Job Description

daa is currently implementing a €3bn capital investment programme to grow the capacity of the airport. To best support the delivery of the scale of projects and programmes daa are hiring a Head of Programme Controls to join the Infrastructure Leadership Team.

The Head of Programme Controls is responsible for establishing and overseeing project management processes across scheduling, cost, risk, change, and reporting, supported by defined policies, tools, and standards.

The strategic focus for this role is to protect and maximise value from major capital investment by ensuring that complex infrastructure programmes are predictable, transparent, and controllable in terms of cost, schedule, risk, and performance This is a senior leadership role within Infrastructure Functions, reporting to the Head of Functions and contributing as a member of the Senior Management Team

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Controls Leadership: Overall responsibility for the Programme Controls function, defining and implementing a best‑in‑class, consistent controls strategy across the portfolio.

• Governance & Reporting: Act as the key interface with the Programme Board, DAP, and senior management, providing clear reporting on cost, schedule, risk, and performance across all projects and programmes.

• Portfolio Oversight: Monitor and control active projects and programmes from inception to completion, coordinating capital spend reporting with other daa departments and supporting strategic decision‑making.

• Financial Planning: Lead engagement on annual capital budget agreements and take a central role in planning for the next Capital Investment Programme (CIP).

• People & Stakeholder Management: Recruit, mentor, and retain a high‑performing Programme Controls team, while maintaining strong communication with clients, staff, and key internal and external stakeholders.

Cost Management

Define and manage the portfolio-wide cost management strategy, setting standards, systems, and processes that drive continuous improvement, robust change management, and effective cost control. Lead accurate weekly and monthly reporting through a single source of truth, oversee estimation and benchmarking to support critical investment decisions, and manage senior cost professionals while maintaining strong relationships with the Cost Consultant framework. Provide expert commercial advice on complex claims and contractual disputes, supporting senior management in resolving cost and commercial issues.

Schedule Management

Lead the portfolio-wide scheduling strategy, standards, tools, and processes, driving continuous improvement and integrated planning across long, and short-term delivery projects. Oversee the CIP Master and Integrated Schedule as a single source of truth, ensuring robust, realistic reporting, and alignment with annual capital planning. Provide leadership and assurance by performance managing senior scheduling capability, approving cost and resource loaded programmes, and peer reviewing critical schedules to deliver achievable timelines for the business.

Risk Management

Oversee and embed a consistent, portfolio wide risk and contingency management framework, maintaining a single view of risk across all capital projects. Provide oversight through regular review of key project and corporate risks, robust reporting, and assurance of fit for purpose risk registers. Build risk management capability by leading the Managers and promoting a proactive culture, while delivering quantified cost and schedule risk analysis to produce credible, risk adjusted budgets and programmes for the business.

Reporting

Support the development of a future‑proof portfolio reporting framework, working closely with Programme Controls to streamline and automate reporting through effective data management and use of the daa data warehouse. Deliver consolidated and bespoke portfolio reports for internal and external stakeholders, while providing assurance over data quality, performance tracking, and reporting integrity by constructively challenging delivery teams to meet consistent data standards.

Experience

• Extensive senior‑level experience, with a minimum of 15 years operating in complex programme, project, or infrastructure environments.

• Proven track record of leading and managing multidisciplinary teams supporting large‑scale, high‑value projects and programmes.

• Advanced knowledge of project financial governance, including cost management frameworks, financial control systems, and budget coordination.

• Deep expertise in enterprise and project risk management, including the development and delivery of corporate and project risk strategies.

• Significant leadership experience in operational service delivery, demonstrating the ability to organise, motivate, and govern teams to achieve strategic objectives.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience overseeing budgets, monitoring expenditure, and driving value‑for‑money outcomes.

• Demonstrable experience in programme scheduling, including resource integration and alignment to delivery and investment priorities.

Skills

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to determine requirements and expectations and manage their influence on the project/programme

• Ability to influence upwards to drive effective decision making

• Ability to step back from the detail, take a more strategic overview and direct the team as such

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities against ambitious timelines.

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work cross-functionally

• Strong communication and relationship management skills

• Equally comfortable articulating strategy and executing

• Passion for high performance - inspires others to greater heights

• Committed to company values

Education & Qualifications

Third Level Qualification in Quantity Surveying, Engineering or Schedule Management

Professional Memberships

SCSI/ RICS are preferred or other memberships in relevant fields (scheduling, Risk, Engineering)

We're an airport industry leader with operations in four continents and over 3000 employees working together to ensure we deliver the best services for all our customers globally. We are a fast paced, energetic and diverse company. Offering careers that range from IT, Finance, Technical, Airport Operations to frontline security and customer focused roles and many more. Whether you are starting your career or looking for your next move, we have lots of great opportunities to choose from.