Recruitment Call: Smart Tourism Programme Manager - now closed

About the role:

Function and role specification:

The purpose of this role is to maintain the existing programme of work established by the Smart Tourism programme for Dublin 2019-2022.

In addition, the position will aim to develop new programmes of work that support the Smart Tourism agenda and add value to the Smart Tourism programme.

The role will also engage with best practice and develop collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders and potential project partners to create a common approach to this area.

Key responsibilities:

• Planning and delivery of Smart Tourism programme 2023 activity plan.
• Smart Tourism programme project portfolio management.
• Smart Tourism programme media management, communications and administration.
• Supporting the 2023 Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy
• Digital technology advisory and development including Dublin Discovery Trails app.
• European Collaboration and funding opportunities.
• Stakeholder engagement and management.
• Budget management and KPI reporting and progress monitoring.

Project development and implementation:

• Identify and develop projects to support the Smart Tourism agenda including specific initiatives in the areas of digital trails, immersive experiences, and support the development of data analysis platforms to better inform tourism planning and decision making.
• Project manage to a high standard all activities and work streams to support the Smart Tourism outcomes.
• Capture and monitor information on all project outputs, milestones and deliverables.
• Based on clearly defined project areas (pilots / challenges), proactively engage the market to contract potential project partners through tendering and open calls.
• Manage and deliver all programme communications through a network of platforms including social media, newsletters and web in collaboration with Dublin City Council Culture Company and Smart Dublin Communications teams.

Stakeholder engagement, funding and communication:

• Develop and engage a strong network of relevant stakeholders and project partners across the tourism industry, researchers, industry partners, Smart Dublin Districts, professionals in the tourist and technology sectors.
• Engage with and distil digital expertise, international case studies, and best in class design and technology solutions relevant to this area to support policy direction and decision-making.
• Coordinate, plan and implement project workshops, events and meetings bringing stakeholders together to develop common approaches to Smart Tourism.
• Champion the area of Smart Tourism across domestic and national partner organisations and raise awareness of project activity through presentations at relevant events and forums.
• Identify and target opportunities for additional funding and resources.

Reporting and governance:

• To establish and manage governance of Smart Tourism programme including steering committee and project management committees.
• To plan and manage the budget with appropriate controls and reporting.
• To ensure the managers in the Dublin City Tourism Unit, Dublin City Council’s Smart City team and Dublin City Council’s Culture Company are kept up to date on activity and any relevant issues.
• To implement and ensure robust project management and measurement framework across all initiatives.
• Scheduling, chairing and capturing minutes of regular meetings with programme partners.
• Provide timely communications ensuring the Steering Committee/Management are fully briefed on activities, challenges and progress.

The role involves the post holder working outside of standard working hours to attend relevant industry, stakeholder or professional networking events. The role will involve national travel, as well as occasional international travel.

About the candidate

The ideal person for this role will meet the following criteria:

Essential:

• Hold a recognised degree or qualification in a discipline relevant to the role or equivalent experience.
• A successful track record of at least five years of experience playing a key role in projects in the tourism industry or broad technology sector, data analysis or innovation sector.
• Comprehensive knowledge, understanding and awareness on the potential impact of Smart Tourism on the local economic recovery.
• Experience as a key point of contact of presenting to and engaging different audiences (both technical and non-technical) on aspects of technology, tourism, culture and climate, (e.g. workshops).
• Formal expertise in project management complemented by end-to-end ownership of delivering reasonably complex projects.
• Experience leading procurement exercises from end-to-end.
• Experience, expertise or exposure to data analytics and visualisation as part of previous project work.
• Practical governance experience of reporting to a project board, steering committee or board.
• Experience of engaging and gaining buy-in from different stakeholders and partners.
• Practical experience of working with multiple stakeholders ideally including a mix of private and public sector organisations.
• Highly proficient IT skills including experience with MS Office suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and Google Suite (Gmail, G Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Meet, Google Chat)

Desirable:

• Experience in cultural and community driven tourism development, bottom up development models including concepts such as Regenerative Tourism, Sustainable Tourism and Community Tourism.
• Experience and knowledge of tourism data analytics, trends and tourism insights reporting.
• Experience or knowledge of Smart City and open data concepts (or an interest in Smart City challenges, research technology and its applications)
• Experience of delivering new concepts and innovations through collaboration.
• An awareness of the Irish tourism and Dublin tech innovation ecosystem.
• An understanding of ICT in a public sector/ local government context.
• Ability to identify, develop and deliver new funding opportunities with experience in grant / bid writing.

