Full Time

Loch Lomond Group is embarking on an exciting new chapter with the development of a state-of-the-art distillery and visitor centre in Luss, Dumbartonshire. This multi-million-pound investment, set to be completed by summer 2025, will be a home to the Ben Lomond Gin Distillery and the Loch Lomond Whisky Experience.

This unique distillery and immersive brand home will offer guided tours, a discovery centre with tastings, premium food and drink offerings, and a flagship retail space housing the full range of the group’s award-winning spirits, including Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, Littlemill, and Ben Lomond Gin products.

As a guide, you will be an ambassador for our amazing portfolio of brands at our new distillery and visitor centre. Your role will be pivotal in delivering exceptional, engaging, and educational experiences to all guests, from immersive tours and tastings to retail interactions. You will bring our brands to life, ensuring every visitor leaves with a memorable experience that reflects the adventurous spirit of Ben Lomond Gin.

The spirits industry is an exciting, dynamic and fast-paced business. Suntory Global Spirits is the third-largest premium spirits company in the world and this role offers the opportunity to be at the heart of our global business.

Reporting directly to the Visitor Centre Manager, the Senior Visitor Centre Assistant will be responsible for delivering a world class premium brand experience that will enhance the brand image and deliver value to the business.

You will take an active role in the daily running of Glen Garioch Visitor Centre, representing the brand and the company with the aim of delivering a world-class, premium brand experience. This is a diverse role, leading and inspiring the team to deliver high standards of customer service and an exceptional and memorable visitor experience. You will also be responsible for a number of administrative duties required for the operation of Glen Garioch Visitor Centre, including stock management and customer bookings.

This position operates on a rota basis across a 7-day week, including regular weekend and occasional evening working.

Role Responsibilities:
– Deputise for the Visitor Centre Manager and Assistant Visitor Centre Manager.
– Conduct distillery tours, tastings and promotional activity both on and off site as required.
– Lead on delivery of premium experiences and input into the development of premium, VIP and bespoke experiences.
– Support staff training and review on an ongoing basis whilst providing feedback to the Visitor Centre Manager and Assistant Visitor Centre Manager.
– Manage the shop floor, including till operations, visual merchandising, product knowledge & upselling, and ensure Visitor Centre facilities are always maintained to a high standard of cleanliness.
– Support the Visitor Centre Manager and Assistant Visitor Centre Manager with administrative tasks, including stocktaking, receipting stock, submitting timesheets, till opening & closing procedures, recording of daily takings, responding to customer emails and calls.
– Contribute to the continuous improvement of the brand home.
– Identify and make recommendations to the Visitor Centre Manager and Assistant Visitor Centre Manager on tour format, spirit and non-spirit products/merchandise and any other potential revenue generating opportunities through sharing best practice from other sites/competitors.
– Have awareness of the Suntory Global Spirit brands and products and be able to communicate this to customers.
– Work with the distillery operations team to ensure company operational procedures and H&S practices are adhered to rigorously and tour information is up to date

Qualifications:
– Experience of working within a team and proven ability to lead a team.
– Previous experience within the hospitality, retail and/or tourism sector is desirable.
– Knowledge of whisky or a strong desire to learn.
– Administration experience: good working knowledge of all Microsoft programmes (experience with SAP would be advantageous but not essential as training will be provided).
– Current driving licence.
– Personal licence holder (desirable but not essential as training will be provided).
– Elementary Food Hygiene qualification (desirable but not essential as training will be provided).

Key skills & competencies:
– Drive and passion for delivering excellent customer service.
– Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a “can do” attitude.
– Excellent oral and written skills, and able to deliver presentations to a wide and varied audience.
– Proven ability to work on own initiative and to build and maintain excellent relationships with key stakeholders.
– Strong ability and experience of troubleshooting.
– Good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
– Self-motivated with a flexible approach to your work.
– Work with integrity and fairness at all times and has the respect of all colleagues.
– Excellent time management, organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload.
– Ability to deal with demanding situations in a calm, professional and controlled manner.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Undertake curatorial duties for a defined region or sub-regional cluster of properties, supporting regional and property teams to ensure collections, interiors, gardens and landscape elements are well researched, understood, and interpreted for the public. This will include:

Training and development of colleagues

Researching collections, interiors, people and places

Interpreting our properties and their stories in creative and relevant ways, informed by audience feedback and evaluation

Ensuring collections information is accurate and recorded in a manner consistent with policy and best practice.

Support the development of and ensure work is consistent with policy and guidance on curatorial work, especially research, interpretation, and management of collections, with particular reference to the Curatorial Vison and Strategy.

