Head of Efficiency & Excellence

Overview

Daa LABS is a newly established business unit which encompasses the following functions:

Digital, Core IT and Technology, Data and Analytics, IT Project Management, and Innovation for daa.

The business unit is busy and growing which requires a senior manager with strong leadership skills to drive the delivery of daa LABS objectives and priorities by developing robust and practical frameworks for reporting, cultivating, and driving a culture of collaboration and high performance across teams.

As the Head of Efficiency & Excellence, you will support the Managing Director in driving digital innovation, operational efficiency, and excellence across Labs. Labs is a team of c140 professionals, you will lead initiatives aimed at enhancing digital leadership, business intelligence, innovation, system discipline, and core IT infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Be curious, hardworking, and looking for a role that develops your broader senior management skills.
• Proven experience in establishing and managing relationships internally and externally.
• Ability to think strategically and conceptually; understand the overall business environment and the role daa LABS will play in this.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess and improve operational efficiency through data-driven insights.
• Experience in cultivating high-performing team cultures and driving organizational excellence.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple departments and levels of seniority.
• Capacity to align operational objectives with overall business goals.
• Bachelor's degree in business, technology, engineering, or a related field.
• Prior experience in a similar industry is advantageous.
• Committed to daa values and leadership standard.

Responsibilities

Overall:

• Act as a single point of contact for daa Labs and work closely with the SMT to guide the overall business unit towards a common ambition for Dublin and Cork Airports as well as the wider daa
• May be required to assume leadership responsibilities occasionally to cover MD Labs and thus requirement to develop a deep understanding of the purpose and operations of each team within daa Labs, enabling effective decision-making and ability to influence at executive level when needed.
• Translate and communicate LAB’s plan into actionable steps for growth, driving goal setting, performance management and the smooth delivery of change and transformation plans.

Tight Ship:

• Establish robust frameworks within daa Labs, encompassing reporting, staff engagement, strategy development and scorecard, risk management and CAPEX gateway.
• Collaborate with SMT to refine existing processes and implement necessary controls. Lead planning cycle in conjunction with the Labs Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Collate and distribute data driven reports and investigative initiatives on behalf of the MD daa Labs regarding business unit performance, governance, and compliance.
• Ensure the Labs business requirements for all major programmes are understood, captured, communicated to the relevant teams, and subsequently measured effectively.
• Drive periodic reporting for the business unit.
• Develop and support key delivery messages into Executive and Management to aid in and influence decision-making and keep the business updated.

Efficiency:

• Conduct macro-level assessments to benchmark the efficiency of daa Labs against industry standards and identify areas for improvement.
• Implement a continuous improvement culture across daa Labs, focusing on innovation.
• Act as an internal advisor, working alongside the wider Labs team to help determine which projects should be undertaken, why and when, not just how.
• Champion a new way of working across daa Labs that promotes a collaborative, matrix style approach to work to efficiently achieve business requirements and drive synergies.

Excellence:

• Work with the MD of daa Labs in developing and embedding a high-performing team culture within daa Labs, leveraging existing talent and bridging cultural gaps.
• Design and execute a comprehensive team development program, with measurable metrics to track progress.
• Champion a new way of working across daa Labs that promotes a collaborative, matrix style approach to work to efficiently achieve business requirements and drive synergies.
• Drive appropriate communications and initiatives across daa Labs to ensure that teams are engaged, informed, included, and ‘heard’ in relation to operations and plans.
• Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders across daa group.