Person Specification:

• A passionate and curious communicator who will bring enthusiasm and expertise to the role.
• A creative problem solver with excellent analysis skills, and ability to identify solutions and manage risks.
• Ambitious in approach to defining and achieving goals with ability to seek opportunities and think outside the box across a range of areas.
• An effective and versatile collaborator who can credibly engage different audiences on the possibilities of Smart Tourism development and tourism data and insights development.
• Proactive at building and maintaining productive relationships and collaborations in both the public and private sector.
• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a distributed team.
• Motivated by having a positive impact on the citizen and the city.
• Enjoys drafting written communications and producing relevant output to a high standard in English.
• Career to date demonstrates a consistent appetite and desire to learn about developments and innovation in technology, innovation and related areas.
• Composed with an ability to prioritise and manage the demands of a multi-faceted role.

Position summary:

Post Title: Smart Tourism Programme Manager

Post Status:

• Fixed Term Contract (full-time), two years; a six month probationary period applies.
• This role is based between Smart Dublin, Dublin City Council and Dublin City Council Culture Company.

Location: Dublin City Council Culture Company HQ, 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, D01 HH34 and Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 YY05.

Reports to: Head of Dublin City's Tourism Unit

Key relationships: Smart Dublin. Dublin City Council.

Salary: Full time salary of €39,000 per annum

Pension: A contribution of 10% of salary will be made to an agreed pension savings scheme subject to the individual contributing a similar percentage.

Reward and recognition: All Dublin City Council Culture Company employees participate in the performance review and appraisal process annually. This process measures performance, considers training and development opportunities and is used to determine any reward (pay or annual leave increases) that may be applicable.

Working from home: The company facilitates working from home suitable to the requirement of the position, this can be discussed further with the successful candidate.

Other benefits: Other Employee benefits include Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, Taxsaver Commuter Ticket Scheme for public transport to and from work, access to certified training and opportunities for professional development in your role.

How to apply:

Applications are now invited from applicants who meet these published requirements. Applications must include the following:

• A CV highlighting your relevant experience for this role, including the names and contact details of two referees. Note that referees will not be contacted without prior consent.
  
• A cover letter, no more than two pages, citing your specific skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the role specification and requirements set out here.
  • The letter should include details on your tourism and project management experience, a summary of your key project experience and brief summary of relevant project experience from your career to date.
  • The letter should also include details on one significant project, a brief overview of the project, its aims, details of your role and reporting requirements, a concise summary of the stakeholders, the milestones, resources deployed, and the challenges along the way.

Please email recruitment@dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie with “Smart Tourism Programme Manager” in the subject line.

Closing date for this application is Friday 24 February 2023. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be accepted.

The information supplied in your application will be reviewed against the requirements sent out in this notice by a panel to shortlist applicants and call people for an interview. Dublin City Council Culture Company reserves the right to shortlist applicants and/or call people for an interview. We envisage that any resulting first round interviews will be held during the week beginning 6 March 2023. subject to government guidelines, these may be online or in person. It will not be possible to provide application process feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Garda vetting may be mandatory for successful applicants, and you must be cleared by the National Vetting Bureau before the work can commence. The successful applicant may also be required to complete mandatory training in line with the requirements of their role or broader company requirements.

Please note that Dublin City Council Culture Company is committed to developing policies and practices ensuring that accessibility, universal design and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities are taken into account. Dublin City Council Culture Company is an equal opportunity employer. Please see our Equal Opportunities Policy here (PDF).

Please note that both the museum at 14 Henrietta Street and Richmond Barracks are Part M access compliant, and the offices of Dublin City Council Culture Company in both have limited physical access. Reasonable accommodation of access requirements will be made for successful applicants.

Interviews will take place in an accessible location. We are committed to respecting and protecting your privacy. We keep several kinds of personal data about our prospective employees so we can manage the recruitment process effectively and efficiently and meet our legal obligations. Please see our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants here (PDF).