Full Time

Visitor Services Manager, Scottish Storytelling Centre
£29,033 – £32,025 per annum
Fixed term – 1 year
Full time, 35 hours per week on a rota
Edinburgh

An exciting opportunity to head up the Visitor Services team at a vibrant visitor attraction and arts venue in central Edinburgh. The role includes aspects of arts administration, heritage tourism and events management and you will work with colleagues and partners to provide a warm welcome and high standard of customer care to all visitors to John Knox House and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

As well as having significant customer service experience, you must also be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills will have the ability to manage a variety of tasks/projects simultaneously and under pressure.

You will work 35 hours per week on a flexible rota which will include evenings and weekends.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a partnership between The Church of Scotland and TRACS – Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland. The SSC is a vibrant arts venue with a seasonal programme of live storytelling, theatre, music, exhibitions, workshops, family events, and festivals.

Vacancy Ref: 05/24

Closing date: 12noon Monday, 29 January 2024

The Church of Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland SCO11353

Pitmedden

Pitmedden Garden is a vibrant and exciting garden to work within. Its long and varied history underpins the whole estate and its management with the gardens forming a major part of the overall visitor experience. The gardens are always evolving within its historical framework both as a formal layout and as a living work of art.

Pitmedden is known for its Great Garden, originally created in the late 17th century by Sir Alexander Seton. While that framework remains the current main content there has been the recent addition of a major garden development created by an award-winning designer.

The garden is divided by many fine walls with gates and pillars. The main feature of the lower terraces are the Parterres; based on James Gordon’s 1647 designs of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Herbaceous borders were added at the time of the Trust’s re-development along with many wall trained Fruit trees and Orchards. The designed landscape extends out to the rectilinear features of field enclosures and drives and overlaid with informal elements such as ponds and dykes. It is lightly wooded with tree belts and small woodlands.

Haddo
Haddo House gardens are a vibrant and exciting garden to work within. Its long and varied history underpins the whole estate and its management with the gardens forming an integral part of the overall visitor experience. The gardens are always evolving within its historical framework both as a plantsman’s garden and as a living work of art.
The formal gardens have resonance with Pitmedden in content and style while having their own character. Annual bedding schemes alongside informal open woodland enhance vistas that permeate to the wider designed landscape of the Haddo Estate.

KEY PURPOSE
This job exists to ensure that the garden and policies of Pitmedden Garden and Haddo House are managed and maintained as nationally recognised gardens of high horticultural importance, contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters in line with the Trust conservation procedures and Heritage Garden Management Plan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:

1. Ensuring the conservation and practical maintenance of the garden and policies – whether through delegation to other staff/volunteers, or personal participation – in terms of:

a. Practical horticulture (e.g., managing trees and shrubs, roses, herbaceous plants, vegetable and fruit gardens and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard landscaping; path care, plant propagation; plant sales management, tree care, Arboricultural techniques, care & maintenance of garden machinery, tractors, and estate management equipment).
b. Plantsmanship (e.g., the identification, recording (using Plant databases), labelling of individual plants and other collections).
c. Research and development (e.g., research into historical precedents and practical contemporary solutions to inform proposed activities and projects).
d. Interpretation (e.g., through the development and delivery of events such as introductory talks, guided tours or practical demonstrations, contribution to guidebooks or leaflets).

2. Ensuring an appropriate management regime of the gardens and policies that includes the management of:
a. Staff: including the Regional Grass Cutter and volunteers (recruitment, induction, development, performance management) such that they are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards.
b. budgets (setting, phasing, monitoring, pro-active and re-active adjustments) such that both gardens’ finances are sustainable within the context of the wider property budgets.
c. health, safety and the environment in line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers.
d. recognition of the Trust’s Environmental Policy with respect to sustainable gardening activities, including energy, water, recycling, carbon reduction, peat & pesticide-use.
e. daily, weekly, yearly and longer-term operational work plans and reporting in the context of the properties’ statements of significance and action plans (and contribution to these action plans) to ensure that activities are prioritised and planned to optimize the use of resources.
f. customer service and care from garden staff/volunteers, and in the broader sense of facilities and “visiting experience”, to ensure that the properties’ reputation for excellence is maintained and enhanced.
g. Taking a lead property role in monitoring and reporting on hazardous tree inspections
h. administration to enable gardening activities to be undertaken and recorded efficiently.

3. Participating fully in the property’s wider “management team” including
a. supporting the Operations manager strategically and practically with the operation of the properties, and assuming the role of “duty manager” as required
b. taking an active role in promoting the gardens and properties through digital media, events, workshops, presentations, and talks.
c. Managing turf areas, traffic flow and protecting the estate landscape features during major events including supervision of contractors.
d. Snow, ice, and storm management
e. Fire and security duties on a rota basis

The current duties of this job do require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

JOB PURPOSE
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of Mar Lodge Estate by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the property and its assets are clean, tidy, protected and safe.
This exciting and varied role will support our rangers, visitor services, events and holiday let activities when required, helping to make the property the best possible place to visit and work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
• Welcoming visitors to the estate/property in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner, answering queries and providing information about the property, facilities and the local area.
• Provide a positive visitor experience to the estate by assisting with housekeeping, carparking, fire patrols, property checks, tours, events and onsite activities when required.
• By maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income, and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure you will be a vital part of furthering the valuable work of the National Trust for Scotland
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid;
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times
• To assist with the general ongoing operational servicing and delivery of visitor facilities across all areas of the property, including our car parks, public toilets, public rooms and spaces, holiday accommodation and other outlying visitor facilities throughout the property.
• Ensuring the property is clear of debris, rubbish etc and that signage is befitting of a Trust property
• Ensuring the property is ready to accept and welcome visitors by the set operational times
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to your line manager
• Participate in a duty rota to ensure that visitor’s needs out with normal working hours are supported.