Support the development of Masterplan Projects at properties within the region, ensuring strategic direction is informed by strong understanding of cultural heritage and assets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (e.g. history, art/architectural history) or suitable equivalent experience.

Experience of working with historic collections and period interiors and/or cultural landscapes

Demonstrable experience of a wide range of curatorial and collections management responsibilities in a museum/gallery or heritage environment.

Experience of building effective working relationships in complex, changing work environment and matrix-management structures.

Competent object recognition and analytical skills, with proven ability and willingness to curate a wide range of object types.

Sound understanding of SPECTRUM documentation standards and the requirements for Museum Accreditation.

Experience of research from primary sources, producing and sharing research outputs.

Experience of object cataloguing and use of collections management databases.

Demonstrable experience of planning audience-focused exhibitions and displays.

Demonstrable experience of creating and enabling audience-focused interpretive and visitor experience solutions.

Desirable

A post graduate qualification in relevant subject (e.g. history, art history, heritage interpretation, museum studies)

Specialist knowledge expertise and a track record of publications in a relevant subject

Experience of effective leadership in a dynamic environment

Experience of developing and managing collaborative research projects

A strong understanding of how to use evaluation and visitor research to inform exhibitions and interpretive developments.

Part-time or Full-time and Fixed term
Salary £25,420 per annum pro rata (pay award pending)
Plus generous benefits package
On-site

About the role

We are delighted to be hiring both part-time and full-time Visitor Assistants to join our welcoming and committed team for our exciting 2025 exhibition season.

You should have proven experience in public-facing roles – this might be in visitor attractions, retail, hospitality, entertainment, or any customer-focused setting. A confident, outgoing personality and a genuine enthusiasm for creating memorable visitor experiences are key to succeeding in this role. If you have a background in front-of-house, sales, or customer service and thrive in roles where strong communication and having a passion for supporting others are essential, we’d love to hear from you.

Our Security and Visitor Experience team exists to ensure our visitors can explore, experience and enjoy our artwork safely and securely at our various Galleries. As a Visitor Assistant you will work across the Galleries at the building entrances and on the Switchboard. You will provide outstanding customer service, answer queries and ensure every visitor feels welcome and well-informed. You’ll also play an active role in signing up new Friends members, encouraging donations, promoting and selling tickets and other products to enhance the overall visitor experience.

Working from a choice of 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 5 days per week we have positions available during the following timeframes: 

May or June to 31 January 2026.
Mid-July to early November 2025.

Please note: Applicants must be available for the full duration of the contract period. These roles are not suitable for those seeking short-term summer employment.

The difference you’ll make

In all that you do, you’ll support your colleagues by welcoming visitors, helping them enjoy their experience of the National Galleries of Scotland and making the most of their visit. The Security and Visitor Experience team’s three key responsibilities are:  

– Visitor Engagement: aiming to deliver an exceptional experience to all our visitors in a welcoming, inclusive, and informative environment.  
– Income generation: encouraging donations, selling tickets for paying exhibitions, and signing up visitors to our Friends scheme.  
– Security: endeavouring to keep people, our buildings and works of art safe, responding effectively to risk.  

Reporting to Supervisors and Operations Manager you will:

– Provide welcoming and engaging conversations with our visitors at the entrances, on the phone and via email giving advice and answering queries.
– Actively promote our Friends scheme and convert visitors into Members.
– Drive satisfied visitors to make donations to our boxes situated at the entrance/exit to the Galleries.
– Sell tickets and other products.
– Seek out all NGS related content gaining knowledge to act as an ambassador about our galleries, our collection and exhibitions, events, our shops and cafes and other activities.
– Communicate with colleagues across departments to gather information to answer visitor enquiries.
– Share knowledge and expertise with team members to improve understanding across the department.
– Accurately collect all customer data in line with GPDR and NGS guidelines.
– Follow departmental cash handling procedures performing accurate reconciliations.

Who we are looking for

To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:

– Outstanding interpersonal skills enabling you to engage with people to provide information and deliver sales. 
– Previous experience of working within a front-line, retail, sales, customer services or entertainment environment. 
– Be a strong communicator in person, in writing and over the telephone.  
– Competent at using office systems such as Office 365.
– Have the resilience to positively respond to challenges and prioritise operational demands.
– Work well in a busy environment with strong organisational skills.
– Accurate with figures and experience of cash handling and other methods of payment.
– Enjoy working as part of a team and with the public.
– Flexible approach to the job and be able and willing to work weekends, evenings and any required overtime. 

It would also be great if you have:

– Knowledge of Gaelic and/or other languages is desirable but not essential. 
– Knowledge and appreciation of art 

Please apply directly via our careers portal. Applications via email will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday, 21 April 2025.