Senior Programme Manager - CIRCULÉIRE (Maternity Cover)

Irish Manufacturing Research; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 55,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary

Pension

Hybrid work model

Innovation centres

Diversity

Job summary

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is seeking a Senior Programme Manager to lead the CIRCULÉIRE public-private partnership on a 12–18 month maternity cover contract. The role reports to the Director of Circular Economy Innovation and requires senior expertise in sustainability and cross-sector programme delivery.

The interim manager will oversee a national network of industry partners and drive membership growth, impact reporting and high-quality engagements to scale circular manufacturing

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in business, consulting or project management with cross-sector client engagement and complex programme management.
• Experience delivering holistic sustainability or circular economy programmes in impact-driven environments.
• Proven ability to balance competing objectives in complex programme delivery.
• People management experience and commitment to shared leadership.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills; proficient in Excel and MS 365.

Responsibilities

• Lead a national flagship public-private partnership dedicated to scaling circular manufacturing and innovation.
• Manage a multi-sector network of organisations with responsibility for membership growth, impact reporting and governance.
• Drive high-quality, commercially oriented industry engagements to scale circular business models with advanced technologies.
• Foster a culture of shared leadership and manage a diverse team in a fast-paced environment.
• Represent IMR in senior national and international forums and networks.

Skills

Programme management

Cross-sector engagement

Sustainability

Leadership

Stakeholder relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Business, Engineering or other relevant field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft 365

Job description

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is a leading Research and Technology Organisation providing a portfolio of operations research, training, and consultancy services to Industry across the following four thematic pillars: Digitisation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Design for Manufacturing, and Robotics and Automation. As a leading manufacturing Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) with labs and industrial pilot lines in Dublin and Mullingar, IMR works with leading global and indigenous brands todemystify andderisknew and emerging technologies and todeliverhigh-impact collaborative research and services to enable advanced manufacturing for a broad range of clients across Ireland’s manufacturing network.

What IMR offers:

• An opportunity to contribute to the national economic growth agenda
• A competitive salary and pension
• A friendly and flexible working environment with State-of-the-art Innovation Centres
• Lots of diversity in terms of people, technology, projects and ideas
• The opportunity to join a dynamic and committed team
• Interaction with a diverse range of industrial clients and state partners

The Role:

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is seeking a Senior Programme Manager to lead our pioneering cross-sectoral industry-led public-private partnership CIRCULÉIRE on the basis of a 12–18-month maternity cover contract. Reporting to the Director of Circular Economy Innovation, the successful candidate will utilise their deep understanding of industry-oriented sustainability and circular economy transformations combined with a track record in complex technical programme management to drive the evolution of a pioneering cross-sectoral industry network.

The interim Senior Programme Manager will support Irish industry to accelerate a step-change in the deployment of innovative circular solutions leveraging advanced technologies and synergies between CIRCULÉIRE and IMR’s wider circular economy RD&I portfolio (e.g. SymbioBeer, CircThread, AI4CE, CircShift).

Key Responsibilities:

This interim role is expected to evolve over time but will initially encompass:

• Complex programme management, technical leadership and accountability for a national flagship public-private partnership dedicated to supporting industry and enterprise to scale-up circular manufacturing and innovation.
• Managing an impact-driven network of multi-sectoral organisations (working with ventures, SMEs and MNCs) with responsibility for driving membership growth, impact measurement and internal and external reporting requirements.
• Leveraging multi-disciplinary expertise within IMR to deliver high-quality and commercially oriented industry engagements which support CIRCULÉIRE members to scale-up implementation of circular business models through cutting-edge advanced technologies and RD&I.
• People management and commitment to culture of shared leadership, in a fast-paced, high-performing and transdisciplinary environment.
• Ability to foster collaborative internal and external stakeholder relationships and represent IMR in senior national and international forums, working groups, networks and conferences as required.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Business, Engineering or other relevant field. Masters or PhD level qualification is desirable.
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in business, consulting or project management with a track record of extensive cross-sectoral client engagement and complex programme management.
• Significant experience in design, management and delivery of holistic sustainability or circular economy interventions and programmes in impact-driven environments – bridging big picture strategic vision to high‑calibre implementation.
• Demonstrable track record in prioritising and balancing competing objectives in complex programme delivery.
• People management experience and commitment to culture of shared leadership.
• Excellent organisational and analytical skills (qualitative and quantitative) – highly skilled in use of Microsoft 365 products, particularly Excel and commitment to continuous improvement and streamlining of programme documentation in line with company standards and procedures.
• Can‑do, flexible, adaptable and entrepreneurial attitude – commitment to working collaboratively to leverage collective expertise - in fast-paced, multi‑cultural environment.

Location:

Candidates will be required to be resident in Ireland. IMR offices are situated in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin and Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. This role will be based in our Rathcoole office. We offer a hybrid working model with onsite presence in the office required at least one day per week. Travel between offices and client sites will be required from time to time.

Salary & Benefits:

This position will command a package consisting of basic salary (€87,743 - €90,911 depending on qualifications and experience), employer pension contribution and 5 weeks holidays.

Closing Date:

Closing date for receipt of all applications is noon 5th October 2026. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 12th October 2026.

IMR is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We actively promote equity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. We do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We strive to ensure our recruitment processes are fair, accessible, and free from bias.