Head of Project Development

Company

HeatGrid Ireland is the first developer of district heating on the island of Ireland which offers a full turnkey solution to low-carbon heat networks, starting from initial feasibility right through to a fully operational system, including the funding and construction of the project. To deliver this, we are rapidly expanding our team which will be responsible for delivering district heating networks across a number of Irish cities in the years ahead.

Our Purpose

Ireland has the lowest share of renewable heating in Europe at approximately 5% and in HeatGrid Ireland, our overarching ambition is to increase this number and make a significant contribution to Ireland’s decarbonisation journey.

District heating is the most well-established and cost-effective form of low-carbon heating in urban areas. All of the countries in Europe who are leading in terms of renewable heat, also have the most well-established district heating networks. For example, countries such as Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland are already supplying approximately 50% of their total heat in buildings from district heating whereas Ireland has a share of less than 1%.

Our purpose in HeatGrid Ireland is to rapidly develop district heating networks at scale in Ireland to reduce carbon emissions in all of our cities and towns. We are expanding our team after recently securing investment from the European Investment Bank as well as being granted planning permission for Ireland’s largest ever district heating network. If you want to be part of a fast-paced working environment which is aiming to leave a lasting legacy in Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon energy sector, then HeatGrid Ireland is for you!

Role's Purpose

As Head of Project Development you will own everything, other than the Technical Development (Concept & Pre-Construction Engineering), that a district heating project needs in order to reach construction. Land and property rights, planning permission and environmental consents, utility agreements, programme, development budget and the coordination of the whole development process from first opportunity to the day construction starts.

District heating is unusually demanding as a development discipline. A single project needs a site for an energy centre, a continuous route for kilometres of network across land in multiple ownerships, planning permission, environmental consents, road opening agreements, utility connections and a set of customers all committing on compatible timescales. Any one of these can stop a project. Holding them together, in the right sequence, is the job.

You will lead a team covering land and property, planning and consents, and development project management, and you will direct an external supply chain of planning consultants, environmental specialists, property agents, valuers and legal advisers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the development team

· Lead, develop and grow the development team, including the Land & Property Manager, Planning & Consents Manager and Development Project Managers

· Set the process, standards and templates by which HeatGrid develops projects, and make them repeatable as the pipeline grows

· Plan and allocate resource across the pipeline, balancing internal capacity against external adviser support

· Build capability through mentoring, structured development and support for professional accreditation

· Own the development budget covering land, planning, environmental, legal and advisory spend, and report on it accurately

Own the Development Programme

· Own the master development programme for every project, from origination through to construction start

· Manage the critical path where land, planning, utilities, customer contracts and funding must converge, and hold the team to the dates that matter

· Prepare projects for stage gate review, assembling the evidence pack and confirming that all non-technical criteria have been met, for decision by the CEO

· Maintain accurate pipeline reporting, including forecast dates for planning grant, financial close and construction start

· Escalate slippage early and honestly, and recommend where a project should be paused, sequenced or stopped

Land and Property

· Set the site acquisition strategy for energy centres, network infrastructure and ancillary plant

· Identify, appraise and secure sites, negotiating options, leases, licences and freehold acquisitions

· Secure the land rights needed for network routes, including wayleaves, easements and rights of way across public and private land

· Negotiate road opening licences, corridor agreements and access arrangements with local authorities and roads authorities

· Direct land referencing, title investigation and property due diligence, and manage agents, valuers and legal advisers

· Ensure all land rights are secured on terms that are assignable, financeable and fit for a long-life infrastructure asset

Planning and Consents

· Own the planning strategy for each project, including scale, phasing, route selection and pre-application engagement with planning authorities

· Lead planning applications through to grant, including appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála and any judicial review risk management, working with planning counsel as required

· Direct environmental assessment work, including EIA screening and scoping, Appropriate Assessment, ecology, archaeology, noise, air quality and traffic

· Manage the planning and environmental consultant supply chain, including scoping, procurement and quality of their output

· Secure all secondary consents and discharge planning conditions in time for construction start

· Lead community and stakeholder engagement, including public consultation, briefings for elected members and engagement with statutory consultees

Utilities and 3rd Party Infrastructure

· Own applications, offers and agreements with ESB Networks, Uisce Éireann, Gas Networks Ireland and telecoms undertakers, working to the demand and connection requirements specified by Technical Development

· Manage utility diversions, third-party crossings and consents from road, rail, waterway and harbour authorities

· Track connection offer timescales and charges, and reflect both in the programme and the project financial model

Support the Investment Case

· Provide the non-technical inputs to project financial models, including land and property costs, planning and environmental spend, connection charges, development costs and programme

· Support grant and funding applications to bodies such as the SEAI, the Department and local authorities, and to any district heating support scheme

· Prepare and present the development elements of investment papers, and lead responses to due diligence on land, planning, consents and programme

· Forecast development spend and cash requirements across the pipeline

Governance, risk and handover to construction

· Own the development risk register, and ensure risks are quantified, owned and actively retired rather than simply logged

· Confirm that every land right, consent, agreement and third-party obligation is in place, transferable and enforceable before construction begins

· Lead the formal development handover to the delivery team, covering consents and their conditions, land rights, third-party obligations, stakeholder commitments and residual risks

· Ensure compliance with procurement, legal, data protection and governance obligations across the development process

· Support the leadership team in the strategic and organisational development of the business

 

These are the core responsibilities of the role, but the successful candidate is expected to be flexible and to support activities across other HeatGrid functions including technical development, delivery and internal operations — as required.

Essential Requirements

· A degree in planning, property, engineering, geography, law, project management, environmental science or a related discipline

· Significant experience (typically ten years or more) developing infrastructure, energy or major property projects, including at least three years leading and developing teams

· A track record of taking projects from origination through land assembly, planning and consenting to construction start

· Deep working knowledge of the Irish planning system, ideally including major infrastructure, linear or utility projects, and of environmental assessment processes

· Practical experience of land assembly and property rights, including options, leases, wayleaves and easements

· Understanding of utility connection processes

· Strong programme management capability, with a demonstrable ability to hold a critical path across many parallel workstreams

· Commercial fluency, able to read a project financial model and understand how programme, land and consenting assumptions drive project returns

· Experience procuring and directing multidisciplinary external advisers

· A genuine commitment to decarbonising heat in Ireland

Desirable

· Experience of district heating, or of linear utility infrastructure such as water, gas, electricity or telecoms networks

· Membership of a relevant professional body, such as the Irish Planning Institute, RTPI, SCSI, RICS or APM

· Experience working with local authorities as partners, including joint venture, concession or public private structures, and familiarity with the Capital Works Management Framework

· Experience of statutory acquisition or compulsory purchase processes

· Experience of grant-funded or publicly supported infrastructure programmes

· Experience of community engagement on contested or high-profile schemes

· A full, valid driving licence and willingness to travel nationally as required