Collections & House Manager

NATIONAL TRUST; Warminster; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A heritage conservation organization in Warminster is seeking a passionate Collections and House Manager to shape the visitor experience at Stourhead. The ideal candidate will ensure conservation excellence and manage a dedicated team while engaging diverse audiences. Responsibilities will include overseeing daily operations, budget management, and creating engaging programming that brings history to life. This role offers a substantial pension scheme and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan scheme

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Gym membership discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Qualifications

• Experienced in achieving high standards of presentation and compliance.
• Keen to promote inclusivity and diversity in history interpretation.
• Able to build strong working relationships with diverse people.

Responsibilities

• Shape the future of Stourhead through conservation excellence.
• Manage daily operations and team of Collections and House Officers.
• Deliver imaginative programming that connects people with collections.

Skills

Caring for collections

Creating memorable visitor experiences

Leading teams

Managing day-to-day operations

Strategic thinking

Job description

In line with our redeployment policy, we’ll prioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

We’re looking for someone with passion and appetite to inspire! Someone who cares deeply about achieving high standards throughout, and helping to make beauty and history accessible to all, to join us as a Collections and House Manager at Stourhead.

What it's like to work here

An 18th Century Palladian mansion with a world-famous landscape garden, its no surprise that Stourhead is one of our busiest and ‘best loved’ properties. Working at Stourhead means joining a team that thrives on passion, collaboration, and pride in what we do.

You’ll be surrounded by colleagues who care deeply about each other, about the collections, and about creating the very best experience for our visitors. It’s a place where everyone’s contribution matters—from front‑of‑house teams sharing stories with guests, to curators and gardeners preserving the estate for the future. Together, we celebrate successes, tackle challenges with energy, and support one another to keep Stourhead one of the most loved places in the country.

What you'll be doing

As Collections and House Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Stourhead. With the newly created Conservation Management Plan as your catalyst, you’ll help evolve the House visitor journey—ensuring conservation excellence and creating inspiring, meaningful experiences that bring history vividly to life.

You’ll work closely with the leadership team to ensure smooth operations across the House, championing conservation and cultural heritage while collaborating with colleagues from across departments to achieve shared goals. You’ll line‑manage the Collections and House Officers, guiding and supporting them and the wider team to care for the collection, manage daily opening, and deliver the consistently high standards of conservation, presentation and compliance that Stourhead is renowned for.

Leading by example, you’ll foster a culture of excellence and inclusivity, engaging diverse audiences with the values of the Trust, while bringing conservation and interpretation to the forefront of the visitor experience. You’ll also take overall responsibility for a large and dedicated team of house volunteers—developing their skills, championing flexibility and inclusivity, and ensuring that volunteering here is as rewarding as it is impactful.

This is a role for someone who thrives on both strategy and detail: from managing conservation standards and Museum Accreditation documentation, to planning for long‑term risks and opportunities, to delivering imaginative programming that connects people with the collections in fresh ways.

In short, you’ll help safeguard Stourhead’s treasures, while ensuring they continue to inspire visitors for generations to come.

Who we're looking for

Applications from redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below:

• experienced in caring for collections and supporting their long‑term preservation
• committed to creating memorable visitor experiences and engaging diverse audiences
• confident leading teams and supporting people to do their best work
• skilled in managing day‑to‑day operations and keeping an eye on budgets
• strategic in your thinking, with a focus on continuous improvement and planning ahead

Criteria for all other applicants

• experienced in achieving high standards of presentation, customer care, compliance and collections management in a historic setting
• aware of current developments and approved practices in the heritage sector in the field of visitor engagement, innovation and access
• keen to promote inclusivity and diversity in the interpretation and presentation of history
• someone who can remain resilient and positive while managing colleagues, changes and challenges
• able to build strong and effective working relationships with diverse people
• experienced in managing people and achieving goals through others

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places