Head of Projects
Location: Dunboyne, Co: Meath
Salary: €85,000
Candidate:
A commercially driven project leader with a proven track record of leading high-performing project teams and successfully delivering complex engineering projects.
The successful candidate will possess exceptional customer-facing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to perform effectively under pressure while maintaining a professional and solutions-focused approach. They will demonstrate a strong ability to identify, understand and respond to customer needs throughout the design, deployment and ongoing support of EMR's solutions.
The candidate will have proven people management experience, leading and developing diverse, multinational teams while fostering collaboration, accountability and high performance.
Overview of Role:
- Lead EMR’s project portfolio from sales handover through planning, delivery, commissioning, customer acceptance and commercial closeout. Accountable to the COO for portfolio performance, project profitability, reliable forecasts and customer satisfaction across SCADA, automation, telemetry, communications and related infrastructure projects.
- As a member of the leadership team, build the capability and capacity of the project management function to support EMR’s growth. Work closely with engineering, service, commercial, finance, procurement, logistics, HSQE and UK operations.
- Based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, with travel to customer sites as required
- Team responsibility: Programme and project management team and the PMO
Responsibilities:
Leadership and portfolio management
- Lead, coach and develop programme managers, project managers and the PMO; set objectives, conduct performance reviews and maintain succession and development plans.
- Own the portfolio delivery plan, priorities and capacity forecast. Assign accountable project owners and resolve competing demands with departmental leads and the COO.
- Chair portfolio reviews and give the COO a clear view of progress, financial exposure, resource constraints and decisions required. Lead recovery plans for projects at risk.
Project delivery and customer management
- Ensure every project has an agreed scope, deliverables, budget, programme, resource plan and acceptance criteria before work starts.
- Oversee mobilisation, design coordination, procurement milestones, factory and site testing, commissioning and handover. Hold project managers accountable for delivery against approved baselines.
- Maintain senior customer relationships, lead project escalations and ensure progress reports, commitments and decisions are accurate and recorded.
- Ensure changes are assessed, priced and approved through the agreed process before delivery; escalate urgent exceptions and contractual risks promptly.
Commercial and financial accountability
- Own project budgets and portfolio margin performance; review actual costs, committed costs, estimates to complete and forecast final margins with Finance.
- Maintain credible revenue, billing and cash collection forecasts with Finance. Ensure payment claims, milestone evidence and variations are issued promptly and support debt resolution.
- Challenge cost overruns, scope gaps and unapproved work. Ensure purchase commitments and subcontractor appointments follow delegated approval limits.
Governance resources and assurance
- Maintain consistent PMO controls for project intake, stage reviews, schedules, risk and issue registers, document control, reporting and closeout. Improve existing processes and reporting systems.
- Agree engineering capacity and technical deliverables with engineering leaders, who retain technical authority and line management of their engineering teams.
- Agree project field support with the Head of Service, who manages the ICA field team. Coordinate materials, equipment and lead times with procurement and logistics.
- Ensure project teams and subcontractors follow EMR’s ISO management systems, site safety requirements and quality controls; work with HSQE to address incidents and nonconformances.
- Own completion of defects and contractual obligations. Secure customer acceptance, final commercial reconciliation and lessons learned; jointly agree service readiness with the Head of Service.
Technical Skills:
- Substantial experience delivering complex engineering or technology projects, typically eight or more years, including leadership of project managers or a multi-project portfolio.
- Proven commercial judgement, including contract administration, forecasting, margin management, change control, payment milestones and recovery of underperforming projects.
- Experience in utilities, regulated infrastructure or a comparable technical environment, with knowledge of SCADA, automation, telemetry, communications or electrical and instrumentation systems.
- A relevant degree in engineering, project management or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience. Demonstrable command of project planning and governance methods.
Desirable Experience:
- PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent certification; a relevant postgraduate qualification; experience of frameworks, public sector customers or operations across Ireland and the UK.
- Experience with ERP, project accounting and portfolio reporting tools such as Microsoft 365, SharePoint or Power BI.
Interpersonal Skills:
- Strong people leadership, customer negotiation and written reporting skills. Able to challenge assumptions, make decisions under pressure and hold teams accountable constructively.
Measures of Success:
- Performance will be assessed against agreed targets for milestone delivery, project margins, forecast accuracy, billing and closeout timeliness, customer acceptance, risk reduction and team development. Safety and quality performance will form part of all reviews.
Take the next step in your career with a senior leadership role offering real influence, autonomy and the opportunity to make a lasting impact.
Benefits:
- 23 days holiday.
- Company Sick Pay Scheme.
- Critical Illness Income Protection Scheme.
- Pension contributions matched up to 5%.
- Remote working up to 50%, subject to operational requirements.
- Learning and development fund.
- Performance related bonus scheme.
- Death in Service Benefit.
- Education Assistance Scheme.
- Bike to Work Scheme.