JOB PURPOSE
To provide operational coordination and supervision of catering, retail, visitor services, and events at in line with the Trust’s policies, priorities, performance standards and targets to contribute to the enjoyment of the property by visitors and members, and help ensure commercial, financial, and conservation objectives are achieved.
The Visitor Services Supervisor at a Trust property plays a pivotal role ensuring that the management objectives are achieved through excellent customer service, and, with delegated responsibility for catering, retail, events and duty management is very often the “face” of the Trust to visitors and suppliers. As such, s/he directly influences public perceptions of the Trust and is crucial to developing and maintaining the property’s local/national reputation.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Supervising/undertaking the day-to-day operation of the property and environs to ensure an excellent customer/visitor experience. This includes supervision of:
• Visitor services, catering, (including ordering, merchandising, sales targets).
• Line management of Visitor Services Assistants and volunteers to deliver an exceptional visitor experience for all guests.
• Overseeing and ensuring that the sale of alcohol legislation is adhered to.
• Being visitor/ customer focused by being visible, approachable, and quick to exceed expectations in fulfilling customer needs.
• Working closely with other managers across the Property to deliver a programme of visitor events, which increase visitor numbers, drive secondary spend and support overall Property targets.
• Working with the Functions & Events Manager to deliver the catering offer for weddings, hospitality, and corporate events.
• Duty management and oversight/maintenance of the property.
• Deputising for the Visitor Services Manager and providing cover for other Visitor Service Supervisors on-site and off-site as required.
• Visitor services, functions, events, admissions, and retail offer when acting as Duty Manager.
• Contribute to the property social media to generate interest, engagement and help drive visitors.
• Promoting the National Trust for Scotland as a memberships organisation and the benefits of becoming a member to all visitors.
• Security of the Property.
• Health & Safety procedures, emergency procedures, and environmental procedures.
• Instil a Health & Safety culture across the property, ensuring the teamwork within the property’s ‘Safe System of Work’ to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees, and visitors.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
• No formal educational qualification required (but see “Experience” below);
• A full, clean driving license for driving in the UK.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Significant previous experience of working in an operations role in the hospitality industry – including experience managing, leading, coordinating and developing a team with varying remits and professional competences.
• Significant previous experience in a customer facing, service environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and confidence in dealing with a wide range of staff, visitors, and other stakeholders, with a friendly, confident manner.
• Excellent organisational, administrative, and time-management skills with the ability to prioritise and re-prioritise workload to meet changing demands.
• Proven sales skills with the ability to achieve targets.
• The ability to think and act quickly when confronted with emergencies.
• To hold, or, have the ability and willingness to hold a Scottish Personal Licence Holder’s Certificate and Personal Licence.
• Access to own transport.
• A full clean driving license valid for the UK and access to a vehicle suitable for use on Trust business (with appropriate business insurance).
Desirable
• Food Hygiene Qualification.
• A genuine understanding of, and belief in, the work of the National Trust for Scotland
• Previous event coordination/management experience
• An understanding and experience of food and beverage operations within an historic/heritage environment
• A formal qualification in Hospitality, Tourism or Event Management.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word.
DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB
Scale
• A significant amount of time spent in the role is non-desk-based, requiring good time management, and the role-holder can expect that a substantial part of the working day will be spent front of house, providing operational delivery of the catering offer.
• Will be required to work flexible working patterns and hours including evenings, weekends, and public holidays. As part of the role and as a senior member of the team, there will be an expectation that the post holder would attend work at short notice (if operational needs demand and circumstances allow).
Financial Management
Responsible for day-to-day financial administration at the property, including:
• Ensuring the completion of Cash/till reconciliation.
• Completion of the banking and all cash handling processes week-end reports and reconciliation as and when required.
• Cost control, wastage, and sales targets.
• Management of month end stock takes.
Health & Safety, Food Safety, the Environment
• Ensuring that the operation meets statutory requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety and Environmental legislations and procedures.
• Ensuring Allergen legislation adhered to, with up-to-date allergen information maintained.
• Recording and reporting all accidents within the location, adhering to location and company procedures
• Establishing and maintaining location cleaning schedules.
• Ensuring that all Trust procedures and work instructions are fully understood and practiced by all employees.
• Promoting and encouraging environmental improvement initiatives as appropriate within the business.
People Management
• Line Management of a team of permanent and seasonal Visitor Service Assistants and volunteers.
• Will work closely with other property colleagues and will have regular interaction with other technical/specialist advisory colleagues based in other locations and departments.
• Will have regular (daily) interaction with members of the public of all ages and abilities.
• Will have frequent interaction with suppliers and contractors.
Tools/ equipment/ systems
• Will regularly use a wide range of ICT equipment including two-way radio, mobile phone, land-line phone, email, scanner, laptop/PC, printer etc.
• Will use catering equipment including coffee machines, dishwashers, and some cooking equipment.
Key performance indicators and targets
• Catering sales targets met or exceeded with margins achieved.
• Cost of sales, and staffing costs kept within budget, with minimal wastage.
• Systems of recording all up to date: including allergens, COSSH, cleaning records, stock take and wastage.
• Visit Scotland 5-star grading maintained, and Visitor feedback survey scores.
Supporting the Visitor Services / Operations Manager with
• Recruitment; induction; development; and management of all visitor services employees and volunteers such that they understand and are equipped to fulfill their roles to the standards required and that they feel valued, respected and supported.
The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.
