Chief Technical Officer

Chief Technical Officer

School of Chemical Sciences

Faculty of Science and Health

Permanent Contract

Dublin City University

Dublin City University (DCU) is a leading innovative European University, proud to be one of the world’s leading Young Universities. DCU is known as Ireland’s University of Impact, with a mission to ‘transform lives and societies’ and focuses on addressing global challenges in collaboration with key national and international partners and stakeholders. 

DCU has over 20,000 students in five faculties spread across three academic campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra area of North Dublin. Thanks to its innovative approach to teaching and learning, the University offers a ‘transformative student experience’ that helps to develop highly sought-after graduates. DCU is currently No. 1 in Ireland for Graduate Employment Rate, and for graduate income (CSO). 

DCU is a research-intensive University and is home to a number of Research Ireland-funded Research Centres. The University participates in a range of European and international research partnerships. DCU is also the leading Irish university in the area of technology transfer as reflected by licensing of intellectual property.

As a ‘People First’ institution, DCU is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - a University that helps staff and students to thrive. The University is a leader in terms of its work to increase access to education and is placed in the world’s Top 10 for reducing inequalities in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Overview of the Department 

The School of Chemical Sciences, is one of Ireland's most progressive and highest achieving Schools with outstanding facilities, housed within a modern and dynamic campus. Our goal is to develop graduates with the ability to critically evaluate, and then to solve, chemical and pharmaceutical problems, preparing the highest quality graduates capable of meeting the challenges of modern industry and research. 

The School is highly successful at attracting large scale research funding, with our researchers having roles within nationally significant university/industry collaborative initiatives and European Union funded Integrated Training Networks. The School of Chemical Sciences is one of the leading academic schools within DCU. The School’s undergraduate programmes include the BSc in Analytical Science, the BSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the BSc in Chemistry with Artificial Intelligence, and the BSc in Environmental Science & Technology.  The school also contributes to the BSc in Science Education. 

Role Profile

The School of Chemical Sciences is seeking an experienced Chief Technical Officer (CTO) to lead its technical team.  The CTO will provide leadership and strategic direction to ensure high-quality support for teaching and research activities.  Key responsibilities will include developing, enhancing and maintaining the laboratory infrastructure, coordination of technical projects and workload, implementation of health and safety protocols, and liaising with academic and administrative personnel to support evolving school needs.

The successful candidate will have excellent technical skills, leadership and people management skills as well as excellent organisation, communication and interpersonal skills. The candidate should also have budget management experience and a strong record of appropriate technical competence and hands-on experience in chemistry. A deep understanding of regulatory compliance and safety standards, and a proactive approach to problem-solving and resource management is required. The post will involve working with students, academics, other technical and research staff at all levels. The CTO role is key to leading and managing the School’s technical operations in support of its teaching and research mission. The ability to prioritise work, work to tight deadlines, delegate and take responsibility for project deliverables is key to this role. 

The successful candidate will lead and implement change to achieve the School’s strategic objectives.  The candidate will report to the Head of School and work closely with other colleagues in the School. Ideally the successful candidate will be able to commence the appointment in early 2026.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not restricted to, the following: 

• Champion continuous technical improvement within the team
• Have oversight of maintenance and operation of specialist equipment to the highest standard
• Support teaching laboratories and research activities within the School
• Manage materials, stock control and purchasing processes
• Manage technical resources, manage change, increase efficiency and delegate work
• Champion the importance of Health and Safety amongst all staff and students
• Assist in the development and maintenance of health and safety policies and processes across the School
• Assess risk and put appropriate control measures in place. Ensure follow up action is taken to remove hazards and risk
• In collaboration with Head of School, review the budget, technical resources and forward plan 
• Communicate effectively on the development needs of the technical team and drive technical innovation across the team 
• Lead and deliver on new approaches across the technical team to meet the organisational needs of the School
• Liaise with Accounts/Finance Department

Qualifications and Experience 

Essential

• Candidates must have a Master’s Degree or equivalent (NFQ Level 9) in a relevant area.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the role of Senior Technical Officer in the private/public sectors, preferably in the higher education environment.
• Project management, organisational, and team leadership skills.
• Knowledge and deep understanding of regulatory compliance and safety standards relating to a chemical sciences environment

Desirable

• Experience in financial management and planning.

Essential Training 

The postholder will be required to undertake the following essential compliance training: 

• Orientation
• Health & Safety
• Data Protection (GDPR)
• Cyber Security Awareness 
• Performance Review & Development 
• AI Literacy 

Other training may need to be undertaken when required.

Salary Scale:

Chief Technical Officer - €66,800 - €80,994 refer to DCU Payscales for the applicable payscale. 

Appointment will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and in line with current Government pay policy.

Closing date: Tuesday, 18th November 2025

Remote Working Policy

DCU operates a Remote Working Policy. Employees may be approved for up to 2 days of remote working per week (or an appropriate pro-rata amount for those part time). Any remote working arrangement will be reflective of the predominant on-campus working environment and the core University value of 'Student Focused'.

Employees will be based on campus for the majority of their working week to ensure a sustained on campus engagement and experience. The terms of the remote working policy will apply.

For more information on the School of Chemical Sciences, please visit: https://www.dcu.ie/chemistry 

Informal Enquiries in relation to this role should be directed to:

Professor Mary Pryce Head of School of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University. 

Phone: + 353 (0)1 7008005 

Email: mary.pryce@dcu.ie 

Please do not send applications to this email address, instead apply as described below.