JOB PURPOSE

We are looking for an experienced and talented, visitor focused manager to join us at our fantastic property, Drum Castle, Gardens & Estate.

You will be responsible for the operational delivery of the overall visitor experience within Drum Castle and the wider Estate, delivering performance standards and targets to ensure excellent levels of visitor satisfaction, while maximising key commercial, financial and development objectives, to ensure the property is fully sustainable.

Your vision and drive will continue to build on our current offer, with fresh ideas to showcase our site to a wider audience, delivering memorable visitor experiences. You will lead a team committed to ensuring Drum Castle, Gardens & Estate is recognised as a first-class visitor attraction.

You will be part of a broader management team,responsible for delivering an overall visitor service strategy, promoting good communication within the property and across the region as well as with the wider National Trust for Scotland.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Staff and volunteers - recruitment, induction, development, motivation and performance management to ensure they are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards within the staffing budgets.
Line management of Visitor Service Supervisors with oversight of Visitor Services Assistants.
Instil a Health & Safety culture across the property, maintaining compliance record and ensuring the team works within the property’s Risk Assessments to reduce incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees and visitors.
Budgets - setting, phasing, monitoring, reporting, pro-active and re-active adjustments together with the Operations Manager, Regional Director, Business Manager and Finance Manager.
Plan and deliver an annual events and functions strategy with the support of the NE regional events team.
Create a culture of ‘exceptional service, every time’, ensuring high standards of delivery and presentation at all times and a consistently warm welcome.
Driving the visitor services experience to achieve financial targets, maximising income and profitability within the Trust’s procedures and instructions. You will strive to be efficient and ensure cost effectiveness in all the work you do.
Ensure the cornerstones of the National Trust for Scotland are achieved at all times, namely, conservation, access and memorable visitor experiences for all guests.
Take responsibility for opening and closing and security of buildings as well as emergency procedure implementation, duty management and providing relief cover as required.
The post holder will be designated as the “responsible person” for the property for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. For this element of your role, you will be required to undergo a criminal record check.
Manage visitor-related buildings and facilities, including the natural play area and exhibition space.
Work with the building and wider management teams to ensure that the longevity of the Trust’s buildings and fittings are maximised through appropriate maintenance and/or replacement regimes.
Ensure the property meets statutory and company requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety, Environmental and alcohol sale legislations and procedures including Waste Disposal and Allergens.
Deliver an attractive and engaging programme of tailored events which drive footfall to the estate.
Support the Visitor Services Supervisor (F&B) and the central F&B team to ensure catering standards are maintained and further develop the offer.

Structure

The structure of the NE region includes four clusters: Aberdeenshire East (Haddo, Pitmedden, Drum), Aberdeenshire Central (Crathes, Fyvie), Aberdeenshire West (Fraser, Craigievar, Leith Hall) and Angus (House of Dun, Barries Birthplace, Barry Mill). The Visitor Services Manager for Drum Castle reports directly to the Operations Manager (Aberdeenshire East). Additional support is provided through the NE Regional office team which comprises of Regional Director, Business Manager, Heritage Services and Garden and Design Landscape Manager. Further support is provided by the central NTS teams.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

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 in a fast paced environment, with quick decision making when necessary and the ability to manage a large, changing workload at all times.
Experience in a retail and sales environments.
Experience of managing social media and delivering promotional activities.
Direct experience of managing multi-strand visitor/commercial services operation - ideally 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).
Significant sales experience and front-line interaction with customers.
Direct Volunteer management experience;

Click Apply now for more information and to submit your CV

1 Property / Estates / Facilities jobs in Westhill, Aberdeenshire