Visitor Experience Manager

Job description

We are currently seeking a Visitor Experience Manager at Kinver Edge and Benthall Hall.

In this role, you’ll ensure every visitor gets an excellent welcome, a memorable experience as we continue to grow support for our cause through great communication, programming and interpretation. This pivotal role will lead our visitor experience teams in delivering excellent customer service and inspire people to become members of the National Trust because of the significant work we do. You will also be managing the teams involved in the conservation and presentation of collections as well as gardens.

This role not only provides you with a stunning location to work, but a distinctive opportunity to enhance peoples experience of our places and to help visitors make the connection to our vital conservation work.

With sweeping views, a wildlife haven in the heath and unique homes carved straight into the rock...Kinver Edge is full of surprises. The famous Holy Austin Rock Houses are cosily restored to help you soak up the atmosphere of these unusual homes.

Situated on a plateau above the gorge of the River Severn, Benhall Hall has mullioned and transfomed windows, a stunning interior with carved oak staircase and decorated plaster ceilings and oak panelling. The current house was built in 1535 but there have been Benthalls living on this site since the medieval period. During this time the house has been part of many interesting events from the Civil War to the Industrial Revolution.

You’ll be responsible for the strategic planning and day to management of the visitor experience offer at Kinver Edge and Benthall Hall. You will enable a broad range of visitors to have outstanding and inspirational experiences through the consistent quality of our welcome, experiences and the stories we tell.

Your role will be to lead and motivate a team of staff and volunteers to ensure a culture of exceptional service is championed, where each visitor experience is of a consistent quality and a warm welcome is delivered everywhere. You will also lead the team responsible for first class conservation in our interiors and the presentation of the gardens at both places. This will see you working closely with the Facilities Manager, ranger & commercial teams to plan and deliver year-round programming.

We are looking for an experienced manager who loves people, has strong operating skills, has a keen eye for detail and can be a strong leader of a team, some of which work remotely.

As part of the South Shropshire and Kinver Edge Leadership team, you’ll work collaboratively across Kinver and Benthall Hall to deliver exceptional programming and to promote the work of the is stunning location through conventional marketing and digital media. You’ll be responsible for monitoring and achieving stretching financial targets whilst operating tight budget control and putting conservation at the heart of everything you do.

• A proven track record of initiating, planning, delivering and evaluating creative programmes and visitor experiences.

• Enthusiastic and self-motivated

• An eye for detail, driving excellent standards of presentation and interpretation

• A natural collaborator; working together with colleagues, other properties and partners to achieve common goals

• An experienced and inspirational leader of people

• A proven track record in delivering high standards of customer service

• Experiencing of managing budgets

• Experience of managing projects

• Experience of working with a diverse range of contractors and suppliers

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you – and it doesn’t matter if you’re jam first, cream first, or even if you don’t like scones at all. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits for working at the National Trust include:

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Free parking at most locations

• Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.