Full Time

JOB PURPOSE

You will be responsible for the operational delivery of the Food & Beverage experience at Crathes Castle, Drum Castle, Craigievar Castle and Leith Hall (Aberdeenshire South Cluster).

Delivering performance standards and targets to ensure enjoyment of the property by visitors and members is maximised 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 a joined up service provision.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Driving the Food & Beverage department to achieve its financial targets, maximising income and profitability, using the Trust’s procedures and instructions. You will strive to be efficient and ensure cost effectiveness in all the work you do.
• You will work closely with the sites Visitor Services teams and will be responsible for the visitor experience on a day-to-day basis when they are not present.
• Create a culture of ‘exceptional service, every time’. Delivering high standards of delivery and a consistently warm welcome on every occasion.
• You will ensure high standards of presentation across the properties; you may have delegated tasks within other departments and you will understand and help deliver your overall property business plan.
• Taking responsibility for opening and closing and security of buildings as well as emergency procedure implementation, duty management and providing relief cover as required
• Staff and volunteers – (recruitment, induction, development, motivation, performance management) such that they are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards and that staffing budgets are adhered to;
• Instil a Health & Safety culture across the property, ensuring the team work within the property’s ‘Safe System of Work’ to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees and visitors.
• Budgets – (setting, phasing, monitoring, reporting, pro-active and re-active adjustments together with the Operations Manager) to ensure that the finances are sustainable within the context of the wider property budgets;

Department specific – visitor services
• Managing visitor-related Food & Beverage areas, along with supporting wide team on site.
• Ensuring that the longevity of the Trust’s buildings and fittings are maximised through appropriate maintenance and/or replacement regimes;
• To ensure that the property meets statutory and company requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety and Environmental legislations and procedures including Waste Disposal and Allergens
• Adhering to the sale of alcohol legislation, being a Premises Manager.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
• NVQ3/BTEC/City & Guilds/HND/Degree or equivalent experience;
• Ability to work ‘hands-on’ – including in the kitchen – alongside the team members, demonstrating the customer service skills required of all staff.
• Experience in a Food & Beverage or Hospitality environment
• Hold a valid and recognised SQA Licensing Qualification e.g. Scottish Personal License Holder’s Certificate and Personal License or willingness to train for such;
• Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate or above;
• Current driving licence

This role is one for which the duties, responsibilities or accountabilities of the role require you to undertake a criminal records check, specifically a Basic Disclosure.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Have direct experience of managing multi-strand visitor/commercial services in a hospitality, heritage or tourist-attraction context;
• Possess excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Computer literacy with excellent ability on MS software;
• Excellent leadership and influencing skills;
• Excellent understanding of report writing and financial management;
• Well developed time management and organisation skills.

Desirable
• Current First Aid certification (or willingness to train and use).
• Personal license

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

Scale
• The Visitor Services Manager will be accountable for delivery of Income generation of c. £550k and Expenditure of c.£450k, across 4 sites in Aberdeenshire.

People Management
• The post-holder will directly manage the Food & Beverage Visitor Services Supervisors at Crathes Castle, Drum Castle, Craigievar Castle and Leith Hall.
• The post will also work alongside the senior team on each site.
• The post-holder will support delivery of cluster led Operations Manager initiatives.
• The post-holder will work frequently with the following centralised departments: Buildings; Finance & IT Support; People Services and National Food & Beverage team.

Finance Management

• The Operations Manager is the overall budget-holder, but the post-holder has devolved responsibility and accountability for the following budget activities: Food & Beverage Income.
• Is responsible for managing staffing costs across the sites, as per delegated budgets.
• Is responsible for stock management across the sites, as per delegated budgets.

Key performance indicators and targets

• To monitor the work of the team and carry out appraisals ensuring that information is filed appropriately, with development plans that are actively used;

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.

JOB PURPOSE

The Property Manager is required to lead on ensuring that both the land and built heritage owned by NTS on the Islands of Iona and Staffa, Burg and Macquarie’s Mausoleum on Mull are managed to the highest standards. The Property Manager has a specific role to manage the transition of Maol farm from the current tenancy (ending Dec 2022) and the Burg grazings to systems that ensure their ongoing sustainability. The Property Manager will increase our capacity to achieve conservation goals, financial sustainability and improve visitor engagement. They will increase the profile of NTS with communities and visitors and improve the maintenance of rented accommodation. The property manager will require a good understanding of how to fit in with island community life.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Work with NTS colleagues and partners to protect and enhance natural and cultural heritage of Iona, Staffa, Burg and Macquarie’s Mausoleum.

• Increase opportunities for financial sustainability of the properties both through assessing and monitoring costs and identifying and instigating opportunities for income.

• Maintain regular contact and good working relationships with partners including community councils, neighbouring landowners/land managers, tenants, and relevant agencies and NGOs.

• Work closely with other farmers and crofters on Iona to develop and promote high standards of management on Maol Farm aimed at maximizing benefits for wildlife and the community.

