Officer, Festivals and Events

Fáilte Ireland; Dublin; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Fáilte Ireland, based in Dublin, invites applications for an Officer, Festivals and Events. This role sits in the Festivals and Events Division and supports the development and growth of a portfolio of festivals and events that boost tourism, regional growth and destination development.

Working with stakeholders, you will help deliver high-quality experiences, manage strategic initiatives such as Ireland Home of Halloween and Púca Festival, and ensure off-peak demand and inclusion of communities

Qualifications

• A professional qualification (min level 6 under the QQI framework) in business, management, project management, product development, or tourism.
• Experience in public sector or destination development is desirable.
• Strong stakeholder management and project leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of divisional KPIs and strategic initiatives.
• Manage multiple projects with clear timelines and budgets.
• Build relationships with local authorities, agencies and festival partners.
• Lead planning, resourcing and reporting for festival projects.
• Ensure communications are professional and timely.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Team player

Initiative

Education

QQI level 6+ professional qualification in business/management/project management/product development/tourism

Tools

CRM

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Officer,Festivals and Events

Level4

Temporary, Specified Purpose Contract, Full-Time

* The specific purpose of the contract is to cover a maternity leave

Job Purpose

As part of Fáilte Ireland's Festivals and Events Division, therole of theFestivals and Events Officer supports the development and growth of a vibrant tourism-focused festivals and events portfolio that drives destination development, regional growth, and tourism competitiveness.

Through collaboration with stakeholders and industry partners, the role helps deliver high-quality experiences that enrich communities and attract visitors, while generating sustainable economic, cultural, environmental, and social value through strengthened festival and event capacity, innovation, and the extension of tourism activity beyond peak season.

Job Description

Strategic

• Work with the Festivals and Events Manager to implement key strategic development priorities intooperationalplans and deliverables.

• Support a strategically aligned portfolio oftourism focusedfestivals that drive international and domestic visitorsandgenerateeconomic impact.

• Work with the Festivals and Events Manageron assessmentmodels forfunded festivals andeconomic impactreviews.

• ManageFáilte Ireland–led festivalsand initiativesto includeIrelandHome of Halloween,PúcaFestivalandIreland’sStPatrick’s Festivals, to ensure digital tools are harnessed and growth opportunities to drive off–peak demand and balanced regional growth are maximised.

• Actively seek market knowledge from internal and external sources to inform businessplanningand strategy.

• Work withindustrypartners,stateagencies,localauthoritiesto strengthen alignment between festivals, destinationstrategiesand broader demand initiatives.

Product andDestinationDevelopment

• Support Festivals to seek innovative approaches to leverage opportunities and media/promotional/sales conversionactivity, and to adapt to changing market conditions.

• Contribute towardsdevelopment and implementation of aligned product/experience development and capacity building initiativesspecific to strategydeliverablesas they arise.

• Support teamto deliveronthedevelopment andoperations ofkey strategic initiativessuch as Ireland Home of Halloween,PúcaFestivaland Ireland’s St Patrick’s Festivals.

• Work closelywithother divisions in Fáilte Ireland to deliver on cross functional growth strategies e.g. Regional Programme Teams, Consumer Planning and Insights,Strategy Management and Investment Analysis,Enterprise Development, Commercial Development, Marketing, Digital etc.Undertake post-event evaluations and incorporate learnings tofuture plansand activity.

• Integrate and align festival development planswith organisational sustainability, accessibility,diversity and inclusionobjectivesand keydeliverables.

IndustryandStakeholder Engagement.

• Develop andmaintainrelationships with key stakeholders such as local authorities, publicagencies, festival and event organisers and tourism industry partners to collectively deliveragreed plans andobjectives, andultimately a‘best inclass’visitor experience aligned todestination development goals.

• Feed into and support delivery of the Festivals Engagement Plan including communicationmapping and CRM integration. Present to stakeholders and industry whererequired.

• Ensure that processes and communicationswith festivals are clear and effective. Constantlywork to ensure consistency of approach andmaximise effectiveness.

• Provide regular feedback from stakeholders tothe organisation.

• Develop and harness industry and destinationnetworks to actively collaborate to gain buy-inand commitment on project priorities and areasof focus.

• Build robust working relationships and networkswith key cultural/art organisations and publicbodies toidentifysynergyprojects and maximisecollective investment

Operational & Governance

• Supportthe Festivals and Events Managerandwider teamin the delivery ofdivisionalKPIs.

• Manage multiple projects and deadlines, andnavigate an effective path to deliveronagreed KPIs

• Lead out onproject plans includingplanning,resourcingand budgets.Adhere to Fáilte Ireland budgetary processes, trackingspend, and triggering remedial actions should variances occur.

• Compile andtrack project status to assessand report performance against agreedprogramme KPIs.Create contingency plans and manage issues andrisks at project level.

• Manage operational support resourcesand performance reviews.

• Ensure communication internally and externally isprofessional, consistent,timelyand relevant.

• Maintain all required documentation for internal and external audits

• Preparetender documentation and ensure that any procurement of work from athird party is implemented in line with the FáilteIreland procurement policy.

• Deliverdocumentation for meetings ofFáilte Ireland’s Exec, the Investment Committee,and the FáilteIreland Authority.

• Respond to information requests fromthe industry,their representative bodies,government departments, localauthoritiesandthe public.

• Chairproject meetings and record, produce and distribute actions ofmeetings whererequired.

• Adhere to all Failte Ireland policies e.g. finance, human resources, ICT & corporate.

General

• Undertakeadditionalduties asrequiredand contribute to wider team and organisationalobjectives.

Carry out all other duties asrequiredandparticipateas a full member of the Festivalsand EventsTeam by supportingalternativework projects, asrequired.

This role requiresthe flexibility totravel, with attendance ata number ofnational and regional locations/sites on an annual basis

This role will require working unsocial hours includingsomebank holidays with regular attendance at Dublin-based divisional and project meetings.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Flexible, enthusiastic and have good attention to detail.

• Strong team player

• Demonstrate initiative and continually deliver to high standards and best practice.

In order tobe eligible to apply for this role you must have /demonstratein your application form the following:

• A minimum of3years' experience in a relevant role inthe public sector,business,productand/or destination development,project management.

• Managing senior stakeholder relationships.

• Effective and efficient project management and reportingskills.

• Experience leading,managingand mentoringpeople

• A high levelofproficiencyin CRM,Microsoft Teams,Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPointany finance applications or systems

Qualifications/Mandatory Training

A professional qualification (min level 6 under the QQI framework) in business, management,project management,product development,or tourism

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working within tourism, festivals/eventsor a related sector.

• Strategy,innovationor product development experience.

• Salesexperienceincluding convertingambitious sales targets and pipeline growth

• Event management experience

Key Competencies

• Inspire and Engage

• Managing Relationships

• Commercial Awareness

• Planning and Managing Work

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 mustregularly workfrom and attend the base office location of the role

Please note: Remote working from outside the State is notpermittedother 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 whoresidein Northern Ireland must be able to meet this requirement.

Selection Process:

Shortlisting will be based onapplicationsand the selection process may involve twocompetency basedinterviews. A panel of successful candidates may be formed following the selection process.

Interview Attendance Requirement:

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.

Fáilte Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of the workforce. We encourage you to reach out to us directly [e-mail] yourequireassistanceor reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process.