Head of Operational and Capital Finance
Description
We are Uisce Éireann. Every day, we are responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. As Ireland’s national regulated water utility, our vision is a sustainable Ireland where water is respected and protected, for the planet and all the lives it supports.
Our purpose at Uisce Éireann is to rise to the challenge of delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. That means we are proud to take on the responsibility of protecting our water supply and passing on a safe and secure water system to a rapidly growing population and empowering Ireland’s social and economic growth.
We are passionate about empowering our people, enabling them to make a positive impact on communities across Ireland. We are guided by a shared vision and purpose, grounded in values that define who we are and shape how we work, where we deliver for customers and communities, we work better together, we do the right thing, we aim high, and we keep each other safe. Our behaviours define how we interact, communicate, and succeed together. These values and behaviours apply to each one of us, across every role, location, and level.
Our goal is to attract and develop skilled and talented people from diverse backgrounds, who bring a dynamic range of expertise and insights to our work. With a strong, values-driven workforce, we ensure Uisce Éireann can continue advancing Ireland’s water services and meeting the needs of the communities we serve for generations to come.
The Role:
The Operational and Capital Finance Function lead the focus and drive for continuous cost efficiency in both operation costs and capital investment, ensuring that Uisce Éireann has cost reduction plans and performance monitoring in place to meet company targets. The function oversees financial analysis to support the strategic and operational initiatives and to ensure alignment with existing capital and works to embed project finance rigor, return on investment and best practice for specific capital and operational projects, budgets and plans. The function is also responsible for the review, challenge and provision of all investment business cases within UE via the investment management team.
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, The Head of Operational and Capital Finance acts as a strategic advisor and lead interface between the Uisce Éireann business areas and the finance teams, managing, shaping, and supporting a consistent finance service provision. The role holder leads teams to deliver top class finance partnering capabilities for expenditure along with financial investment modelling and scenario planning to ensure the wider Uisce Éireann organisation can deliver on its strategic objectives and commitments.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
As a key member of the CFO leadership team, act as a strategic advisor and a lead interface between the CFO, the Uisce Éireann business areas, and the finance teams, managing, shaping, and supporting a consistent finance service provision in the areas of operational and capital expenditure
Ensure that Uisce Éireann delivers cost efficiency in line with agreed targets working through the Asset Operations Business Partnering team and across the wider finance functions
Provide spend oversight and cash management ensuring the business have the required finance capability to develop and set targets and subsequently deliver objectives in line with our agreed expenditure targets and commitments
Effectively manage the delivery of Uisce Éireann’s Finance Partnering capability for capital and operational expenditure areas
Establish and lead a centre of excellence to support the organisation on capital investment, ensuring a core financial modelling capability is embedded to support the capital areas in delivering the required business case requirements
Develop/ substantiate business cases for large capital projects; build project budgets, understanding risk factors and profile and factoring risk into the budget development and its continuing evaluation. Support, challenge and develop where necessary any business case, board paper or consent submission in relation to capital expenditure
Provide spend oversight ensuring the business have the required finance capability to develop and set targets and subsequently deliver objectives (including outputs and outcomes) in line with our agreed expenditure targets and commitments
Input into the EAC process, public spending code compliance and all governance in relation to capital expenditure and supporting and substantiating the business case attached to each project approval submitted
Provide high quality investment and financial appraisals and financial information and interpretation on financial position and business performance (including regulatory outcome, budget, plan etc)
Play an active role in the definition, review and agreement of Business metrics and KPIs which will be used in the management of finance performance as well as the operation of the finance directorate
Support the delivery of wider finance objectives through participation in the finance leadership team
Participate in Uisce Éireann strategy development, validation, implementation and evaluation
Support, challenge and drive business performance and decision making, both at a strategic and an operational level across Uisce Éireann
Provide input into the Regulatory Revenue Control process for Uisce Éireann
Drive the setting and delivery with the business areas, of the Balance Scorecard within Uisce Éireann
Participate in the relevant Finance and Business oversight and governance forums to ensure Uisce Éireann needs are met
Ensure strong financial governance, risk management, control and compliance are embedded within the this function
Collaborate with all finance areas to deliver financial services and to streamline processes
Manage business stakeholders, participate in relevant meetings and develop strong working relationships with finance customers across all Uisce Éireann functions
Lead the team within thisfunction, actively coaching and developing them to achieve their full potential and be an integral function to the business
Act as a point of escalation for queries for the Operational and Capital Finance function
As a senior leader in the organisation provide visible leadership and promote collaboration on the team to drive a results focused culture
Other duties as required from time to time
General Duties and Responsibilities
Collaborate with key internal stakeholders across the UÉ business
Responsible for promoting and delivering health and safety commitments across UÉ and its supply chain, reinforcing positive behaviours and delivering health and safety objectives and requirements to the highest industry standards.
Support the delivery of any Uisce Éireann Transformation Programmes, driving results required within the Directorate and supporting organisation-wide objectives.
Conducts duties and responsibilities in accordance with Uisce Éireann’s Information Security policies, standards, processes and controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UÉ business information, and delivery of critical services, in accordance with the NIS Directive and any other relevant cybersecurity regulation.
Provide visible leadership for your team, coaching and developing them to achieve their full potential and deliver business objectives, promoting collaboration and highlighting the behaviours that are expected from everyone in the team.
Other duties as required.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
Relevant third level qualification and or accreditation is desirable and or relevant experience
A minimum of 10+ years’ experience in the water, utilities or similar industries is desirable, along with 5+ years working at a senior manager level
Excellent leadership and people skills required, and a demonstrable ability to attract and develop a high performing committed team.
You will have significant leadership, change & transformation experience ideally in a similar utility, regulated industry or multi stakeholder environment
Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions and ambiguity generating effective and pragmatic solutions to new situations and problems as they are presented.
Can quickly establish credibility and respect and build strong working relationships and influence effectively at all levels, both internally and externally
A proven track record of working in a commercially focused environment and working collaboratively across multiple functions and business areas
Excellent communicator with the capability to handle complex and difficult situations with thought and confidence
Proven track record of successful delivery against Business Objectives within a complex and large organisational context and have demonstrated an ability to align resources across these environments.
Strong negotiation skills with win/win mindset
Financially and commercially astute
Experience of implementing policies, systems and controls and overseeing the implementation of progressive policies.
The closing date for receipt of applications for this vacancy is 12/06/2026
Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted.
Uisce Éireann is an equal opportunities employer.
We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive place of work and have a robust strategy and framework called ibelong to enable this. We are an equal opportunity employer and through our recruitment process we welcome and encourage applications from interested and suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, membership of the traveller community, religion or beliefs, family or civil status, sexual orientation/gender identity or disability.