Visitor Services Officer

Hampshire County Council; Netley; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Hampshire County Council is seeking a Visitor Services Officer to lead the day-to-day operation of the Royal Victoria Chapel, a heritage venue, wedding venue and events space within Royal Victoria Country Park. You will manage staff and volunteers, deliver high standards of customer care, drive income generation and ensure an outstanding visitor experience for guests, clients and communities.

The role is a permanent contract based in the park, with hours 37 per week and the salary range

Qualifications

• Experience overseeing visitor, customer-facing, hospitality or venue operations, including planning and delivering events, functions and venue hire activities.
• Experience managing staff, volunteers or both.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships.
• A proactive and flexible approach, with a willingness to work evenings and weekends when required.
• A commitment to delivering outstanding visitor experiences and customer service.
• Experience within heritage/tourism/cultural/events sectors would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Royal Victoria Chapel as a heritage attraction, wedding venue and events space.
• Lead, support and develop staff, volunteers and casual employees to deliver excellent services and experiences.
• Champion high standards of customer care through training, feedback and continuous improvement.
• Oversee weddings, venue hire and cultural events, including evening and weekend duty management responsibilities.
• Support delivery of the Chapel Business Plan, increasing visitor engagement, community involvement and commercial income.

Skills

Customer service

Leadership

Staff management

Volunteer management

Communication

Job description

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Visitor Services Officer

Job Reference: HCC624946
Salary Range: £34,273 - £37,570 per annum
Work Location: Royal Victoria Country Park, Southampton
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 18 September 2026
Interview Date: w/c 28 September 2026
Royal Victoria Country Park is looking for an enthusiastic and customer-focused Visitor Services Officer to lead the day-to-day operation of the Royal Victoria Chapel. Combining heritage, visitor services, weddings, events and venue hire, this is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of one of Hampshire's most iconic landmarks.
Royal Victoria Chapel is one of Hampshire's most recognisable heritage landmarks and sits at the heart of Royal Victoria Country Park. The Chapel welcomes visitors throughout the year and operates as a heritage attraction, wedding venue and cultural events space. Through a combination of visitor services, commercial activity and community engagement, the Chapel plays a key role in supporting the Park's visitor offer and long-term sustainability.

The Role:

This is an exciting opportunity to combine operational leadership, visitor experience, event delivery, volunteer development and income generation within a thriving country park setting. You will help deliver the Chapel's business objectives, drive income generation and ensure an outstanding experience for visitors, customers, volunteers and event clients.

What you’ll do:

This varied role combines visitor services, heritage venue operations, events delivery and team leadership.
You will:

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Royal Victoria Chapel as a heritage attraction, wedding venue and events space.
• Lead, support and develop staff, volunteers and casual employees to deliver excellent services and experiences.
• Champion high standards of customer care through training, feedback and continuous improvement.
• Oversee weddings, venue hire and cultural events, including evening and weekend duty management responsibilities.
• Support delivery of the Chapel Business Plan, increasing visitor engagement, community involvement and commercial income.

What we’re looking for:

We are looking for someone who can combine excellent customer service with strong organisational and leadership skills. You will have:

• Experience of overseeing visitor, customer-facing, hospitality or venue operations, including planning and delivering events, functions and venue hire activities.
• Experience of managing staff, volunteers or both.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with visitors, volunteers, customers, partners and colleagues.
• A proactive and flexible approach, with a willingness to work evenings and weekends when required.
• A commitment to delivering outstanding visitor experiences and customer service.

Experience within the heritage, tourism, cultural, museum or events sectors would be advantageous.

Royal Victoria Country Park welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and the Royal Victoria Chapel is one of Hampshire's most distinctive heritage venues. This is an opportunity to lead services within a landmark building, develop exciting events and partnerships, and help shape the future success of a much-loved visitor destination.
If you're passionate about heritage, events and delivering exceptional customer experiences, we'd love to hear from you.
We offer a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace, where talent is truly recognised and developed. We have created an environment that you can look forward to being a part of and where you are empowered to be your best and believe in creating a workplace built on teamwork where people can grow and develop in their roles.
If you think you have what it takes to make a real difference in Hampshire, get in touch!
To find out more about what we can offer you in return, please see our benefits package .

This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.