HEAnet is Ireland’s National Research and Education Network, providing Internet connectivity and ICT shared services across all levels of the Irish education system, reaching 1,000,000 end users. We connect learners and researchers across Ireland to education resources and to fellow national educational and research networks in Europe, and the rest of the world.
HEAnet is seeking a Director of Strategy & Business Planning to join the Senior Leadership Team reporting to the Chief Executive Officer.
As Director of Strategy & Business Planning, you will support shaping the company’s future strategic direction and oversee the execution of strategy in terms of business planning and future business development. The HEAnet strategy for 2020-2022 is to provide quality digital solutions to Education and Research in Ireland. Responsibility will also extend to shaping and executing on Group Strategy in partnership with our subsidiary company, EduCampus Services DAC.
The purpose of the role is to engage with HEAnet Board members, clients, stakeholders, and the HEAnet organisation, in the planning, development and execution of future strategy. This also includes identifying and evaluating new opportunities, developing compelling business cases that secure funding to enhance and expand our shared services portfolio. The role will co-ordinate strategy execution and business planning across the company. It will involve designing annual delivery plans with contributions from key business areas. This role will have responsibility for our Project Management Office (PMO), and our Innovation R&D team.
The role will focus on delivering value and business benefits to our clients and wider education community, ensuring our services portfolio remains relevant and continues to serve the needs of our client members and stakeholders now and into the future.
Business development will extend to identifying new opportunities and innovations that align with company and sectoral strategy. This should also extend to Group strategy considerations. Areas of potential opportunity include digital transformation, cyber security, analytics, open science, and associated research supports.
Essential Requirements
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate evidence of:
•Experience in developing, planning, and implementing successful strategies and delivery relating to multiple goals.
•Experience of advising and/or executing on technology and innovative strategies
•Experience of successful business case design, evidencing strong commercial acumen, with a focus on viability and sustainability of business models.
•Proven experience of strategy execution in terms of organising teams and resources to execute strategic goals.
•A background in technology and/or education/research, with demonstrated effective engagement across a breadth of stakeholders.
•Experience of Business Development, ideally in an education and research technology setting
•Experience of Business Planning, to effectively manage people, money, and time
•Strong commercial and financial acumen to support business case/model design/financial viability considerations
•Experience developing constructive and collaborative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time, including communicating up to a senior stakeholder level
•Proven organisational management and people management ability
•Proven experience of change management in a flexible and agile environment
•Excellent analytical and organisational skills
Desirable Requirements
•Experience of securing funding in a public sector environment.
•Experience of public procurement
•Consultancy experience in the context of business case and business model design
•Knowledge of the Irish education and research sector