Assistant Secretary
Assistant Secretary - Health Infrastructure Department of Health
Job summary
The Assistant Secretary – Health Infrastructure will provide strategic leadership for the planning, governance and delivery of the State's health infrastructure, capital investment and digital health agenda. The role is responsible for overseeing the Health Capital Programme, ensuring robust appraisal, assurance and delivery arrangements for major infrastructure and Digital/ICT investments, in line with Government policy, the National Development Plan and the Infrastructure Guidelines.
Main Duties of the job
The postholder will lead the development of health capital infrastructure and digital health initiatives that support Health Service reform, including oversight of the Sláintecare Programme Office and engagement with the HSE and other key stakeholders to drive system transformation and improved healthcare delivery. This will include providing strategic direction for the Sláintecare PMO as a central reform-enabling function, ensuring that reform priorities are translated into clear implementation plans, measurable milestones, strong programme governance and effective cross-system delivery.
The postholder will be expected to provide system-level leadership for a nationally significant investment and reform portfolio, integrating physical infrastructure, digital health, data, equipment, sustainability and delivery capability. The role will require close collaboration with the HSE, Health Regions, DPER, other Government Departments and delivery partners to ensure that investment decisions are evidence-based, deliverable, regionally balanced and clearly focused on patient safety, equitable access, productivity, resilience and long-term public value.
As well as the key competencies for Assistant Secretaries, the person appointed will have:
• Strong ability to translate Government policy and strategic investment priorities into deliverable programmes with clear governance, sequencing, risk management and accountability that translate into improvements in access, integration, quality, safety and patient experience.
• Proven capacity to lead complex national programmes involving infrastructure, digital transformation, public expenditure or service delivery at scale with proven delivery orientation, with the ability to move complex programmes from strategy and approval into implementation, while maintaining pace, discipline, accountability and value for money.
• Strong awareness of national infrastructure delivery challenges and reform agendas, including the ability to engage with the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, DPER and other central actors to address barriers in planning, procurement, governance, market capacity and project execution.
• Demonstrated experience of working across organisational boundaries to influence senior stakeholders, resolve delivery barriers and maintain momentum in a complex system.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in complex commercial, procurement or infrastructure delivery environments, including engaging with delivery partners, professional advisers, suppliers or market actors to support realistic, value-for-money delivery.
• Ability to integrate physical infrastructure, digital technology, data, climate, resilience and workforce considerations into coherent strategic investment decisions.
• A clear commitment to patient-centred, equitable and sustainable health service reform, with the ability to keep public value and outcomes at the centre of decision-making.
Information about the Organisation
The Department’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Ireland by supporting people to lead healthy and independent lives; ensuring the delivery of high quality and safe health and social care; creating a more responsive; integrated and people-centred health and social care service; promoting effective and efficient management of the health and social care service and ensuring best value from health system resources. The Department is engaged in an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of reform under the umbrella of Sláintecare, the ten-year plan for the health service. Through Sláintecare there are a range of strategic actions which are being progressed to improve safe and timely access to care, promote health and wellbeing and address health inequalities.
Selection Process Details
This is a Top-Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) position.
Further information on this significant opportunity including details on how to apply, is available on www.publicjobs.ie
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday 8th October 2026.
If you feel you would benefit from a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Ciarán Oman at ciaran.oman@publicjobs.ie
We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/Ad_ASECHIDOH
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