Head of Delivery

We are retained to appoint a Head of Delivery to help shape and drive the next phase of growth across daa’s complex capital programmes in Dublin and Cork. This is a significant client-side opportunity with daa—a global aviation leader with operations across four continents and more than 3,000 employees delivering world-class services to customers worldwide.
The role requires a proven leader with substantial experience delivering large, complex capital programmes. The successful candidate will assume responsibility for managing delivery of the Infrastructure Portfolio, including defining—through close collaboration with stakeholders—the best practice frameworks, guidelines, and policies that set the organisation’s standard ways of working. They will play a key role in enabling integration and safeguarding the integrity of the infrastructure portfolio.
daa is seeking an individual with strong interpersonal skills, a professional approach, and demonstrable hands-on experience leading the delivery of major construction and infrastructure projects. This experience may have been gained in client, contractor, or consultancy environments, with a preference for brownfield construction. daa is open to relocating international candidates back to Ireland, and the role will be onsite four days per week.
Key Responsibilities

• Define and establish strategies and structures to achieve objectives aligned with daa’s current and future capacity needs.
• Lead internal and external teams to ensure the successful delivery of all programmes from inception through completion, including the handover of assets that meet end-user requirements.
• Maintain rigorous oversight of schedule, cost, and quality to ensure safe delivery within approved targets.
• Drive programme delivery performance, set reporting standards, and address deviations from process or best practice.
• Regularly review and evaluate programme performance to ensure alignment with organisational objectives and a strong focus on value creation.
• Prepare monthly board papers and briefings for Senior Leadership on key issues, progress, and performance.
• Partner with the Head of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) to promote the HSE framework and ensure safety remains central to all delivery activities.
• Stay up to date on legislative changes and best practice developments to ensure compliance across all programmes.
• Manage delivery outputs using available resources to meet financial, quality, client satisfaction, and service targets.
• Provide strategic leadership to Programme Directors to ensure all programmes deliver agreed outcomes and benefits.
• Optimise programme delivery across the Infrastructure Portfolio by adjusting resources to meet evolving requirements.
• Implement people management processes and ensure compliance with relevant policies and performance standards.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 20+ years’ experience, including at least 10 in a management role, with a track record of leading capital delivery programmes.
• Extensive understanding of capital project and programme delivery and how these integrate within complex operational environments and capital investment plans.
• Strong leadership and management capability, including experience in project management, procurement, contract management, financial management, and change management.
• Experience in planning, governance, and delivery, having managed multiple teams with a focus on setting objectives, priorities, and clear roles and responsibilities.
• Demonstrable experience documenting best practice infrastructure development frameworks, policies, and standards.
• In-depth understanding of the design and delivery requirements of technically complex projects in the architectural, engineering, and construction sectors.
• Proven ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, driving process improvements to support successful project, programme, and portfolio delivery.