Other duties (where applicable)
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.

Health and Safety
• To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your department manager.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
• No formal educational qualification required.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Demonstrable experience in a customer-facing role, delivering impeccable customer care through excellent inter-personal skills and personal standards.
• Excellent “front of house” persona – warm, welcoming, patient, understanding with a flexible and helpful outlook.
• Be responsible and proactive, ensuring all day-to-day tasks are completed as instructed
• Demonstrable excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise.
• Ability to work within a team or independently to a high and safe standard
• The ability to take the initiative and address problems or deal with tasks as they arise.
• Full UK driving licence and access to own transport
• Living the values of the National Trust for Scotland and encourage colleagues to do the same
o The ability and willingness to understand others’ perspectives and to consider the impact of your actions on them and to adapt your actions as necessary.
o The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone.
o An open and honest way of communicating, ready to ask others for their ideas and to be open to hear and consider different points of view.

JOB PURPOSE
To combine responsibilities on nature conservation, visitor management, education and community engagement to help deliver the objectives of Mar Lodge Estate and wider National Trust for Scotland.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Visitor Management / Engagement

• Ensure public-facing presence during peak tourist times, by staffing ranger hut at Linn of Dee and supervising car parks during busy periods.
• Actively and positively engage with visitors to help them make the best of their visits.
• Promote responsible access as outlined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
• Undertake routine patrols to help safeguard the estate from wildfire risk.
• Use visitor engagement to promote and sell NTS membership.
• Undertake regular inspections of visitor infrastructure on the estate (car parks, parking machines, toilets, paths, litter, signage etc) and address any problems that arise.
• Undertake regular surveys of parking ticket compliance / visitor behaviour, for both internal and external reporting.
• Help devise and deliver public events such as guided walks, family events etc, to promote natural/cultural heritage of Mar Lodge Estate.

Learning & Volunteering

• Assist with educational visits to and from local schools/institutions.
• Help manage conservation/path maintenance volunteers.

Community Engagement / Partnership Working

• Engaging with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including local businesses, community groups, neighbouring landowners, other ranger services and fellow conservation organisations.
• Liaise with Cairngorms National Park Ranger Service to help facilitate their Deeside patrols.
• Source appropriate photos and other relevant content for Mar Lodge Estate social media channels.

JOB PURPOSE
This role exists to ensure a best-in-class visitor experience that compliments the quality of an internationally recognised heritage garden of outstanding horticultural importance; leading all staff to contribute fully to the operations overall commercial and conservation success.
You will be a member of the Inverewe welcome team assisting with the operational delivery of retail, admissions and the visitor experience at the property. Delivering performance standards and targets to ensure enjoyment of the property by visitors and members is maximized and key commercial, financial and development objectives are achieved to make the property fully sustainable. You will be part of a broader management team responsible for delivering an overall visitor service strategy, promoting good communication across the site, and joined up service provision. You will be based at Inverewe and report to the Visitor Services Manager.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
· Supervising/undertaking the day-to-day operation of the Visitor Centre to ensure an excellent customer/visitor experience. This includes:
o Supervision of the retail offer (including ordering, merchandising, sales targets);
o Membership sales (to targets) and general customer service (individuals, education visits, other groups.
o Health & Safety procedures, emergency procedures, and environmental procedures.
o Deputising for the Visitor Services Manager on-site and off-site as required.
· Responsible for day-to-day financial administration within the retail operation, including cash/till reconciliation, day-end and week-end reports and reconciliation, completion of the banking processes, and reporting of working hours for payroll.
· Supporting the Visitor Services Manager – Retail with the 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.
· Working closely with other managers across the Property to deliver a programme of visitor events, which increase visitor numbers, drive secondary spends and support overall Property targets;
· 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.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
As a front-line member of the Culloden team your job is give an amazing welcome and tell the story of this iconic site. You will be responsible for delivering our commercial offer which includes membership, general admission, donations, some retail products and travel trade. You will be part of our Visit Scotland 5-star team acting as an ambassador for the site and the National Trust for Scotland.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Leading the team in reaching its membership targets for the year
• Deputising for the Welcome Manager in their absence as required
• Delivering a high level of customer service and inspiring team members to adhere to high customer service standards
• Supporting the Welcome Manager in reporting data and analysing figures/trends
• Undertaking the induction/ongoing training of staff on all front-of-house procedures, customer care and membership.
• Leading within the team and taking a proactive approach to problems
• Supporting the Welcome Manager with managing Travel Trade bookings to the site and coordinating their visits alongside the Engagement Team
• Undertaking Duty Management as part of a rota including banking processes
• Cash reconciliation including end of day reports and till management
• Working closely with other managers across the Property to deliver functions and events throughout the year
• Sharing the history of the site and the principles of the NTS with visitors onsite
• Ensuring health and welfare of property staff, volunteers and visitors by adhering to the Trust’s Health, Safety and Environment policies and guidelines. This includes working within the property’s “Safe System of Work” (the system for managing Health & Safety).

The current duties of this job do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

SCOPE OF JOB

People Management
• Not a line manager; but will have a supervisory and leadership role within the Welcome team.
• Will work closely with other property colleagues, and will also have regular contact with specialist advisory colleagues based in other locations and departments (e.g. Central Travel Trade Team).
• Will have regular (daily) interaction with members of the public of all ages and abilities

Finance Management
• Not a budget-holder but will be expected to take responsibility for effective management of Trust resources in the allocated areas
• Share Till Reconciliation Duties with other senior staff, as appointed by Welcome Manager.

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

The above outlines the key skills the job holder will need to possess and exercise. In addition, either knowledge of or experience in the following is required: