Senior Travel Advisor

Salary

€43,071 - €64,166

*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

Level 7

Temporary, Specified Purpose Contract, full-time (approximate end date December 2027)

* The specific purpose is to cover a maternity leave

Location: Galway Tourist Information Centre, C/O Galway City Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway, H91 CX5P

Job Purpose

Support the delivery of the in-destination visitor information service and have overall responsibility for the efficient running of the Tourist Information Centres (TIC) within the assigned region. Contribute to the national co-ordinated approach to assisting visitors through engagement in and monitoring of national projects associated with the provision of tourist information.

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Primary Objectives/Key Responsibilities

(Individuals may have a combination of a number of these responsibilities)

Visitor Engagement

• Source and provide local tourist information for the organisation and produce events listings.

• Actively engage with visitors to support their needs and offer suggestions to enhance their holiday experience.

• Create itineraries for tourists offering suggestions and encouraging visitors to provide feedback through visitor comments, website, surveys etc.

• Adhere to Fáilte Ireland policies and procedures

• Manage and replenish supplies of tourist brochures, maps and other printed information and ensure they are well presented.

• Work collaboratively with other divisions to ensure adherence to agreed standards.

• Communicate effectively with all internal and external customers.

• Manage local queries regarding developmental opportunities in line with policy.

• Encourage local tourism businesses to sign up to Discover Ireland and Visit Dublin websites and accommodation providers to become Fáilte Ireland approved.

People and Financial

• Develop and circulate staff rosters to ensure optimum staffing for the centre within resources allocated and manage staff leave through the human resource system.

• Conduct performance reviews and proactively develop the skills of the team to ensure they attain the appropriate level of competence through ongoing coaching, mentoring and on the job training.

• Ensure that all staff adhere to Fáilte Ireland policies and procedures.

• Monitor footfall counters to ensure accurate daily/weekly statistical information reporting to central database around activity

• Maintain rosters/time sheets for payroll purposes inputting data on payroll system where appropriate.

Support

• Support the delivery of Visitor Engagement’s national projects, through oversight, monitoring and direction to Travel Advisors.

• Gather detailed local content for face-to-face, print, workshops and digital distribution.

• Attendance and participation in Champions workshops as required

• Monitor and refresh the TIC regularly to ensure that it is well presented.

• Engage with the trade to maximise their use of available promotional space in the TIC and participate in events where appropriate.

• Support the administration relating to new and existing systems, processes & polices.

• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with all internal and external customers to ensure adherence to agreed standards.

• Represent where appropriate the business unit at internal and external events.

• Support the alignment and rollout of the Visitor Engagement Performance Management programme.

• Support and fully engage with the rollout of the organisations’ digital strategy throughout the division.

• Ensure GDPR compliance across all activities.

• Monitor Health and Safety issues in the TICs and report any matters arising in line with Fáilte Ireland policy.

• Provide relief cover in other TIC locations as required from time to time.

• Handle customer comments/complaints in line with policy.

• Maintain and regularly update Visitor Engagement page on MyFI.

Carry out other duties as required and participate as a full member of the Visitor Engagement team by supporting different work projects, as required, from time to time. The role requires travel with attendance at a number of national and regional locations/sites on an annual basis.

The role will require working public holidays and attendance at divisional and project meetings.

The flexibility to travel domestically is an element of this role.

This role may require:

• Working on occasion, outside normal office hours.

• Flexibility to provide support or relief cover at other Tourist Information Centres.

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Person Specification: 

Essential Criteria:

Successful candidates will have knowledge of the Irish tourism sector and demonstrate the ability to combine high-quality visitor service with effective administration, stakeholder coordination and people management. They will work cross-functionally with Fáilte Ireland teams and external stakeholders and will demonstrate strong communication, organisation, relationship-management and customer-service skills, along with:

• The ability to manage a varied workload and balance competing visitor, operational and stakeholder requirements.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with visitors, tourism businesses, colleagues and external stakeholders.

• The ability to work independently, use sound judgement and escalate matters appropriately.

• A collaborative and flexible approach to work.

• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills are required.

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

• The successful candidate will have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a relevant role e.g. in tourism, hospitality or other relevant sector, ideally within a customer service or public facing role.

• Familiarity with local attractions and national destinations.,

• Proficiency in using office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, CRM systems) to manage administrative tasks and enhance communication.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, evidenced by experience responding to queries and coordinating effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrable experience in managing multiple administrative tasks, such as scheduling team rosters, ensuring efficient operations etc

Qualifications/Essential Training

A professional qualification (min level 6 under the QQI framework) in a relevant discipline, such as Business, Management, Tourism, Hospitality, Marketing, Accountancy, Heritage, Office administration

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Desirable Criteria

• Experience in managing people in a team, with a focus on performance management and skills development.

• Demonstrated ability to engage with local businesses and other stakeholders to promote tourism.

• Experience in the tourism sector would be an advantage

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Key Competencies

• Managing Relationships

• Communicating Effectively

• Teamwork

• Flexibility

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Office Location

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.

*Please note that this is a Tourist Information Centre based role. Hybrid working is not available for this role. This role is fully on-site in the Tourist Information Centre. The Tourist Information Centres are open 7 days per week at certain times of the year.

The successful candidate will be required to work 5 days out of 7 per week including weekends.

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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.

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 recruitment@failteireland.ie should you require assistance or reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process.