Programme Controls Lead-Aviation

Company Description

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Job Description

Start here. Grow here.

At AECOM, we are currently recruiting for a Programme Controls Lead – Aviation to join our Dublin office.

This is a key leadership role within a major aviation infrastructure programme, providing strategic direction and oversight across cost management, programme scheduling, risk management and performance reporting.

Here’s what you’ll do

As Programme Controls Lead, you will provide leadership, governance and best-practice expertise across the programme controls function. Working closely with the Programme Director, Contracting Entity, design consultants, contractors and wider programme team, you will ensure robust and consistent controls are embedded across the full project lifecycle.

You will provide clear, accurate and timely insight into cost, schedule, risk and overall programme performance, enabling informed strategic decision-making and supporting successful programme delivery.

Key Responsibilities

- Provide strategic leadership and best-practice expertise across Programme Controls , incorporating cost management, scheduling, reporting and risk management.
- Establish and maintain consistent programme controls methodologies, standards, processes and governance arrangements across all projects.
- Facilitate programme controls meetings with design consultants, the Contracting Entity and contractors to align expectations, improve performance and drive consistency.
- Monitor and report on projects throughout the programme lifecycle, from project development and promotion through to completion, providing clear insight into cost, time, risk and performance.
- Provide timely and accurate information to the Programme Director and senior leadership team to support strategic decision-making.
- Lead, develop and mentor a high-performing team of Programme Controls professionals, ensuring the appropriate resources and capability are in place to support programme delivery.
- Coordinate programme reporting with the central Programme Controls Office and wider corporate functions.
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve programme performance through enhanced systems, processes, data and controls.
- Work closely with the Head of Programme Controls to implement key process improvements, interventions and strategic initiatives across the programme.

Cost Management

- Lead, support and performance-manage the Cost Management team in the implementation and application of the Contracting Entity’s cost management procedures, systems and processes.
- Set the strategic direction and key objectives for the Cost Management function, including processes, procedures, systems, governance and resource requirements.
- Oversee weekly and monthly cost reporting across the programme, ensuring information is accurate, consistent and delivered within agreed timescales.
- Chair Monthly Project Reviews, ensuring major projects are effectively managed from a cost, schedule and risk perspective.
- Provide commercial and cost management expertise to the Contracts and Commercial Manager in relation to contentious claims, disputes and other commercial matters arising from construction and consultancy contracts.
- Establish and maintain a comprehensive database of internal and external cost benchmarks to support cost planning, forecasting and commercial decision-making across the programme.

Schedule Management

- Lead, support and performance-manage the Schedule Lead in the delivery of programme scheduling activities.
- Establish the strategic direction and key objectives for the Project Scheduling function, including processes, procedures, systems and resource requirements.
- Peer review monthly progress reports and provide assurance on programme and project performance.
- Oversee the development of the annual programme of work, including the associated cost and resource loading, ensuring alignment with programme objectives and available capacity.
- Oversee the development, integration and ongoing maintenance of the Master Programme covering all projects within the programme.
- Peer review business-critical project schedules, ensuring proposed timescales are realistic, achievable and appropriately aligned with programme requirements.
- Identify emerging schedule risks and performance issues, ensuring appropriate mitigation and escalation measures are implemented.

Risk Management

- Lead, support and performance-manage the Risk Manager in the delivery of programme risk management activities.
- Establish the strategic direction and key objectives for the Project Risk Management function, including processes, procedures, systems and governance.
- Peer review monthly risk reports and ensure key risks are clearly communicated to programme leadership.
- Oversee the development, maintenance and consistent adoption of fit-for-purpose project risk registers across the programme.
- Conduct formal monthly reviews of key risks across all major projects, ensuring appropriate ownership, mitigation and escalation.
- Support the Risk Lead in delivering Quantified Cost and Schedule Risk Analysis (QCRA/QSRA) for key projects.
- Chair risk workshops where required, ensuring risks are identified, assessed and actively managed.
- Take direct responsibility for developing and maintaining schedule risk-adjusted budgets for each financial year.
- Oversee the maintenance, updating and reporting of corporate risks to the Corporate Risk Manager’s office.
- Act as the key interface between the programme and the Corporate Risk Manager, ensuring programme-level risks are appropriately identified, communicated and managed.

Qualifications

Here’s what we’re looking for

As the successful candidate, you will bring significant experience delivering complex projects across our core infrastructure markets, ideally including aviation, together with strong programme controls, commercial and leadership expertise.

You will have:

- Relevant qualifications and experience – A Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related technical discipline, together with 15+ years’ relevant professional experience, including at least 3 years’ experience within the aviation sector.
- Cost and financial management expertise – Strong knowledge of project financial management, cost control systems, forecasting, reporting and financial governance.
- Risk management expertise – Proven experience in risk management systems, including the development and implementation of corporate and project-level risk strategies.
- Leadership and team management – Significant experience leading, managing and developing high-performing teams within an operational or programme delivery environment.
- Commercial and financial acumen – Strong commercial awareness, with proven experience in budget management, financial monitoring, forecasting and performance reporting.
- Programme scheduling experience – Demonstrable experience in programme scheduling, resource integration and the coordination of complex, multi-project programmes.
- Project management capability – Excellent project management skills, with the ability to establish clear objectives, motivate teams, manage competing priorities and consistently deliver against programme targets and deadlines.
- Organisation and communication – Exceptional organisational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple deliverables, stakeholders and priorities within demanding timescales.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn Colum Calnan

#Aviation#Infrastructure#ProjectControl#ProgrammeControl

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address  [email protected]  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.