Director Of Business Operations

Title: Director of Business Operations Department: Corporate Services, Policy and Northern Ireland Division: Corporate Services, Policy and Northern Ireland Grade: Director Type of Contract: Permanent and Full-Time Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer Location: Dublin Salary: EUR per annum Role As Director of Business Operations, you are a member of the senior leadership team of Tourism Ireland.

You shape the strategic direction of the company by directing best practice in the management of company resources.

You lead the organisations Finance, HR and IT teams, supporting corporate reputation and stakeholder communications, with teams based in Coleraine and Dublin.

The value of your work is felt across Tourism Ireland and across the broader industry.

As Company Secretary to the Board of Directors, you ensure effective governance practices and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

You are passionate about public service, deploying funds to drive strong economic outcomes and benefits for tourism through the work of Tourism Ireland.

You are a key liaison and partner for sponsor government departments, and the North South Ministerial Council, shaping and executing policies and plans, in collaboration with the CEO and senior leadership peers.

As a leader, you role model transparency, collaboration, commitment and integrity, and you pride yourself on getting the job done to the highest standards while working well with others.

You inspire and coach diverse teams.

You are passionate about the value tourism brings to economies across the island of Ireland and are enthusiastic about the role of North South collaboration.

You are an accomplished leader, ready to bring your skills to bear to support people, financial planning, technologies, structure and strategy, strengthening a key organisation for the island of Ireland.

You combine excellent financial, operational and governance skills, with demonstrated leadership of people and development of culture.

Note: This role offers some flexible working alongside in-office time with teams.

There will be some travel and work outside normal business hours.

Key Results Areas Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement strategies across all functions within the Business Operations Division to support Tourism Irelands strategic objectives.

Provide strategic advice and leadership as a key member of the CEOs executive team.

Support the Board on corporate governance, compliance, and operational matters Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing organisational culture across the Business Operations Division as well as broader Tourism Ireland.

Finance and Procurement: Active responsibility for Tourism Irelands accounting procedures, optimising funding in line with corporate objectives.

Ensure strong financial governance, risk management, and alignment with organisational goals.

Oversee procurement policies and processes, ensuring value for money and compliance.

Drive sustainable procurement practices in line with ESG objectives.

HR and Organisational Development: Oversee HR strategies, including workforce planning, talent management, and employee engagement.

Lead organisational development initiatives to align culture, structure, and people with business goals.

Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organisation.

Ensure compliance with employment legislation and support organisational growth and change management through effective HR policies.

Work collaboratively with North/South pension committee, providing support for employee engagement and communication related to the North/South pension scheme.

Information Technology (IT): Lead IT strategy, ensuring robust, secure, and innovative systems to support business needs.

Oversee cybersecurity and data protection, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Drive future digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational efficiency.

Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Engagement: Support the development of communication strategies and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Contribute to enhancing Tourism Irelands reputation and public image on the island of Ireland and overseas.

Communicate proactively and partner seamlessly with sponsoring Departments, respective Departments of Finance, Ministers, public officials, stakeholders and other business partners, to support sustained development of tourism across the jurisdictions on the island.

Company Secretary: Serve as Company Secretary to the Board, ensuring effective governance practices and compliance with company law and regulatory requirements.

Oversee Board meeting agendas, papers, and minutes, maintaining accurate records of decisions and actions.

Advise the Board on governance matters, including corporate structures, policies, and procedures.

Ensure timely filing of statutory returns and maintain the Tourism Irelands statutory registers.

Corporate Governance and Compliance: Your leadership ensures compliance with public service corporate governance frameworks, working collaboratively across two jurisdictions.

Oversee corporate governance frameworks, fostering accountability and transparency.

Lead teams and policies in relation to GDPR, data protection laws, and other regulatory frameworks.

Lead risk management initiatives, ensuring robust internal controls.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG): Develop and implement Tourism Ireland ESG strategy, promoting sustainability and social responsibility across the organisation.

Monitor and report on ESG performance, including environmental impact and stakeholder engagement.

Lead initiatives to enhance Tourism Irelands reputation and contribution to the community.

Operational Excellence: Drive continuous improvement and innovation across Tourism Ireland through your leadership of the key Business Operations division.

Monitor and evaluate performance metrics to ensure efficient service delivery.

Shape your organisation, policies and procedures to ensure Tourism Ireland teams can deliver with high integrity and high performance for the tourism sector on the island of Ireland.

The Person Qualifications and Experience A relevant qualification in chartered accountancy and/or significant demonstrated leadership experience in financial management, overseeing budgets in excess of 50 M GBP / 60 M Euros plus.

A governance qualification and/or demonstrated leadership experience in this area is advantageous.

Proven expertise in HR, people leadership and culture development, with a passion for organisational strategy and employee engagement.

Experience both shaping strategy and ensuring the highest levels of execution, operating at scale across an organisation.

Experience working with/in Boards, and engaging with the public sector is an advantage, as you act as Company Secretary and lead engagement with government Departments.

Skills and Competencies Advanced financial acumen and the ability to interpret complex financial data.

Strategic thinker with the ability to align financial strategy with broader organisational goals.

Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, married with highly developed influencing and negotiation capability.

Expertise in corporate governance, ESG, and compliance.

Understanding of the public sector and deep care and interest in North South dynamics is beneficial.

Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.

Key Attributes Integrity, accountability, ownership and a commitment to excellence.

Strong leadership attributes, lifting and enabling high performance teams.

Resilience and adaptability in a dynamic environment.

A partnership mentality, with excellent listening, collaboration and communication skills, to engage well with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Passion for tourism, with a deep interest in understanding overseas visitor dynamics, and the industry, enabling the organisation to support positive development for the future.

Operational excellence the ability to drive strategy to execution, at scale, in partnership with others.

A commitment to Tourism Irelands values respect, collaboration, ownership and creativity.

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.

Skills: Operations Management Finance HR Strategic Leadership Accountancy

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