Events Development Marketing Officer

Tourism continues to be one of Northern Ireland's most recognisable good news stories. Tourism Northern Ireland is responsible for the development of tourism in Northern Ireland, supporting the tourism industry and 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 NI's 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.

Events are a key driver to the Northern Ireland economy and in this regard, Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) recognises the critical role events have played in the exceptional growth of tourism. Events provide visitors with important and compelling reasons to visit Northern Ireland at specific points in time. This role sits within Tourism NI's Events Development team whose goal is to provide support to the Director of Events and Head of Events in developing and delivering a Tourism Events Strategic Vision, and a funding programme and events industry capability programme to support delivery of the vision. The overall purpose of this role is to provide strategic marketing expertise to maximise the tourism impact of events across Northern Ireland, working as the key liaison between event organisers and the delivery of the Tourism Events Strategic Vision. The position ensures that both funded and other non-funded commercial and home-grown events are effectively promoted and packaged as key components of Northern Ireland's tourism offering, driving visitor growth and economic impact through coordinated marketing strategies and events industry development.

MAIN DUTIES

• Strategic Marketing Development: Advise event organisers on the development of targeted marketing plans in partnership with wider Tourism NI teams.
• Cross-Organisational Collaboration: Act as the key liaison between events and Tourism NI/Tourism Ireland marketing teams to ensure coordinated promotional activities.
• NI-Wide Event Support: Monitor and support both funded and non-funded events across Northern Ireland, including industry skills development and stakeholder engagement.
• Content and Digital Marketing: Support event organisers with content creation, online optimisation and consistent brand integration across all marketing materials.
• Knowledge Sharing and Development: Share best practices, maintaining comprehensive records, and supporting marketing skills development across the organisation.
• Administrative and Political Engagement: Contribute to emergency planning, political correspondence and Ministerial engagement opportunities.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Option 1: A relevant sixth-level qualification (undergraduate degree) as detailed in the qualification framework.
• AND A minimum of 2 years experience in a B2B and/or B2C marketing role, with strong evidence of stakeholder management.
• OR Option 2: A minimum of 4 years experience in a B2B and/or B2C marketing role with strong evidence of stakeholder management.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA - Personal Effectiveness

• The Job Holder will also possess an excellent standard of managing resources, projects and budgets.
• Analytical and communications skills both oral and written, with demonstrable experience of building marketing plans, campaigns and presentations.
• Internal and external stakeholder management and collaborative working.
• Negotiation, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, and ability to build and maintain successful working relationships.
• Sound organisational, event planning and project management skills including the ability to work to strict deadlines and prioritise tasks with attention to detail.
• Experience in using CRM systems to track marketing activities and outcomes plus IT and computer literacy skills including the Microsoft Office suite.
• Passion for Northern Ireland's tourism offerings and ability to effectively promote the region.

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, including relevant insurance, 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.