Senior Executive - Skills Policy & Strategic Partnerships in Dublin

About the Role

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency, supporting innovative Irish businesses to grow globally. We help ambitious, export-focused companies scale, create jobs and expand internationally. Our clients employ over 230,000 people across all regions, making a significant contribution to the Irish economy.

Our strategy, Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025–2029), aims to ‘Accelerate Sustainable Irish Business’ by supporting exporting companies to drive economic growth and employment nationwide, with the long-term goal of making them the primary engine of the Irish economy. It focuses on four objectives: Start, Compete, Scale and Connect.

Enterprise Ireland delivers tailored support through start-up, scaling, innovation and leadership programmes, alongside funding and investment schemes. This is backed by approximately 850 staff across 11 offices in Ireland and 42 international locations, helping Irish businesses succeed globally.

The Senior Executive, Skills Policy & Strategic Partnerships will play a leadership role in shaping and advancing Enterprise Ireland's skills agenda, ensuring that client companies have access to the workforce capabilities required to compete, innovate and grow in a rapidly evolving global economy.

The role is focused on influencing national skills policy, strengthening strategic partnerships and delivering initiatives that support workforce development, organisational capability and long-term competitiveness.

Working across Government Departments, State Agencies, education and training providers, industry bodies and enterprise stakeholders, the Senior Executive will ensure that the needs of Enterprise Ireland clients are reflected in the development of Ireland's skills ecosystem. The role will provide strategic leadership to a high-performing team, develop impactful programmes and foster collaboration across the enterprise, education and policy landscape to support sustainable economic growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Enterprise Ireland's Skills Policy, Workforce Development and Strategic Partnership Agenda.
• Lead Enterprise Ireland's engagement on skills, workforce development and talent policy issues.
• Monitor and analyse labour market trends, emerging skills requirements and workforce challenges affecting client companies.
• Develop policy positions, consultation responses, briefing papers and recommendations for senior management and external stakeholders.
• Ensure client company perspectives are effectively represented in national skills, education and workforce development policies.
• Provide strategic advice and insight on skills, workforce capability and talent development issues across Enterprise Ireland.
• Identify opportunities to influence policy development and strengthen Ireland's skills ecosystem in support of enterprise competitiveness.
• Represent Enterprise Ireland on national forums, advisory groups, consultations and cross sector working groups.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Government Departments, State Agencies, education and training providers, industry bodies and other strategic stakeholders.
• Identify and develop opportunities for collaboration that improve alignment between enterprise needs and education and training provision.
• Lead stakeholder engagement activities and partnership initiatives that deliver tangible outcomes for client companies.
• Develop networks and relationships that support Enterprise Ireland's strategic objectives and enhance client capability development.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to maximise the impact of Enterprise Ireland's skills and talent initiatives.
• Lead the development and implementation of programmes and initiatives designed to address client company skills and talent needs.
• Work closely with sector teams and client-facing colleagues to identify workforce capability gaps and development priorities.
• Support the design and delivery of skills diagnostics, training needs analyses and capability building interventions.
• Promote innovative approaches to workforce development, organisational learning and leadership capability.
• Monitor programme performance, evaluate impact and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Ensure Enterprise Ireland clients are aware of and can access relevant skills and talent development supports.
• Contribute to the development of solutions that strengthen organisational resilience and future workforce readiness.
• Lead, manage and develop the Skills team to deliver departmental objectives and strategic priorities.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations and work programmes for team members.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Provide coaching, mentoring and development opportunities to build team capability and expertise.
• Manage resources, projects and budgets effectively to maximise value and impact.
• Support organisational change initiatives and contribute to the ongoing development of Enterprise Ireland's skills and talent agenda.
• Ensure high levels of staff engagement, performance and professional development across the team.
• Prepare high-quality reports, presentations, briefing notes and strategic papers for internal and external stakeholders.
• Communicate complex policy, labour market and skills issues clearly and effectively to varied audiences.
• Represent Enterprise Ireland at conferences, stakeholder events, consultations and public engagements.
• Act as an ambassador for Enterprise Ireland's skills, talent and workforce development agenda.
• Support the promotion of Enterprise Ireland's role in strengthening workforce capability and enterprise competitiveness.

Requirements

• Significant experience in skills policy, workforce development, education, enterprise development or a related field, including a strong understanding of Ireland's education, training and skills landscape is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake strategic analysis, research and planning to inform policy development, programme design and organisational decision-making is essential.
• Proven experience building and managing effective relationships and partnerships with Government Departments, State Agencies, industry representatives or other senior stakeholders is essential.
• Demonstrated leadership and programme management experience, with a track record of delivering strategic initiatives through effective people, stakeholder and resource management is essential.
• Experience working in enterprise development, competitiveness, innovation or economic development is desirable.
• Understanding of workforce planning, organisational capability development and leadership development is desirable.
• Relevant third-level qualification in Business, Economics, Public Policy, Education, Human Resources or a related discipline is desirable.

Details

Location: East Point, Dublin

Contract type: Full time, Permanent

Salary: €83,113 to €102,076 per annum contributory superannuation. Rising to €105,211 and €108,355 by long service increments. €80,278 to €96,969 per annum non-contributory superannuation. Rising to €99,953 and €102,937 by long service increments.

Closing date: 11 Nov 2026

Indicative salary (HSE Ambulance Service Tactical Manager, Senior national pay scale, effective Jun 2026): €83,496–€100,706 per year.

How to Apply

Attachments: 098.EI.26E_-_Senior_Executive_-_Skills_Policy_and_Strategy_Partnerships.pdf