Atlantic Technological University (ATU) was established on 1 April 2022 following the merger of Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology. In November 2023, St Angela’s College Sligo also became part of ATU. ATU has approximately 30,000 students and 2,600 staff across its nine campuses in the West and North West region of Ireland, making it one of the largest multi-campus universities on the island. The University serves a diverse group of learners, staff, communities and organisations, playing a major role in supporting development in the region and further afield. Since its inception, ATU can already point to considerable achievements such as becoming a member of European University Alliance EU GREEN, successfully bidding for new nationally relevant higher education programmes in Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine and becoming the first university in Ireland to be designated an Accredited Institution of Advance HE. ATU’s inaugural strategic plan, Open Minds, Bright Futures, centres around five guiding lights: Enabling Education, Engaged Research, Connected Ecosystem, Transformed Organisation, and Sustainable Future.This is an exciting time to join ATU as the organisation delivers on its first strategic plan and continues to drive impact and support the North and North West region.
During this time of development and growth, ATU now seeks to appoint a Chief Operations Officer. Reporting to the President, the Chief Operations Officer will be a key member of the University Senior Leadership Team and will be responsible for the leadership and coordination of many core services supporting the successful delivery of university operations. Along with the primary areas of Facilities, Capital Projects and Information Technology Services, the role holder will be accountable for enhancing procurement services, driving improved digital performance, ensuring compliant health and safety policies and procedures and developing a commercial model to support investment in facilities and infrastructure. They will be responsible for the masterplanning and delivery of key capital projects, including governance oversight and reporting to the Governing Body on the performance of major capital programmes. The Chief Operations Officer will shape a future-ready university by championing technological innovation and delivering resilient, secure and integrated digital infrastructure that enhances learning, collaboration and operational performance.
The successful candidate will be a strategic leader with a keen understanding of business operations and what drives operational excellence. This individual should have a track record of overseeing a diverse portfolio, including some functions where they are not necessarily subject matter experts. They will know how to manage and lead through the experts who report to them and have experience establishing appropriate lead and lag indicators that facilitate best value outcomes. The successful candidate will be collaborative, reliant and agile and have the ability to ability to multitask and deal with the variety inherent within this role.
The ideal candidate will maintain a big picture view while also maintaining sufficient bandwidth to deep dive into detail when necessary.
How to Apply
Perrett Laver, the appointed advisers of ATU, are conducting an executive search exercise alongside the public advertisement for this role. Perrett Laver will support the Search Committee in the discharge of its duties. Applications should consist of a full curriculum vitae detailing academic and professional qualifications and experience, full employment history showing the more significant positions, responsibilities held, relevant achievements and budgets and staff managed. CVs should be accompanied by a covering letter describing how candidates meet the criteria outlined in the candidate profile and why the appointment is of interest. Candidates are asked to set out briefly their vision for the role.
Further information can be found at https://perrettlaver.com/atu-senior-appointments/ . The closing date of applications is 12 noon Irish local time on Friday 13th March 2026.
Atlantic Technological University is an equal opportunities employer.
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