Closing Date: 13th of August 2026 at 12pm GMT+1
Title
Senior Public Affairs Executive
Department
Corporate & Industry Communications
Division
Business Operations
Type of Contract
Maternity leave cover 6-9 months
Reporting to
Head of Corporate & Industry Communications
At Tourism Ireland, we market the island of Ireland overseas. We take pride in connecting millions of visitors each year to all the island has to offer. Tourism is an industry supporting over 300,000 jobs across the island of Ireland and it thereby contributes meaningfully to economies and communities. We partner with sister agencies, airlines, ferry companies, accommodation providers, visitor attractions and others to grow the value of tourism, and to provide visitors with an inspiring and unique experience. Set up under the auspices of the Good Friday Agreement, Tourism Ireland plays an important role as a North South body for a key industry on the island of Ireland, serving both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
RolePurpose of this role is to work as part of Tourism Ireland’s Corporate & Industry Communications team to deliver Tourism Ireland’s public affairs programme, to enhance engagement with government stakeholders in both jurisdictions and their understanding of the organisation’s role and economic contribution. Working within a complex stakeholder environment, the objective of this role is to ensure government stakeholders are fully briefed on Tourism Ireland’s important economic contribution, priorities for future tourism growth, marketing excellence, innovation and commitment to best practice in corporate governance. To oversee and coordinate Tourism Ireland’s response to Freedom of Information requests, ensuring compliance with the FOI Code of Practice.
Note: This role may involve some travel within the island of Ireland and work outside normal business hours.
Key Results Area-
In conjunction with the Head of Corporate and Industry Communications, develop and implement an annual Public Affairs plan to deliver on team and organisational priorities and objectives, as set out in Tourism Ireland’s Business and Corporate Plans.
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Manage, research and prepare written submissions on a wide range of matters in response to Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and Assembly Questions (AQs), working closely with colleagues across the organisation and in both sponsor departments.
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Manage, research and prepare briefing material and updates for Government departments and Ministers in both jurisdictions.
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Prepare and manage written material (submissions, opening statements etc), in advance of Committee hearings.
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Day-to-day liaison with Government stakeholders.
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Oversee, research and coordinate responses to Freedom of Information requests, in accordance with the FOI Code of Practice.
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Advise colleagues preparing input for Freedom of Information responses, ensuring compliance with the FOI Code of Practice.
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Advise Tourism Ireland’s Head of Corporate Communications and Executive Team on public affairs matters, providing insight on political, policy and stakeholder issues affecting Tourism Ireland and the tourism sector.
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Represent Tourism Ireland in meetings with Government stakeholders.
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Monitor progress, maintain accurate records and provide regular reports.
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Ensure adherence in your area of responsibility to Tourism Ireland’s GDPR compliance policies and procedures.
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The post holder may also be required to represent Tourism Ireland at various industry, media and corporate functions and events.
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Such other duties as the company may from time to time reasonably require.
The Person
The successful candidate will possess the following experience, knowledge and skills competencies and qualifications
Essential-
Proven experience of working in a public affairs role in a large organisation, consultancy or government department.
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Excellent written and oral communication skills; in particular, the ability to produce written material on a diverse range of topics, quickly, accurately and to a very high standard.
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Proven experience of working in an area of rapid response to external queries.
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Familiarity with Freedom of Information legislation and experience of FOI in practice.
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Proven ability to communicate with diplomacy and sensitivity in a complex environment.
- Excellent ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with colleagues and stakeholders; in particular, to source information quickly from busy departments and colleagues across the organisation, overseas offices and time zones.
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Excellent desk research, IT skills and record-keeping.
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Ability to prioritise and manage competing requests while maintaining consistent standards.
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Demonstrable delivery against objectives.
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All employees/candidates are expected to be able to show evidence of demonstrating Tourism Ireland’s values in practice.
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Respect
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Collaboration
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Ownership
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Creativity
Desirable-
A third-level qualification in an appropriate discipline.
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Knowledge of Tourism Ireland and its operations.
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Good knowledge of the island of Ireland tourism sector.
Tourism Ireland is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly support diversity in the workforce. We are committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process and work environment. If you are contacted for a job opportunity, please advise us of any accommodation needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process. Any information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
