Senior Executive Architect

publicjobs; Munster; On-site; EUR 69,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry County Council in Kerry, Ireland seeks a Senior Executive Architect to lead the design and delivery of public realm and urban regeneration projects. You will coordinate across architects, engineers, planners and consultants to ensure high-quality outcomes aligned with policy objectives.

The role requires senior-level leadership, experience in urban design, and a strong focus on climate action, accessibility, and safety.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people-management experience.
• Experience coordinating large, multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop concept, detailed, and technical designs for public realm and urban landscape projects.
• Coordinate design-led regeneration and development for quality outcomes.
• Produce high-quality drawings, specifications, schedules, and visual materials.
• Integrate placemaking, universal design, sustainability, climate resilience, and biodiversity principles.
• Coordinate materials, surfaces, levels, drainage, lighting, street furniture, planting and wayfinding.
• Ensure designs comply with accessibility, safety and other standards.
• Work with architects, engineers, planners and consultants.
• Support budgets, procurement and project programmes.
• Contribute to construction stage support and site inspections.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and public consultations.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Urban design

Public procurement

Education

Architecture qualification

Job description

Job title: Senior Executive Architect

Employer: Kerry County Council

Location: Kerry

Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 29th October 2026

Starting Salary: €80,680

About the Employer:

The Local Government sector in Ireland is made up of 31 local authorities and 3 Regional Assemblies. Local authorities are the closest and most accessible form of Government to citizens. They have responsibility for the delivery of a wide range of services in their local area with a focus on making cities, towns and the countryside areas attractive places to live, work and invest.

Kerry County Council is the authority responsible for Local Government in County Kerry. The Council headquarters are located at Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee County Kerry and there are five Municipal Districts [Municipal District of Tralee, Municipal District of Killarney, Municipal District of Listowel, Municipal District of Kenmare and Municipal District of Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne]. Kerry County Council has 33 elected members and approximately 1500 staff.

County Kerry has a population of approximately 156,500 people in an area covering 4,700 square kilometres and 3 peninsulas. Kerry County Council is responsible for the delivery of the full range of local government services in the county. Kerry County Council seeks to enhance the county’s attraction as a place in which to invest, work, and live, and takes the lead role in shaping the strategic vision of the county. It provides a diverse, multi-layered and evolving range of services across a large geographic area, which includes the provision of housing, climate action, planning, development, environmental, roads and traffic, leisure, culture, economic development, and community services.

The Council works in partnership with communities, other state, public and private bodies in the delivery of infrastructure, regeneration and a broad range of services and shared services. It also operates the Local Government Operational Procurement Centre which is a national shared service with responsibility for managing, developing, and promoting procurement best practice for Plant Hire and Minor Building Works & Civils contracts for the entire public and civil service. Its overall operations are supported by internal services which include ICT, Corporate, Finance, Legal and People Development.

Kerry boasts both vibrant urban centres and active rural communities, a highly skilled workforce and is home to global companies across the technology, pharmaceutical, food, financial services and other sectors. Its two largest urban centres of Tralee & Killarney are of significant importance to the county. County Kerry also retains its vital role as a premier international sustainable tourism destination. The 2026 Revenue Budget of Kerry County Council is €248 million and three year Capital Budget €772 million.

About the Role:

Kerry County Council plays a central role in leading development of the public realm through innovative and inclusive urban design of regeneration projects supported by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), the Rural Regeneration Fund, Town and Village Renewal, and Active Travel investment programmes under the Government’s National Sustainable Mobility Policy and Climate Action Plan. This helps to ensure integration between movement, place, climate and regeneration objectives across projects and support delivery of Integrated Urban Strategies and Regeneration Plans, Town Centre First and Compact Growth objectives, and Active Travel Network Plans and Area Based Transport Schemes.

The Senior Executive Architect will contribute to the design, coordination, and delivery of strategic public realms, urban regeneration and active travel projects funded through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund and National Active Travel programmes. The role ensures that public realm\\active travel infrastructure is delivered to a high quality, supporting compact growth, climate action, economic vitality, and safe and inclusive streets in line with national policy objectives.

