• The successful candidate will have accountability for the definition, evolution and implementation of the organisation's Network and Connectivity Strategy. This strategy underpins the delivery of critical national financial infrastructure and enables the secure, resilient and performant movement of data across customer channels, core banking services, payments platforms, cloud environments, data centres, third-party ecosystems and regulatory services.
• The role holder will be accountable for the strategic relationship, governance and performance of the organisation's key Managed Network Service Provider, ensuring the delivery of industry-leading operational resilience, security, service availability and innovation. They will establish and drive a future-focused network roadmap leveraging Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Automation, Zero Trust principles, Cloud Connectivity, AI-driven Operations (AIOps) and predictive resilience capabilities.
• This role will build and execute the strategy and roadmap for network infrastructure and connectivity services while ensuring technology investments support regulatory obligations, operational resilience requirements and long-term business growth. The role holder will be responsible for ensuring network services remain secure, available and recoverable, protecting critical customer and market services while enabling the organisation's digital and AI-first ambitions.

Key Accountabilities:

• Hold accountability for shaping, driving and implementing the Network and Connectivity Strategy, ensuring the continued evolution of highly resilient, secure and scalable network services supporting critical national infrastructure.
• Lead the strategic direction and governance of the Managed Network Service Provider, establishing strong service management disciplines, performance accountability, outcome-based delivery models and continuous service improvement practices.
• Be responsible for ensuring the availability, recoverability, performance and resilience of all network services supporting customer, colleague, partner and regulatory connectivity requirements.
• Define and execute the future state architecture for enterprise connectivity including data centre networking, cloud networking, WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, internet services, security integration, software-defined networking and network observability.
• Establish and drive a network automation strategy leveraging Infrastructure as Code, self-healing capabilities, intelligent orchestration and policy-based operations to deliver improved reliability, reduced operational risk and enhanced service agility.
• Lead the evolution of AI-driven Network Operations (AIOps), incorporating predictive analytics, anomaly detection, event correlation, automated remediation and operational insights to improve service resilience and reduce customer impact.
• Ensure network platforms meet evolving regulatory, cyber security and operational resilience requirements, including critical service recovery objectives, resilience testing and cyber recovery capabilities.
• Drive engineering excellence across the technology organisation by establishing modern network engineering practices, standards, guardrails and platform capabilities that enable secure and consistent delivery at scale.
• Be accountable for the design authority and lifecycle management of network infrastructure, ensuring technology currency, sustainable investment strategies and alignment to enterprise architecture principles.
• Lead strategic engagements with cloud providers, telecommunications providers, technology partners and industry bodies to ensure the organisation maintains access to emerging capabilities and market-leading practices.
• Provide leadership and development of a high-performing hybrid team comprising internal SMEs, strategic service partners and specialist engineering resources to deliver resilient network services and transformational change.
• As a key member of the Technology Platforms and Architecture Leadership Team, drive cultural change across Technology by embedding engineering-led delivery, automation-first thinking, resilience by design and AI-enabled operations.
• Build strong relationships across Technology, Security, Architecture, Operations, Risk and Business leadership teams, providing trusted advice and strategic direction on network, connectivity and resilience matters.
• Ensure all services are designed and operated with an absolute focus on customer outcomes, regulatory compliance, operational excellence and technology simplification.

What you Will Bring:

• Excellent knowledge of network engineering, telecommunications and infrastructure services gained over a minimum of 10 years' experience, including significant experience within regulated financial services or critical infrastructure environments.
• A minimum of 5 years operating at senior leadership level with experience leading large-scale technical teams, strategic partners and complex transformation programmes.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and governing managed service provider relationships, including commercial oversight, service performance management, contractual governance and strategic vendor engagement.
• Proven experience designing and implementing highly resilient network architectures, operational resilience frameworks, disaster recovery capabilities and technology automation solutions.
• Strong experience identifying and implementing emerging technologies including Software Defined Networking, Network Automation, Cloud Connectivity, AI Operations and Infrastructure as Code, delivering measurable business and operational outcomes.

Why Work for AIB:

We are committed to offering our colleagues choice and flexibility in how we work and live and our hybrid working model enables our people to balance their time between working from home and their designated office, subject to their role, the needs of our customers and business requirements.

Some of our benefits include;

• Variable Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Family leave options

Key Capabilities

• Technical Leadership Provides thought leadership and strategic direction for Network and Connectivity Services. Establishes technology vision, architectural standards and engineering practices while developing innovative solutions to complex business and technical challenges.
• Operational Excellence Creates resilient, efficient and secure operating models that maximise service availability, optimise investment and continuously improve customer outcomes through automation, simplification and innovation.
• Breadth of Technical Knowledge Effectively leverages extensive knowledge across networking, telecommunications, cloud connectivity, cyber security, infrastructure engineering, operational resilience and AI-enabled operations to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Customer First Builds strong customer and stakeholder relationships while ensuring connectivity services are designed and operated to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• Develops & Empowers Builds diverse, high-performing teams and creates an environment that develops future technology leaders, engineers and specialists.
• Drives Progress Balances technology innovation, risk management and commercial discipline to maximise value from technology investments and strategic partner relationships.

Distinctive Leadership Expectations for this Role

• Resilience by Design Champion operational resilience as a core engineering principle, ensuring critical services remain available under all credible disruption scenarios.
• AI-First Operations Lead the transition from traditional network operations to predictive, autonomous and self-healing service models enabled through AIOps.
• Technology Solving Technology Problems Drive automation, observability, policy-driven operations and Infrastructure as Code to minimise manual intervention and improve service reliability.
• Strategic Service Provider Leadership Move beyond supplier management toward true strategic partnership, ensuring the managed service provider continuously innovates and delivers outcomes aligned to business objectives.
• Future-Ready Connectivity Establish a network platform capable of supporting cloud adoption, AI workloads, digital banking growth, ecosystem integration and evolving regulatory expectations through to 2030 and beyond.

If you are not sure about your suitability based on any aspects of the role advertised, we encourage you to please contact the Recruiter for this role, Sarah Lyons, at [e-mail] for a conversation.

AIB is an equal opportunities employer, and we pride ourselves on being the first bank in Ireland to receive the Investors in Diversity Gold Standard accreditation from the Irish Centre for Diversity. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees. Should you have a reasonable accommodation request please email the Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail]