Tourism continues to be one of Northern Irelands most recognisable good news stories. Tourism Northern Ireland is responsible for the development of tourism in Northern Ireland, supporting the tourism industry and for marketing the region as a tourist destination. As a non-departmental public body of the Department for the Economy, the organisation works closely with other tourism bodies to help develop the visitor economy. In 2023, almost two million overseas visitors chose to visit Northern Ireland, generating £1.2 billion in tourism expenditure. Around 70,000 people work in the industry, which accounts for nine-per-cent of all jobs in Northern Ireland. In addition, more than 70% of the jobs are located outside of the Belfast area, playing a critical role in breathing life into cities, towns and villages. Going forward, the tourism sector is well placed to deliver a more sustainable, more productive, regionally balanced economy which can deliver good jobs. Tourists increasingly want to engage with real life experiences which give them a sense of the culture and heritage of the places they are visiting, and Northern Ireland has that in abundance. Across the North, there has been an unprecedented growth in authentic, local tourism experiences which give visitors the opportunity to explore the local way of life and engage with local people. Tourism NIs consumer brand Embrace a Giant Spirit continues to go from strength to strength, encapsulating the spirit of the people, the warmth of the welcome and the authenticity of the visitor experience. Tourism NI is also closely involved in the tourism elements of the City and Growth Deal Programmes which will be crucial in helping to secure more spend from international visitors to the island Looking ahead, this is a particularly exciting year for tourism in Northern Ireland with the return of The Open to Royal Portrush this summer. Following The 148th Open in 2019, there has been ongoing investment in Northern Ireland particularly in the accommodation sector with a number of new properties and acquisitions including the recently opened Dunluce Lodge in Portrush. Northern Ireland has now become an increasingly popular destination for the lucrative golf and luxury segments of the tourism market. With 2025 now in full swing, there is certainly a lot to look forward to as Northern Ireland continues to showcase its world-class tourism offering INTERIM PR EXECUTIVE BASED NORTHERN IRELAND OR REPUBLIC OF IRELAND GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY The overall purpose of this role is to provide support to Tourism NIs ROI Public Relations team in the delivery and roll-out of a comprehensive PR programme and to profile the destination using the media as a platform. Main Duties Working alongside the PR Officerand Market Manager the Job Holder will be responsible for the following areas and activities: Work and provide admin support as part of a busy and professional PR team and provide a high standard of Executive Officer support. Assist the Staff Officer and Manager in the smooth running of daily office tasks by liaising with third party suppliers and contractors, working with Northern Ireland Industry and trade, and assisting with day to day financial and administrative duties. Assist the PR Team with the planning and implementation of ROI consumer PR which includes press releases, media promotions, photocalls, competitions, miscellaneous media enquiries and announcements. Assist with general publicity matters maintaining a supporting link to the PR company and ROI media. Support/attend press trips, launches, workshops, trade shows/fairs, and other activations or events where required. Cost, plan and co-ordinate Familiarisation (FAM) trip itineraries in Northern Ireland for ROI media in accordance with the theme of anticipated feature/broadcast, mindful of key product areas and funded events and in line with FAM procurement. Accompany media groups, meet journalists when required and manage media lists, internal databases and trackers for the PR Team. Monitor the ROI media monitoring service including the monthly evaluations, liaising with the media monitoring company as required, and maintain media evaluation statistics for various reports. Keep product knowledge updated by product visits, liaising with key tourism stakeholders and maintaining Tourism NI inter-departmental relationships. Financial Management Ensure all financial and administrative systems, procedures and records are managed, processed and maintained in a timely, efficient and up to date manner in line with the FAM Framework and process all financial data in compliance with Tourism NI accounting systems. Oversee and assist in the management of the overall expenditure of the ROI Unit budget taking account of value for money and corporate governance rules. Assist with the completion of Business Cases, reports and Post Project Evaluation forms to support Unit activities. Additional Duties Ensure that all activities are managed in line with Tourism NI policies, procedures, values, and behaviours Act as a central point of contact, including communicating with other Tourism NI units and external stakeholders as appropriate. Contribute to the development of the Unit Plan, the achievement of tourism targets, and promote the corporate values and behaviours within the team and across the organisation. Provide briefing material and draft responses and reports/emails as and when required by Tourism NIs Executive Leadership & Senior Management Teams/Management/Employees, the Board, the Department for the Economy, the NI Assembly, members of the tourism industry, the general public and queries/correspondence/events relating to ROI office activities within specified timelines and in an appropriate format. Ensure that Unit processes adhere to the Tourism NI/Public Sector financial governance, policy and procedure, the FAM Framework and audit recommendations. Attend training as and when required and keep abreast of current developments in your area of work. Maintain, store, and dispose of Unit records in accordance with Tourism NIs information governance policy including the use of record management systems including Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365 and SharePoint. Assist in the delivery of project work within the Unit and across Tourism NI including representation at working groups and meetings. Provide cover for the PR Officer when required to include decision making, attending meetings and any other duties in their absence. Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as required by Tourism NI. This Job Description is new and has been written at a time of organisational change and it will be subject to review and amendment as the demands of the role and the organisation evolve The Job Holder is therefore required to be flexible, adaptable and aware that they may be asked to perform tasks, duties and responsibilities which are not specifically detailed in the Job Description, but which are commensurate with the role and/or grade appointed or present an opportunity for development. PERSON SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL CRITERIA EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE Option 1 Six passes at Leaving Cert or passes in English and Mathematics at Level Two or equivalent (e.g. GCSE Grade C). AND A minimum of 2 years experience working in a marketing/PR related environment. OR Option 2 A minimum of 4 years experience within a marketing/PR related environment. ESSENTIAL CRITERIA - Personal Effectiveness The Job Holder will possess an excellent standard of Analytical and Communication Skills both oral and written. Sound organisational, planning and project management skills including the ability to work to strict deadlines and prioritise tasks with attention to detail Ability to work on own initiative and take the lead where necessary within a team environment to achieve organisational objectives. Customer-focused care and a commitment to continuous improvement and the ability to build and manage strong relationships and successfully influence and engage with customers and stakeholders, both internal and external. IT and Computer Literacy skills, including the Microsoft office suite, particularly Microsoft Excel. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This is not an exhaustive list of duties and requirements. The nature of the organisation is such that it must respond to the dynamic environment in which it operates and the nature of duties, tasks, knowledge and skills required for this post will evolve and change in time. The Job Holder is expected to adapt to these changes and develop the role as a result. Applicants may also need to possess a current driving licence and use of a car for business purposes or have access to a form of transport which will permit the applicant to meet the requirements of the post in full. EQUALITY STATEMENT Tourism NI is committed to equality and will comply with the Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) statutory duties which requires designated public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the nine equality categories and to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief; political opinion; and racial group. The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) Section 49A requires designated public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons, and to the need to encourage participation by disabled persons in public life. COMPLETING Those wishing to apply you should submit a completed application via no later than Monday 4th August at 12 noon. CVs will not be accepted as a substitute/supplement to the application form TOURISM NI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER