Customer Service Manager

City of London Corporation; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

City of London Corporation is seeking a Customer Service Manager for Guildhall Art Gallery. You will lead the front-of-house, oversee the welcome desk and gallery shop, and manage a team of volunteers to ensure a warm, seamless visitor experience.

The role focuses on delivering outstanding customer service, coordinating ticket sales, retail operations and room hire bookings, while guiding staff and volunteers across exhibitions and events. A proactive, organised leader is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising staff and/or volunteers in a customer-facing environment.
• Strong background in customer service, hospitality, retail or heritage settings.
• Experience managing retail operations including cash handling and stock control.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational skills to manage competing priorities and rotas.
• Ability to train, coach and motivate others; IT skills with retail systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day front-of-house operations at the welcome desk and gallery shop.
• Manage and support a team of volunteers, providing training and engagement.
• Deliver outstanding customer service and positive visitor experiences.
• Oversee ticket sales, retail transactions, and room hire bookings.
• Manage shop stock, cash handling, and retail administration.
• Coordinate volunteer rotas and staffing levels.
• Support exhibitions, events and visitor activities.
• Collaborate with colleagues to enhance the visitor journey.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer service

Volunteer management

Retail operations

Cash handling

EPOS / retail systems

Communication

Organisation

Tools

EPOS systems

Job description

Location: Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London EC2V 5AE

100% site-based – Thursday to Monday usually (Tuesday and Wednesday off) – 9:30am to 5:30pm

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and leading high-performing teams?

We are recruiting for a Customer Service Manager to join Guildhall Art Gallery, one of London's most distinctive cultural destinations. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in creating memorable visitor experiences while managing a dedicated volunteer team and overseeing the day-to-day operation of the Gallery's welcome desk and retail space.

Working in the heart of the City of London, you will ensure visitors receive a warm, professional welcome and enjoy a seamless experience throughout their visit. This is a varied and rewarding position that combines customer service leadership, volunteer management, retail operations and visitor engagement.

The Role

As Customer Service Manager, you will be responsible for the smooth running of the Gallery's front-of-house operations, ensuring excellent service standards are consistently maintained.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the day-to-day operation of the welcome desk and gallery shop
• Managing and supporting a team of volunteers, ensuring they feel engaged, trained and confident in their roles
• Delivering outstanding customer service and creating a positive visitor experience for all guests
• Overseeing ticket sales, retail transactions and room hire bookings
• Managing shop stock levels, cash handling procedures and retail administration
• Coordinating volunteer rotas and ensuring appropriate staffing levels are maintained
• Supporting the delivery of exhibitions, events and visitor activities
• Working closely with colleagues to continuously enhance the visitor journey and customer experience

About You

We're looking for an organised, proactive and people-focused professional with experience leading teams in a customer-facing environment.

You will ideally have:

• Experience supervising, coordinating or managing staff and/or volunteers
• A strong background in customer service, visitor services, hospitality, retail, tourism, heritage, arts or cultural environments
• Experience managing retail operations, including cash handling, stock control and sales processes
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and respond effectively to changing demands
• Experience creating staff or volunteer rotas and coordinating resources
• Confidence in training, coaching and motivating others
• Good administrative and IT skills, including experience using EPOS or retail systems

An interest in arts, culture, heritage or visitor attractions would be advantageous.