Recruitment Call: Tourism Innovation Programme Manager - now closed

Role specification:

The purpose of this role is to deliver on the ambition of the new Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy 2023-2028 and 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 Tourism Unit's innovation agenda and add value to the city. 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:

• Tourism Innovation project portfolio management across Dublin City Council Culture Company, Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council.
• Delivering the Tourism Innovation goals of the new Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy 2023-2028.
• Assist Dublin City Council Culture Company and Smart Dublin with programme delivery associated with Tourism Innovation and Smart Tourism.
• Deliver innovative approaches and Smart solutions to existing visitor experiences such as 14 Henrietta Street and Hugh Lane Gallery and future opportunities in development.
• Planning and delivery of Smart Tourism programme annual activity plans, Smart Tourism programme media management, communications and administration, Stakeholder engagement and management.
• Digital technology project management and development including Dublin Discovery Trails app. Identify and develop projects to support the Tourism innovation and 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.
• Lead European collaboration and funding opportunities such as the 2024 Smart Tourism Capital of Europe bid.
• Project manage to a high standard all activities and projects under to the Tourism Innovation portfolio.
• Capture and monitor information on all project outputs, milestones and deliverables.

Stakeholder Engagement, Funding and Communication:

• Develop and engage a strong network of relevant stakeholders and project partners across the tourism industry, researchers, industry partners, professionals in the tourism 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 Tourism Innovation projects and the Smart Tourism programme including steering committee and project management committees.
• To plan and manage the budget with appropriate controls and reporting.
• To ensure the Head of the Dublin City Tourism Unit is 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 Criteria:

• Interest in technology, tourism, and innovation.
• Drive to transform Dublin City through innovation, collaboration and cooperation.
• Understanding and awareness on the potential impact of Tourism Innovation/Smart Tourism on the local economic recovery and community development.
• Experience in giving presentations and communicating ideas.
• Interest or exposure to data analytics and visualisation as part of previous project work.
• Experience of engaging and gaining buy-in from multiple stakeholders and partners.
• Experience with 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 Criteria:

• 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 interest in 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:

• Interested in making Dublin a more equitable and sustainable destination for all visitors, local, domestic and national, through innovative projects.
• A passionate and curious communicator who will bring enthusiasm to the role.
• A creative problem solver with 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.
• Motivated by having a positive impact on the citizen and the city.
• Enjoys drafting written communications and producing relevant output to a high standard.
• Career or education or experience to date demonstrates a consistent appetite and desire to learn about tourism innovation, sustainability and smart cities.
• Composed with an ability to prioritise and manage the demands of a multi-faceted role.

Position summary:

Post Title:

Tourism Innovation Programme Manager

Post Status:

Fixed Term Contract (full-time), two years; a six month probationary period applies.

The role is based between Dublin City Council Culture Company, Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council.

Location: Dublin City Council Culture Company operated buildings such as 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, D01 HH34 and Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 YY05 or other Dublin City Council operated buildings.

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, prior to reward & recognition

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.

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

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.

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

How to apply:

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

• A CV, including the names and contact details of two referees. Note that referees will not be contacted without prior consent.
  
• A covering letter, no more than two pages, citing your specific skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the role specification and requirements set out here, and details on your tourism and project management experience.
  • The letter should include 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 4 August 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 14 August 2023. 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).

Further information:

About Dublin City Tourism Unit

Our award winning Dublin City Tourism Unit is responsible for fostering equitable development of tourism in our city.

The Unit is supported by Dublin City Council and its Smart Dublin internal project team. The Dublin City Tourism Unit provides a key tourism advisory function from within Dublin City Council. We advise and support the city on all aspects of tourism development as well as provide several key functions such as tourism strategy development, data and insights reporting and product development.

We are also responsible for the development of digital tourism offerings such as the new Dublin Discovery Trails App. This Unit is built on the foundation of supporting the DCC tourism vision, agenda and ultimately to help achieve its tourism development goals as outlined in the City Development Plan.

The Unit is also responsible for the ongoing development of the award winning Smart Tourism Programme for Dublin.

About Smart Dublin

Smart Dublin is an initiative of the four Dublin Local Authorities to engage with smart technology providers, researchers and citizens to solve challenges and improve city life. It aims to position Dublin as a world leader in the development of new urban solutions, using open data, and with the city region as a test bed. For more information, visit the Smart Dublin website.