Project Director – Planning & Front-End Development - Aviation

Job Description

Start here. Grow here.

At AECOM, we are seeking an experienced Project Director – Planning & Front-End Development to join our Dublin office. This is a strategic leadership role focused on driving the successful planning, statutory approvals, and front-end development of major infrastructure projects.

Focus: Lead the planning and front-end development of major aviation infrastructure projects, including MRO facilities, Hangar Demolition, Cargo developments, CBP, HV Substation, and other strategic capital projects.

Working within a multidisciplinary consultancy environment, you will provide leadership from project inception through planning, feasibility, stakeholder engagement, environmental assessment, and procurement readiness, ensuring projects are positioned for successful delivery.

This role will play a key part in shaping a multi-year capital investment programme supporting the transformation of nationally significant airport infrastructure.

We encourage applications from candidates with:

• 15+ years' experience leading the planning and front-end development of major infrastructure or aviation projects.
• Extensive experience managing planning applications and statutory approval processes for complex infrastructure developments.
• Strong understanding of Irish planning legislation, environmental assessment, and consenting processes.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams across planning, engineering, environmental, and commercial disciplines.
• Proven ability to engage with planning authorities, statutory bodies, airport stakeholders, and government agencies.
• Strong leadership, commercial, programme management, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Here's what you'll do:

Planning & Front-End Development

• Lead the planning and front-end development strategy for major capital projects including MRO facilities, Hangar Demolition, Cargo developments, CBP, HV Substation, and other emerging infrastructure projects.
• Direct feasibility studies, option assessments, business case development, and project definition activities.
• Manage planning applications from initial concept through submission, determination, and planning compliance.
• Coordinate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Appropriate Assessment (AA), transport studies, utilities strategies, and supporting technical documentation.
• Ensure projects meet statutory planning, environmental, regulatory, and airport operational requirements.
• Identify planning risks, constraints, opportunities, and mitigation strategies during project development.

Programme Leadership

• Develop and maintain front-end delivery programmes aligned with the wider capital investment strategy.
• Oversee multidisciplinary consultant teams delivering planning, design development, environmental, and technical workstreams.
• Establish governance processes, reporting frameworks, and project controls for the planning phase.
• Manage project budgets, consultant appointments, procurement activities, and programme milestones through the development stage.
• Ensure seamless transition from planning approval into detailed design and project delivery.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with airport stakeholders, planning authorities, statutory agencies, utilities providers, and regulatory bodies.
• Lead stakeholder consultation and engagement activities throughout the planning process.
• Present project proposals and progress updates to executive leadership, clients, and governance boards.
• Coordinate internal and external approvals to support timely planning submissions and programme delivery.

Project Governance & Performance

• Establish project governance structures, risk management processes, and reporting mechanisms during project development.
• Maintain project risk registers, action trackers, and decision logs.
• Lead multidisciplinary planning review workshops and design coordination meetings.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes, project controls, and front-end delivery methodologies.
• Ensure projects are developed in accordance with quality, safety, sustainability, and governance standards while supporting successful transition into the delivery phase.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what's possible?

Here's what we're looking for:

As the successful candidate, you will bring extensive experience leading the planning and front-end development of major aviation infrastructure programmes, together with the following qualifications and experience:

• A minimum of 15 years' experience in the planning, development, and delivery of major infrastructure projects, including aviation or other projects of comparable scale, complexity, and strategic importance.
• Proven experience leading the planning and statutory approval process for major infrastructure developments, including the successful delivery of planning applications from concept through consent.
• Demonstrated understanding of planning within live operational airport environments, with a strong appreciation of operational constraints, regulatory requirements, safety, security, and stakeholder management.
• Extensive experience managing front-end project development, including feasibility studies, option assessments, business case development, environmental assessment, and procurement readiness.
• Strong knowledge of Irish planning legislation, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Appropriate Assessment (AA), and statutory consenting processes.
• Proven experience coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams across planning, engineering, environmental, commercial, and technical disciplines to achieve planning and development milestones.
• Experience leading the planning and development of major aviation infrastructure projects, including MRO facilities, Hangar Demolition, Cargo developments, CBP, HV Substation projects, and other strategic capital investments.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement project governance frameworks, development programmes, risk management processes, and front-end delivery strategies.
• Experience acting in a client-side project leadership role, representing the Contracting Entity throughout project inception, planning, stakeholder engagement, and approvals.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with planning authorities, statutory agencies, airport operators, government bodies, utility providers, consultants, and executive leadership teams.
• Proven ability to influence decision-making, manage competing priorities, and drive collaborative outcomes across complex stakeholder environments.
• Commercially aware, with experience managing consultant appointments, development budgets, procurement strategies, and programme governance.
• Previous experience working under the NEC Suite of Contracts or similar collaborative contract models would be an advantage.
• Previous experience within the aviation sector or other highly regulated, operationally constrained infrastructure environments is highly desirable.

Additional Information

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For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn Colum Calnan

#ProjectDirector#Aviation#infrastructure#FrontEnd#Planning

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