Skillnet Ireland is a business support agency of the Government of Ireland. Our mandate is to advance the competitiveness of Irish businesses through enterprise-led talent development. Skillnet Ireland partners with more than 57 enterprise bodies, providing talent development, upskilling and innovative business supports to 26,600 businesses and 97,700 workers throughout the country every year. Skillnet Ireland has been recognised as an international best-practice model by the European Commission, the OECD and the ILO, among others.
Our mission is “Helping businesses in Ireland to be the best they can be, through innovative and enterprise-driven people development”. We partner directly with companies and industry groups to ensure we understand their needs and talent priorities. We also help companies understand the future of work and how to embrace innovation, driving more successful and competitive businesses.
Skillnet Ireland is funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Skillnet Ireland seeks an accomplished strategic leader to drive our enterprise-led workforce development mandate, delivering Ireland’s skills agenda through innovative partnerships with industry, government, and education providers. As Chief Strategy Officer, you will help shape national and EU skills policy while overseeing €90-100M in annual investments to strengthen Ireland’s competitiveness in digital transformation, sustainability, and regional development.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Growth
* Primary responsibility for delivering the Business Development Strategy for the future direction of Skillnet Ireland, both domestically and internationally.
* Identifies and drives high-growth opportunities, both organic and non-organic to ensure that Skillnet Ireland fulfils its mandate (as revised by Government in December 2022) to promote and facilitate enterprise-led training and upskilling as key elements of Ireland’s national competitiveness.
* Secures competitive funding (EU facilities, government initiatives) to position Skillnet Ireland for scalable growth and greater impact.
Partnership Development
* Establishes and manages private, public and commercial partnerships.
* Develops and strengthens strong partnership relations with key national stakeholder groups: Government, IDA, Enterprise Ireland etc.
EU Strategy and Engagement
* Represents Skillnet Ireland as an active participant on EU, Government, and Irish-based industry body boards – promoting the brand, value proposition and organisational impact.
* Advances Skillnet Ireland’s EU engagement strategy by contributing to EU skills and workforce development policy.
* Builds and maintains strong relationships with EU stakeholders, securing participation in EU consortia projects and ensuring the successful implementation of existing contracted EU projects.
Programme Delivery and Impact
* Primary responsibility for the delivery of KPIs and other outputs that are contracted with enterprise groups across the entire multi-sectoral portfolio of partner networks.
* Leads forecasting, planning and targeted fund distribution for Skillnet Ireland’s National Initiatives (with execution support from the executive and industry partner stakeholders).
* Drives substantive actions assigned to Skillnet Ireland across Government policies and strategic action plans.
Thought Leadership and Advocacy
* Provides thought leadership nationally in collaboration with enterprise and Government stakeholders, particularly on technology and related workforce matters.
* Promotes the organisational strategy and goals across media channels and through government and industry forums.
* Responsible for articulating organisational objectives and strategies, internally and externally, across all stakeholder levels.
Innovation and Collaboration
* Promotes and facilitates multi-stakeholder collaborations (across Government, industry, higher education, and others) to address the talent dimensions of the Digital and Climate Transitions.
* Leads the agency’s role in innovation through cutting-edge industry-academia collaborations, creating a cohesive, responsive ecosystem for enterprise.
Organisational Development
* Responsible for the delivery of internal transformation and innovation programmes.
* 10+ years’ senior leadership experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
* Proven track record in: In-depth understanding of Irish and EU skills policy landscape
o Digital/AI workforce transformation
o Sustainable skills development
o Talent solutions for SME and FDI sectors
* A Level 8 (or higher) qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) in business, economics, public policy, or a related discipline
* Strategic vision with strong execution capability
* Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
* Results-driven mindset with a focus on measurable outcomes
Operational Requirements
* Willingness to undertake significant domestic/international travel
* Flexibility to work outside standard hours as required
Interested candidates should send a comprehensive CV, which outlines why you should be considered for this position. Applications can only be made using the Skillnet Ireland Careers page. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is by 1pm, Thursday, May 1st, 2025.
An attractive and competitive package will be offered to the successful candidate.
Skillnet Ireland is currently operating a hybrid working model for individuals and roles that meet the business needs and the criteria of suitability.
Skillnet Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer that values equity, diversity and inclusion as we recognise the benefits it can bring to our workforce, our partners and external stakeholders.
If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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