Head of Operations

Livevacancies; Weybridge; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Bank Holidays & Christmas Eve

Flexible working

Free access to Brooklands Museum

Retail discounts

Wellbeing support

Professional development

Job summary

Brooklands Museum is seeking an exceptional Head of Operations to lead the daily visitor-facing operation, ensuring safety, accessibility and presentation for visitors. The role covers coordinating volunteers and contracted services, and delivering major events, premium experiences and public programmes.

Reported to the Chief Operating Officer, you will manage busy periods and a seven-day operation, with time off in lieu provided.

Qualifications

• Experience leading visitor-facing operations and duty management.
• Experience managing staff, volunteers, and contractors.
• Strong planning for busy periods and events.
• Knowledge of health and safety and risk assessment.
• Capable of data-driven service improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily visitor-facing operation of the museum.
• Ensure safety, accessibility, presentation for visitors.
• Coordinate volunteer deployment and contracted services.
• Develop plans for events, premium experiences, and public programmes.
• Support major events and seven-day operation.

Skills

Duty management

Staff management

Operational planning

Health & safety

Risk assessment

Visitor experience

Data-driven improvements

Job description

Help make an extraordinary place work brilliantly.

Salary: c.£50,000 per annum

Contract: Permanent – full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Regular weekend and Bank Holiday working and occasional evening working will be required to support our seven-day operation and events, with time off in lieu provided.

There aren't many operational leadership jobs quite like this one.

Brooklands Museum occupies 32 acres of one of Britain’s most extraordinary historic sites - the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, the birthplace of British motorsport and a site that played a defining role in British aviation.

Today it is a thriving visitor attraction welcoming more than 180,000 people a year, supported by over 900 volunteers and around 13,000 members.

And we are looking for an exceptional Head of Operations to help make it all work brilliantly.

The opportunity

As Head of Operations, you will lead the daily visitor-facing operation of Brooklands Museum. That means ensuring the Museum is safe, welcoming, accessible, well-presented and ready for visitors - but the breadth of the role goes much further.

One day you could be preparing the site for thousands of visitors attending a major motoring event. Another might involve reviewing the Concorde visitor experience, planning a fly-in, preparing for filming, improving accessibility or looking at how visitor feedback and operational data can help us work better.

You will lead our Operations team, coordinate visitor-facing volunteer deployment and contracted services and work across Brooklands to deliver consistently excellent standards.

You will also play an important role in major events, premium experiences, public programmes, peak periods and the many different activities that make Brooklands unlike a conventional museum.

What you will bring

We are looking for a calm, professional, confident and collaborative operational leader who understands how to make complex public-facing environments work.

Your background might be in a museum, heritage site or visitor attraction - but it could equally be in a cultural venue, hospitality, events or another busy public-facing organisation.

You will bring experience of:

• leading visitor-facing operations and Duty Management
• managing and developing staff, volunteers and/or contractors
• operational planning, staffing, visitor flow and site readiness
• health and safety, risk assessment, emergency procedures and operational compliance
• planning for busy periods, events or complex public activity
• improving visitor experience and accessibility
• using feedback, data and operational learning to make practical improvements

You’ll be comfortable making decisions, setting clear standards and remaining calm when circumstances change. Just as importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys working with people - building trust, bringing teams together and creating the conditions in which others can do their best work.

Why Brooklands?

Because few operational roles offer this much variety. You'll be working among historic buildings, aircraft, racing cars and motorcycles, Concorde, exhibitions and live site activity.

You'll help deliver major events and experiences while protecting an internationally important heritage site.

And you’ll be joining Brooklands at an exciting time.

Following the centenary of Britain's first Grand Prix in the summer of 2026, we are building on increased awareness of the Museum and continuing to develop our visitor experiences, events and programmes.

As an independent charity, excellent operations are fundamental to our success. This role has a direct and visible impact on the experience of every person who comes through our gates.

What we offer

Benefits include:

• 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays and Christmas Eve
• flexible Bank Holiday policy
• flexible working to support work-life balance
• free access to Brooklands Museum
• retail discounts through our Reward Website
• online wellbeing support, including 24/7 telephone support and counselling
• opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.

Hours

37.5

Brooklands Museum Trust Limited is an independent charity.

Come and help us make an extraordinary place work brilliantly.

Job attachments

Head_of_Operations_-_Recruitment_Pack_-_September_2026.docx