Visitor Operations & Experience Manager - Tunbridge Wells

National Trust; Royal Tunbridge Wells; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working whenever possible

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Job summary

National Trust’s Scotney Castle and Sissinghurst Castle Gardens property group is seeking a senior operations leader to drive visitor experiences on-site. You’ll deputise for the General Manager, run visitor operations and shape plans to grow income from admissions, events and membership.

You’ll lead teams, manage rotas and budgets, and work with partners to tell engaging stories to diverse visitors. You’ll recruit, coach and develop staff and volunteers, fostering a positive workplace and

Qualifications

• Experience running visitor operations and delivering high-quality experiences.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop staff and volunteers.
• Proven capability to manage budgets and rotas across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• Oversee visitor operations and strive for excellence in daily delivery.
• Manage budgets, income from admissions, events and membership.
• Recruit, coach and develop staff and volunteers; collaborate with partners.

Skills

Visitor operations

Budget management

Staff development

Partnership collaboration

Leadership

Event and audience planning

Marketing alignment

Job description

What it's like to work here

This is an exciting time to join the Scotney Castle and Sissinghurst Castle Gardens property group. As we bring together two extraordinary places under a new group and operating model, you'll play a key role in ensuring our visitor operations are fit for the future. As this is an operational role, you'll be required to work on-site. This is a busy, exciting and fast-paced role, with plenty of variety and responsibility. You'll take part in a duty management, (including 1 in 3 weekends), and you'll deputise for the General Manager, as well as running visitor operations and helping to shape our plans. The Scotney Castle and Sissinghurst Castle Garden property group brings together remarkable places in the Kent countryside, each with its own distinct character, audiences and opportunities. Together, Scotney Castle and Sissinghurst attract almost 400,000 visitors each year and are among the National Trust's most significant places for heritage, gardens, nature and visitor experience. Sissinghurst is internationally renowned for its world-famous garden, rich history and cultural significance, while Scotney Castle combines a treasured moated castle, beautiful designed landscape and extensive countryside with a growing programme of visitor, community and conservation activity. Stoneacre, a smaller but equally special property, adds a unique historic house and community-focused dimension to the group.

What you'll be doing

As a member of the leadership team, you'll oversee visitor operations, aiming for excellence every day. You'll have budgetary control, with a focus on increasing income from admissions, events and membership to reinvest in looking after Scotney and Sissinghurst. You'll work with partners to bring the stories of this place to life for everyone who visits, whatever their interests and backgrounds. You'll design and promote events and experiences that appeal to many different people, and you'll champion the Trust's values of welcoming everyone. You'll create a positive and productive work environment for your team, who take the lead on welcoming visitors, events, learning, marketing and more. You'll manage recruiting, coaching and developing staff and volunteers.

We'd love to hear from you if you're:

• experienced in running visitor operations and high-quality experiences
• able to take responsibility for delivering exceptional experiences from start to finish, directly and through others
• confident in working productively with a variety of partners, individuals and organisations
• able to calmly and effectively respond to challenges in a busy visitor attraction
• adept at leading operations, including rotas, budgets and planning, across complex or multiple sites
• a strong motivational leader with the ability to deliver through others
• able to ensure programming and associated marketing meets audience needs and growth targets

The National Trust is committed to promoting and preserving those places of natural beauty and historic interest for which it has the privilege to be responsible for the benefit of the nation, for everyone for ever.

The Trust is proud of what has been achieved over the last 126 years and is determined to maintain those high standards of conservation, stewardship and curatorial care for which it has been recognised throughout the world. Its achievements have enabled the general public and the Trust's members and visitors to enjoy and appreciate the countryside, coastline, gardens, historic buildings and collections, all of which encapsulate so much of the history of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is a duty to tell that history in a complete, balanced and accurate way, and without judgement. The National Trust continues as a guardian of the past, and for the future, to uphold its duty to maintain and enhance what has been entrusted to its care.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what's possible in this role.

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