Manager, Product & Regional Development, Wild Atlantic Way

Manager, Product & Regional Development, Wild Atlantic Way

Level 3

Permanent, Full-time

Job Purpose The Manager, Product & Regional Development - Wild Atlantic Wayis responsible forturning the Wild Atlantic Way's regional and product development strategies into practical action plans and ensuring they are successfully delivered through a team of officers and support staff.

A key part of the role is working with tourism businesses, local authorities, and other stakeholders to encourage engagement with Fáilte Ireland's investment programmes and to help generate strong applications for funding and development opportunities.

The manager also leads engagement with clients across the region, ensuring they are aware of and supported in accessing Fáilte Ireland's capital investment and operational funding programmes. The role involves building strong relationships with stakeholders, coordinating support on the ground, and helping to drive the sustainable development and growth of tourism across the Wild Atlantic Way.

The geography associated with this role is Sligo & Mayo.

Job Description Regional Strategy Delivery

• Turn strategy into clear action plans with timelines,budgetsand targets.
• Coordinate the team's work and make sure priorities are delivered.
• Monitor progress,identifyissues early, and provide updates and recommendations to the Head of Division.

Destination Development

• Manage the creation and delivery ofDestination & Experience Development plans (DEDPs)ensuring that plans align with corporate strategy and meet the destination needs.
• Manage the day-to-day implementation of DEDPs across assigned destinations, coordinatingteamactivity and third-party inputs.
• Identifyand project-manage priority initiatives including experience development, creation of saleable visitor experiences, placemaking, master planning and destination network development.
• Coordinate industry upskilling and content creation activity, ensuring initiatives are scheduled,resourcedand delivered to plan.
• Collaborate with DEDP programme office on monitoring,benchmarkingand all corporate needs.

InvestmentProgramme & Scheme Delivery

• Manage the delivery of assigned investment programmes and schemes
• Prepare business cases, projectdocumentationand progress reports to support programme governance and investment decisions.

Stakeholder Management

• Manage key stakeholder relationships at destination level, including local authorities, state agencies, industry leaders, Regional Enterprise Plans, DestinationManagementOrganisations, LEADERgroupsand transport bodies.
• Prepare for and support stakeholder governance structures (steering groups, working groups), including agendas, briefing materials and follow-up on agreed actions.Develop and harness industry and destination networks to actively collaborate to gain buy-in and commitment on project priorities and areas of focus.
• Escalate strategically significant stakeholder issues to the Head of Division with clear analysis and recommended options.
• Coordinate with colleagues across Fáilte Ireland functions to ensure experience development, industry capability building and marketing and sales activation are aligned at destination level andin accordance withdestination needs.
• Support individual tourism businesses to achieve their full commercial potential under a new client service model.
• Act as the operational point of contact for cross-functional programmes affecting the region, ensuring coherent scheduling and communication of supports to industry.

Corporate Programme Execution

• Manage the regional roll-out of corporate programmes, including marketing activation, conversion initiatives and business capabilitysupports.
• Tailor programme delivery plans to regional needs and opportunities, and monitor uptake, spend and outcomes.
• Prepare business cases, projectdocumentationand progress reports to support programme governance and investment decisions.

Resource Management

• Lead, motivate and support direct reports to deliver agreedobjectives, encouragingstrong performance,collaborationand accountability.
• Coach,mentorand develop team members, supporting their wellbeing,capabilityand professional growth in line with Fáilte Ireland policy.
• Set clearobjectivesand KPIs for the team,monitorprogress 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 whererequired.

Governance & Reporting

• Comply withall aspects of organisation policy and promote good governance across the team.
• Systematically review progress against plans, KPIs, budgets and risks, ensuring issues areidentified,addressedand escalated to the Head of Division asappropriate.
• 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 team activity is aligned with national tourism policy, the Regional TourismDevelopmentStrategyand organisationalobjectives.

CorporateResponsibility

• Work closely with the Head of Division and colleagues across Fáilte Ireland to support effective delivery, manage dependencies, communicateprogressand elevate key risks or issues appropriately.
• Model Fáilte Ireland's corporate values, support effective internal communications within the team, contribute to wider organisationaldevelopmentand change initiatives, and carry out any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

This rolerequires travel, with attendance ata number ofnational and regional locations / sites on an annual basis.

This role will require working unsocial hours including bank holidays.

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

Person Specification: Essential Criteria

• Manage a high performing team
• Be an excellent communicator, with well-developed interpersonal skills
• Have the ability toinfluence at all levels within an organisation
• Have a drive to embed andmaintainhigh standardsand best practice
• Proventrack recordin problem solving

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

• Have a minimum of fiveyears'in a role with relevant experience.
• Demonstrate experience of managing relationships with multiple stakeholders, often with differentobjectivesand motivations, to deliver results for all.
• Demonstrable experience in leading a team that delivered large scale projects with multiple stakeholdersdemonstratinginnovation and best practice and strong project managementexpertise.
• Own means of transportand full driver's licence.
• People managementexperience
• Microsoft Officeproficiency
• Experience delivering presentations to stakeholders

Qualifications/Mandatory Training

• A Professional Qualification (minimum Level 6 under the QQI Framework) in a related discipline is essential.

DesirableCriteria

• Working knowledge of the tourism landscape in Ireland-specifically Sligo and Mayo.
• Proficient in Irish
• Proventrack recordin destination development/tourism experience development projects
• Experience working with both public and private stakeholders and an understanding of their operating models

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Managing Relationships
• Commercial Awareness
• Planning & 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 at you require assistance or reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process.