• Assisting in the development of a management arrangements on Burg that maximize benefits for wildlife, the community, and associated grazing opportunities.

• Work with colleagues and other stakeholders to bring derelict buildings back into use for housing and enterprise for the benefit of the community and the Trust.

• Work with colleagues and contractors to ensure leased properties are well maintained by NTS and are compliant with legislation

• Increase engagement with visitors to help ensure their visits are as inspiring and accessible as possible

• Promote wider understanding of our role and the value of supporting the NTS

• Manage staff (Currently Ranger, Staffa Seasonal Ranger and part time Visitor Services Assistant for shelter).

• Work with colleagues, local residents, partners and the National Trust for Australia to enact necessary management on Macquarie’s Mausoleum.

• Undertake other duties relevant to this role yet unknown or unspecified

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential
 Practical experience in nature conservation and land management
 Driving License, valid for driving within the UK

Desirable
 Degree in relevant natural science subject

Experience

Essential
 Conservation land management
 Practical Farming experience, including machinery use, fencing, baling, handling livestock
 Working knowledge of SRDP, AECS and agricultural subsidy.
 Knowledge natural and cultural heritage of the Iona area
 Personable, open-minded and modest with good people skills
 Partnership working
 Business and finance management
 Computer literate

Desirable
 Living on an island or otherwise remote and small community
 Building restoration and maintenance
 Managing staff
 Visitor Management
 Health and safety
 Knowledge of Gaelic

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

Scale

Island of Iona and outlying islands – approx. 790 ha.
Maol Farm tenancy expired at the end of 2022; sustainable management of Maol Farm (including the conservation of machair, crofting landscapes and traditions and associated rare species including Corncrake) is a key function of the property managers role. Iona has a very strong community to be a part of and to work with for the long term benefit of the island. There are 15 crofts with shares in common grazings and two farms (Culbhuirg and Maol). Maol cottage is in need of restoration and the Trust leases 6 cottages, all of which require regular maintenance. Iona attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, many attracted to the Abbey (not in NTS ownership).

Island of Staffa – 31.7 ha
Famous for its basalt columns, Fingal’s Cave and its puffins, Staffa attracts nearly one hundred thousand visitors a year. The management of visitors travelling by boat to this remote island and the protection of the assets that make Staffa so special requires careful and sensitive management. A key element of this is the current infrastructure project on Staffa and the crucial work to ensure biosecurity to protect breeding seabirds.

Burg, on the Island of Mull – 568 ha
Management of species rich sea braes, upland habitats and associated rare species and geology, including Slender Scotch Burnet, Iceland Purslane and fossil trees. Burg is the prominent nose at the end of Ardmeanach with the stepped slopes of Bearraich 432m leading down to the rugged coastline. Burg extends from the township area where two buildings remain (Burg Farmhouse and the bothy), to a nearby Iron Age Dun, past McCulloch’s Fossil Tree to the evocatively named ‘Wilderness’.

Macquarie’s Mausoleum, on the Island of Mull
Macquarie’s Mausoleum is the resting place of Lachlan Macquarie, a prominent character in the founding of modern day Australia, born on nearby Ulva. The Mausoleum is cared for by NTS on behalf of the National Trust for Australia.

People Management

The Property Manager will be part of the Highlands and Islands team led by the Regional Director and will be
line managed by the Operations Manager (West Highlands), alongside the Senior Seabird Officer and other Property Managers for:
• Balmacara,
• Ben Lawers & Moirlanich Longhouse,
• Torridon & Shieldaig Island,
• Kintail, Morvich, West Affric and the Falls of Glomach,
• St Kilda, Mingulay, Pabbay & Berneray.

The Property Manager will line manage:
• The Mull, Iona, Staffa Ranger (Full time – Partnership with MICT)
• The Staffa seasonal ranger (March to October),
• The Shelter visitor services assistance (9 hours per week)

Finance Management

The Property Manager will be the budget-holder for Iona, Staffa, Burg and Macquarie’s Mausoleum. With assistance from the Finance team, the Property Manager responsibility for ensuring appropriate spending inline with Trust policies and budgets.

Tools / equipment / systems

The Property Manager will be expected to be adaptable, practical and pragmatic; equally capable of arranging contractors to carry out work as well as completing tasks such as fencing themselves. As the role develops and needs arise tools and machinery may be purchased.

Equally the Property Manager will be required to be sufficiently computer literate to effectively communicate with colleagues and partners, undertake training, arrange work as required etc.

Example key performance indicators and targets

The property manager will:

• Establish strong working relationships with fellow islanders and NTS colleagues
• Successfully manage the transition of the management of Maol Farm from current tenancy into a new system; and lead its future management to achieve conservation goals.
• Work effectively with NTS colleagues and contractors on the restoration of Maol Cottage
• Work effectively with NTS colleagues and tenant in developing effective grazing regime on Burg

Place in organisational structure

The Purpose, Context, Key Responsibilities, and Person Specification 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.