Finance Manager

Finance Manager

Professional 6

Research Ireland National Research Centre

Dublin City University

3 Year Fixed Term Contract

Dublin City University

Dublin City University is a leading innovative European University with a mission to ‘transform lives and societies’. DCU ranks as one of the world’s Top 350 Universities, Times Higher Education, and is proud to be Ireland’s No. 1 Young University. The University is known for the ‘transformative student experience’ it offers, and is also recognised for its impact in addressing global challenges in collaboration with national and international stakeholders. 

Overview of the Centre

DCU is a co-lead partner in a soon-to-be-announced multi-institutional National Research Centre in data science and AI funded by Research Ireland. The Centre represents a transformative scale of investment, uniting all 13 of Ireland’s universities and two additional research institutes to harness the collective expertise of both internationally recognised leaders and rising stars in the Irish research ecosystem. The Centre has the critical mass necessary to position the nation as a global leader in data science and AI. By bridging foundational science with applied solutions, the Centre will create a virtuous cycle of research that addresses urgent global issues, from democratic governance to personalised healthcare. Its significance lies in its "human-centered" mission: it moves beyond technical innovation to establish an ethical, transdisciplinary framework that ensures technology enhances human dignity, privacy, and democratic engagement. The Centre will drive innovation both nationally and internationally by working in partnership with both MNCs and SMES, and by developing a vibrant PhD and postdoctoral talent pipeline, whilst stimulating the creation of a new generation of deep tech start-ups.  

Role Profile

We are seeking a Finance Manager, who will be part of a distributed operations team for the National Research Centre. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing and overseeing the Centre’s finances nationally across 15 research-performing organisations (all 13 Irish universities and 2 research institutes). 

Duties and Responsibilities

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

• Collate, prepare and interpret finance and business reports, budgets, accounts, commentaries and financial statements from 15 different organisations.
• Work closely with the Finance Officers in 5 co-lead institutions and their equivalents in other collaborating institutions to manage the National Centre’s financial reporting.
• Manage the team of Finance Officers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality institutional finance reports on a national level.
• Manage complex, multi-format financial management and reporting and consolidate diverse financial models to provide a unified overview of the National Centre finances. 
• Perform detailed business modelling and comprehensive risk assessments for the Centre nationally.
• Prepare for, and participate in, audits and other regulatory requirements - updating and implementing all necessary business policies and accounting practices, as necessary.
• Research, preparation and submission of budgets within the National Centre - overseeing and leading the annual budgeting and planning process nationally.
• Coordinate the provision of financial planning and services support to funding applications, individual project management reports, business development pipeline management, resource planning etc, including responsibility for the delivery of this service centrally and across the Centre nationally.
• Effectively communicate and present the critical financial matters to the National Centre’s Executive Management Committee and others as required.
• Coordinate the Centre’s local site finance management resources to influence and ensure that the local sites maximise their potential.
• Engage with the National Centre’s Executive Management Committee, Institutional Leads, Business Development Leads, Head of Site Operations and Local Operations teams, Co-Applicants and Principal Investigators and other senior management, and with other relevant people/groups in the broader internal Centre ecosystem. 
• Develop an effective communication strategy in the Centre to ensure the team is aware of all financial management and reporting requirements.
• Interact with the National Centre’s partner Institutions, industry partners, funding agencies and other stakeholders to ensure excellent financial management of the National Centre and compliance with all reporting requirements of those bodies.

Qualifications and Experience 

Essential

• Primary Degree or equivalent (NFQ Level 7) in a relevant discipline.
• Hold a professional accounting qualification, for example ACA, ACCA, CIMA.
• Minimum of 5 years’ proven experience in a financial, or equivalent management role with team management responsibilities.
• Experience of research-related accounting as it relates to externally funded programmes.
• Strong experience in managing and coordinating, preparing and interpreting finance and business reports, budgets, accounts, commentaries and analysis of financial statements.
• Strong track record in financial management of complex large-scale projects.
• Excellent IT skills and experience of working with financial management computer systems, including advanced Excel skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with staff and management across all levels, both internally and externally.
• Excellent written and presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal/communication skills with the ability to present complex financial data to a wide, varied audience.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in Higher Education and knowledge of the Irish research landscape.
• Experience in running collaborative research projects between organisations. 

Please note that internal service criteria will apply to internal applicants and staff must have successfully completed their probationary period.

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 (PRD)
• AI Literacy 

Other training may need to be undertaken when required.

Salary Scale:

Professional 6- €64,341 - €91,656 (refer to DCU Payscales for the applicable payscale for the role.)

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

Closing date: Wednesday, 20th May 2026

Additional Information

Please note this role does not meet criteria for a Critical Skills permit as stipulated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment.

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 DCU and benefits, please visit Why work at DCU? 

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

Professor Noel O’Connor, Full Professor, School of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Dublin City University. 

Email: noel.oconnor@dcu.ie 

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