The Senior Executive Architect duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Developing concept, detailed, and technical designs for public realm, streetscape, and urban landscape projects.
• Supporting design led regeneration and development that delivers quality outcomes in terms of form and function for users.
• Producing high quality drawings, specifications, schedules, and visual material.
• Integrating placemaking, universal design, sustainability, climate resilience, and biodiversity principles.
• Coordinating materials, surfaces, levels, drainage, lighting, street furniture, planting, and wayfinding.
• Ensuring designs comply with relevant standards, policies, and guidance (e.g. public realm, accessibility, safety).
• Working collaboratively with other architects, engineers, planners, and specialist consultants.
• Coordinating within the local authority, statutory undertakers, and approval bodies.
• Supporting project programmes, budgets, and procurement.
• Contributing to construction stage support, site inspections, and design clarifications.
• Supporting or leading stakeholder engagement, public consultation, and design review processes.
• Managing work, and the work of those reporting to them, to achieve agreed objectives to a high standard of design and technical quality and professional practice, to agreed timeframes.
• Making a significant contribution to master planning, regeneration frameworks, and public realm strategies.
• Representing Kerry County Council effectively at meetings including delivery of presentations to Council, members of the public and other relevant audiences.
• Working effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including Elected Members and Council colleagues.
• Preparing reports for Council, Municipal Districts, committees of Council, Government, and other stakeholders.
• Preparing budgets and managing same effectively.
• Working on relevant policy development as required.
• Leading, motivating, mentoring and developing staff and promoting high standards of performance through the Performance Management Development System (PMDS).
• Ensuring that all work is carried out in compliance will all relevant professional practice and industry standards, and relevant public Council policies.
• Ensuring that all appropriate records are established and maintained consistent with requirements.
• Carrying out inspections and preparing reports.
• Carrying out other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

About You:

Candidates shall, on the latest date for receipt of completed applications:

(a)hold a professional qualification in Architecture that is prescribed under the Building Control Act 2007, or a qualification in Architecture, that is equivalent to a qualification so prescribed in section 14 of the Building Control Act 2007, and

(b)be eligible for registration as an Architect under the Building Control Act 2007 without requiring further assessment. Any appointment by the employing Local Authority will be subject to registration under the Act;

(c)have at least five years satisfactory relevant experience of architectural work;

(d)have experience in the design of buildings, the preparation of sketch plans, working drawings, details and specifications;

(e)have knowledge of the principles of Urban Design and planning policy and practice;

(f)have a satisfactory knowledge of public service organisation or the ability to acquire such knowledge.

The ideal candidate shall have the following Skills and Experience:

• Strong leadership skills.
• A commitment to customer service and team development.
• An ability to manage large work programmes and deliver results both independently and as part of a wider team.
• Vision, leadership and experience at a sufficiently senior level to lead a multi-disciplined team in delivery of services.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Possess excellent organisational and IT skills.
• Possess excellent knowledge of Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations, the implications for the organisation and the employee, and their application in the workplace in accordance with the Council’s approach to managing safety in the workplace.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role and duties of line managers and the ability to take a structured and procedurally sound approach to achieve management objectives in the workplace.
• Have a clear knowledge and experience of project management and public procurement.

It would be desirable if the successful candidate had the following Skills and Experience:

• Highly developed skills in using architectural design and urban design to promote excellence in the quality of projects, to promote quality in the built environment and public places and to contribute to environmental and social sustainability.
• An accreditation in or demonstrate a good working knowledge of architectural conservation, low energy design and/or urban design.
• A career record that demonstrates excellent design skills as well as a high level of competence in the management of staff, communication, conceptual and analytical thinking and initiative.
• An ability to work within and lead, multi-disciplined teams on various projects, and demonstrate a strong track record and relevant management ethos and experience at a sufficiently high level.
• A good working knowledge of the legal, regulatory and governance framework within which the council operates and adheres to corporate polices, protocols and procedures.
• The ability to manage financial resources within a budgetary control framework.
• A satisfactory knowledge of public administration in Ireland and experience of administration at a high level.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 29th October, 2026.

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