Jobs

JOB PURPOSE

You will be responsible for the operational delivery of the visitor experience across the cluster of properties – Broughton House & Garden, Thomas Carlyle’s Birthplace and Threave House. 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 properties 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
• 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 teamwork adhering to NTS policies and procedures to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees and visitors.
• Plan and deliver events and functions strategy with support of colleagues across the Dumfries & Galloway cluster and the Trust
• Promote the properties and activity to the travel trade and tourism sectors and operators.
• Create a culture of ‘exceptional service, every time’. Delivering high standards of performance and a consistently warm welcome to all users of the properties.
• Driving the visitor services experience at the cluster properties to achieve its financial targets, maximising income and profitability, using the Trust’s procedures and instructions. Ensuring efficiency and cost effectiveness in all aspects of work.
• Responsible for setting and achieving budgets across visitor services departments and key KPI’s. Support and deliver local and NTS strategies including, membership/customer & cause initiatives.
• Supporting the Operations Manager to develop and foster local-level stakeholder and client relationships specific to the properties.
• Develop and promote the property through local, regional and national marketing initiatives and through social media.
• Take responsibility for opening and closing and security of buildings as well as emergency procedure implementation, duty management and on call cover as required on coordination with the wider D&G management team.
• Leading and participating in the preventative conservation of the collection at the three houses.
• Responsible for managing the routine and deep-cleaning programmes, including monitoring environmental controls, monitoring and maintaining deterioration of the collections and supporting the NTS conservator.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications
Essential
• NVQ3/BTEC/City & Guilds/HND/Degree or equivalent experience;
• Management experience within a museum, visitor attraction or hospitality industry.
• Ability to work ‘hands-on’ – including in the retail, events and admissions areas – alongside the team members, demonstrating the customer service skills required of all staff.
• Proven experience of team building within and between departments.
• Has a solution focused approach and is able to act independently.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Experience of managing social media and delivering promotional activities.

Desirable
• Degree in heritage or tourism-related subject
• Current First Aid certification (or willingness to train and use).
• Hold a valid and recognised SQA Licensing Qualification e.g. Scottish Personal License Holder’s Certificate and Personal License (or willingness to train and use).

Experience

Essential
• Have direct experience of managing multi-strand visitor/commercial services in a 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.
• Current driving licence.

Desirable

• Current First Aid certification (or willingness to train and use).
• Sales experience and front-line interaction with customers.
• Experience in Collections Care.
• Experience planning and delivering events.

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

People Management
• Direct line management of Visitor Service Assistants and Volunteers
• Working closely with specialist Trust staff (e.g., Collections Care, Curatorial, retail and membership) based locally and centrally to ensure Trust policies and standards are implemented.

Financial Management
• Delegated responsibility across visitor services departments as well as food and beverage/events.
• Overseeing ordering and stock control in all relevant areas.

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.

Application Deadline: Sunday 10/08/2025