Talent and Development Manager

We are Uisce Éireann. Every day, we are responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. As Ireland’s national regulated water utility, our vision is a sustainable Ireland where water is respected and protected, for the planet and all the lives it supports.

Our purpose at Uisce Éireann is to rise to the challenge of delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. That means we are proud to take on the responsibility of protecting our water supply and passing on a safe and secure water system to a rapidly growing population and empowering Ireland’s social and economic growth.

So, we’re passionate about helping our people to do the best work of their lives, to enable them to make a positive difference to communities all over Ireland. Our aim is to attract and develop talented and skilled people with diverse backgrounds and an evolving range of expertise and insight. We believe that such a strong workforce will help us achieve our goals and allow us to continue investing in, and advancing, Ireland’s water services.

The Role:

The Organisation Development Function is responsible for assessing organisational capability needs and designing, implementing and evaluating programmes that support professional growth, leadership development and continuous learning across Uisce Éireann.

Within this function, the Talent Team leads the organisation's strategic talent agenda, including talent management, succession planning, leadership development, and Early Careers programmes. The team is also responsible for developing talent policies, processes and measures that support a consistent and effective talent management framework.

Reporting to the Learning & Talent Development Senior Manager, the Talent & Development Manager is responsible for leading the delivery and continuous improvement of Uisce Éireann's talent management framework. The role partners with senior leaders to strengthen organisational capability through talent reviews, succession planning, leadership development and Early Careers initiatives, ensuring a robust pipeline of future talent for critical roles.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the annual talent review and succession planning processes across Uisce Éireann.

• Partner with HR Business Partners and senior leaders to identify future capability requirements, workforce risks and critical talent priorities that support organisational strategy

• Analyse talent data and organisational insights to identify organisational capability gaps, succession risks and workforce priorities
• Develop recommendations and challenge leaders on talent and succession decisions to support organisational objectives.
• Drive a consistent approach to talent identification and development across the organisation.
• Lead the design, implementation and ongoing management of talent and leadership development programmes.
• Manage programme governance, budget, evaluation and continuous improvement activities.
• Oversee assessment, selection and progression processes for talent programmes.
• Ensure programmes align with organisational priorities, workforce plans and future capability requirements
• Lead the development and continuous enhancement of talent management policies, frameworks and processes to ensure a consistent enterprise-wide approach

• Identify external trends and emerging best practices in talent management, succession planning and leadership development to inform future organisational capability requirements

• Shape and continuously evolve Uisce Éireann's leadership development approach to support current and future organisational capability needs.

• Build trusted relationships with Executive Team members, Heads of Function and senior leaders across the organisation
• Influence and challenge senior stakeholders on talent decisions, succession planning, capability requirements and leadership development priorities.
• Prepare and present talent, succession and leadership development insights, metrics and recommendations to executive and senior leadership forums
• Navigate differing stakeholder perspectives whilst maintaining credibility and professional confidence.

• Lead the design and delivery of Uisce Éireann's graduate, internship and Early Careers programmes.

• Partner with senior leaders to forecast future early careers requirements and align intake plans with workforce needs.

• Develop and promote Uisce Éireann's employer value proposition to strengthen attraction and engagement of early careers talent.

• Build relationships with educational institutions, professional bodies and external partners to enhance talent pipelines.

• Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition team to oversee recruitment, selection, onboarding and development of early careers professionals.

• Continuously review market practice and programme effectiveness to ensure a high-quality participant experience and positive talent outcomes.

• Lead relationships with external providers and learning partners.
• Manage procurement, contracts, programme delivery and performance expectations.
• Ensure value for money, service quality and measurable outcomes from external partners.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Foster strong collaboration with stakeholders across Uisce Éireann, including Human Resources, Health & Safety, Talent Acquisition, Finance and other Directorates

• Responsible for promoting and delivering health and safety commitments across UÉ and its supply chain, reinforcing positive behaviours and delivering health and safety objectives and requirements to the highest industry standards

• Provide leadership, coaching and development to team members, creating a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

• Support the delivery of the Uisce Éireann Transformation Programme, driving results required within the Directorate and supporting organisation-wide objectives

• Conducts duties and responsibilities in accordance with Uisce Éireann’s Information Security policies, standards, processes and controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UÉ business information and delivery of critical services, in accordance with the NIS Directive and any other relevant cybersecurity regulation

• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the requirements of the role.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Relevant third-level qualification in HR, Marketing, Business, or a related discipline. Professional accreditation (e.g. CIPD) is desirable.

• Minimum 7 years' relevant experience, ideally within a utility, regulated, infrastructure or similarly complex environment, including at least 3 years' people management experience

• Proven experience in leading strategic people, change, and transformation initiatives within a utility, regulated, or complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with a demonstrated ability to build credibility, influence, and maintain effective partnerships at senior leadership level.

• Excellent influencing, negotiation, and communication skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and present complex information clearly at senior management level.

• Strong project and programme management capability, with experience managing multiple priorities and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and insights to inform decision-making and implement effective solutions.

• Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, manage complex issues proactively, and adapt to changing business needs while delivering pragmatic outcomes.

• Experience developing, implementing, and supporting policies, systems, controls, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Highly motivated professional with a strong track record of delivering results to a high standard of quality and professionalism.

The closing date for receipt of applications for this vacancy is 25/09/2026.

Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted.

*Successful external candidates will be offered a salary within the advertised range based on an assessment of their relevant skills, qualifications, experience and readiness to undertake the responsibilities of the role.

Internal candidates will be considered in line with the application of Uisce Éireann's Pay Model and associated pay policies.

The salary range is designed to recognise that successful candidates may join the organisation at different stages in their career, while also providing scope for future salary progression as capability and experience develop.

Uisce Éireann is an equal opportunities employer.

We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive place of work and have a robust strategy and framework called ibelong to enable this. We are an equal opportunity employer and through our recruitment process we welcome and encourage applications from interested and suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, membership of the traveller community, religion or beliefs, family or civil status, sexual orientation/gender identity or disability.