Destination Development Manager-B2B, Strategy and Operations

Fáilte Ireland; Leinster; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

Job summary

Fáilte Ireland seeks a Manager, Destination Development to lead a newly formed DEDP programme office, driving consistency in destination development across national and regional teams. The role focuses on shaping strategy, governance, KPI reporting, and learning from best practice.

The successful candidate will manage a team, work across internal divisions, and travel domestically, with blended working arrangements and a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement and performance delivery.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in destination development or related sector.
• Experience leading process improvement initiatives in large organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the DEDP programme office and establish a governance framework.
• Coordinate with regional Heads of Product & Regional Development and stakeholders.
• Develop measurement frameworks and toolkits for DEDP lifecycle and reporting.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

People management

Leadership

Communication

Education

QQI Level 6 qualification or equivalent

Job description

A Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) is a strategic plan for developing a tourism destination over several years which typically brings public bodies, tourism businesses, local authorities and communities together to turn a destination’s tourism potential into a shared, prioritised programme of action. There are currently 30+ DEDPs at various stages of development or implementation across the four regional brands (Dublin, Ireland’s Ancient East, Wild Atlantic Way, and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands).

The Manager, Destination Development will lead a newly formed team within a new business unit to focus on shaping Fáilte Ireland’s approach to destination development at a national level. This role will focus on bringing greater consistency to how Fáilte Ireland approaches, learns from and measures destination development activities with a view to supporting a continuous improvement culture and process within the organisation. This new role involves establishing a programme office and providing insight and guidance at all stages of a DEDP lifecycle. Core to this is working with internal teams to bring national and international best practice to shape our destination development roadmap aligned with national tourism policy and Fáilte Ireland’s corporate strategy.

DEDP programme office

• Continue to evolve and streamline our approach to DEDP development, creating consistency across the life cycle, providing clear guidance from tender through to final review.
• Simplify end-to-end DEDP processes, targeting priority improvements.
• Develop practical templates and toolkits for every stage of the DEDP lifecycle, from tendering to governance, tracking and KPI reporting.
• Create a consistent communications approach for DEDPs, tailored for key target groups including internal colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Connect the dots across regions by spotting common themes, identifying opportunities to shape thinking, apply learning and develop practical toolkits with lessons learned and best practice supports.
• Lead the creation of a central repository of DEDP project work and provide guidance and insight at the initiation of new work programmes.
• Develop and drive a ‘trend scouting’ programme that captures, assesses and adapts national and international best practice in destination development and operations; and ensure dissemination and application of learnings across all destinations.
• Create structured opportunities for shared learning, including peer reviews and learning journeys.

Internal Stakeholder Management

• Manage key internal stakeholder relationships, especially with the four regional Heads of Product & Regional Development and their teams, making sure programme office standards and tools are co-designed, understood and used.
• Prepare for and support DEDP governance structures, including steering groups and review boards, with agendas, briefing materials and follow-up on agreed actions.

People Management

• Lead, motivate and support direct reports to deliver agreed objectives, encouraging strong performance, collaboration and accountability.
• Coach, mentor and develop team members, supporting their wellbeing, capability and professional growth in line with Fáilte Ireland policy.
• Set clear objectives and KPIs for the team, monitor progress and conduct performance reviews in line with Fáilte Ireland policy.
• Manage team resources effectively to deliver agreed projects, priorities and KPIs, working collaboratively with colleagues across the division and wider organisation, where required

Tracking & measurement

• Develop and maintain a consistent measurement framework for DEDPs, making it easier to compare, combine and evaluate impact across the portfolio.
• Improve the quality and consistency of DEDP data and reporting, creating one reliable source of truth for destination development activity.
• Work with technology & digital infrastructure teams to define, build and embed the planning, tracking and reporting tools needed.
• Provide timely and accurate status updates, insights and risk escalation to the Head of Division, including clear analysis and recommended options where required.
• Develop a consistent approach to community engagement and ongoing communication of progress across all DEDPs.

Governance

• Comply with all aspects of organisation policy and promote good governance across the team.
• Ensure procurement, expenditure and programme activity are managed in line with Fáilte Ireland policy, public spending obligations, public financial procedures, State Aid requirements and delegated authority.
• Ensure all division’s plans are delivered in line with agreed budgeted spend.

Carry out all other duties as required and participate as a full member of the B2B, Strategy and Operations team by supporting different work projects, as required, from time to time.

The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate:

• A minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience
• Experience in the tourism industry or related sector
• A professional qualification (minimum Level 6 under the QQI Framework) in a related discipline
• Experience in leading process improvement initiatives within large organisation with multiple stakeholders
• Own means of transport, with full driver’s licence

In addition to the above essential requirements, it would be a decided advantage for candidates to have:

• Experience in tourism product or destination development
• A professional qualification in Six Sigma, design thinking or project management
• Inspire and Engage
• Managing Relationships
• Project Management

Office Location and Blended Working:

We do not ask for addresses as part of the application process, however it is the responsibility of the candidate to acknowledge the base location of the role. The successful candidate must regularly work from and attend the base office location of the role.

Remote working from outside the State is not permitted other than in exceptional circumstances. As this role is within the Irish public service, the post-holder must carry out a minimum of 80% of their working time within the State (Republic of Ireland). Candidates who reside in Northern Ireland must be able to meet this requirement.

This role requires travel, with attendance at a number of national and regional locations / sites on an annual basis.

The flexibility to travel domestically, and on occasion internationally, is an element of this role.

Selection Process:

Shortlisting will be based on applications and the selection process may involve two competency based interviews. A panel of successful candidates may be formed following the selection process.

Candidates must be available to attend an in-person interview at the location and date specified by Fáilte Ireland. Please note that the location of the interview may vary from the base location of the role.

Salary and Benefits

*This role will be filled in line with Public Pay Policy at Point 1 of the relevant Salary Scale unless the successful candidate is appointed from an existing public sector role.

The Annual Leave allowance for this post is 27 days.

Further details on the benefits on offer can be found in the Why Work with Fáilte Ireland? | Fáilte Ireland · Failte Ireland