Jobs

CONTEXT

Fossil hunter, folklorist, man of faith, stonemason, geologist, editor, writer and social justice campaigner – Hugh Miller was one of the great Scots of the 19th century. His quests and writings have left a huge legacy of knowledge, but as these two adjacent properties testify, he came from ordinary beginnings.
The thatched cottage where Hugh was born in 1802 was built by Hugh’s great grandfather – a pirate! The cobbled courtyard adjoining the cottage was an external working space. Next door, the handsome Georgian villa, now an interactive museum, was built by Hugh’s father – its distinctive central spiral staircase winds around a ship’s mast.
Outside, Miller’s Yard: Garden of Wonders is a sheltered corner – the perfect spot to sit and take a breath of fresh air.
The VSM is responsible for all things Visitor Experience, including Welcome, Housekeeping, Retail, Events and Collection Care, and Holiday Letts.

KEY PURPOSE

The VSM will be responsible for the operational delivery of the visitor experience at HMC, including Welcome, Housekeeping, Retail, Collection Care and Holiday Cottages. 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. The VSM is responsible for delivering an overall visitor service strategy, promoting good communication.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• 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;
• Instill 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 welcome, retail and events department finances are sustainable within the context of the wider property budgets;
• Create a culture of ‘exceptional service, every time’, delivering high standards of customer experience and a consistently warm welcome to everyone.
• Driving the welcome, retail & events departments to achieve their 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.
• Managing the Collection at HMC ensuring that it cared for and conserved in line with the Trusts strategy and responsibilities, including Museum Accreditation.
• Overseeing the Holiday Cottages ensuring that turn rounds and presentation are of highest standards in line with the standards of NTS.
• You will ensure high standards of presentation across the properties.
• Taking responsibility for opening and closing and security of buildings, and security of collections, as well as emergency procedure implementation, duty management and providing relief cover as required;
• This role is one for which the duties/responsibilities/accountabilities of the role require you to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, which replaces the ‘Enhanced Disclosure’ check and is administered by Disclosure Scotland.

People Management
• Daily interaction with customers/clients (including members, visitors, coach and tour organisers).
• Line management responsibility for temporary VSA’s, housekeepers, gardeners and volunteer management’

Finance Management
• Has management responsibility of all HMC budgets/
• Is responsible for managing staffing costs within the departments as per delegated budgets.

Tools/equipment
• Access to desktop PC and relevant IT systems, i.e. standard NTS management systems including Intranet, T:Drive, Core HR, CRM, EPOS.
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

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

Essential
• Direct experience of managing within a busy visitor services environment;
• Possess excellent communication skills (written and oral);
• Experience and understanding of finance management; i.e. budget control, cash management and reporting statistics;
• Computer literacy with excellent ability on MS software;
• Excellent leadership and influencing skills
• Well-developed time management and organisational skills;
• Ability to display a real passion for customer service;
• Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers

Desirable
• Experience within a heritage or tourist attraction.
• Current First Aid certification (or willingness to train and use).

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.

Application Deadline: Friday 24/02/2023