Visitor Services

JOB PURPOSE

As a front-line member of the Culloden team your job is give an amazing welcome and tell the story of this iconic site. You will be responsible for delivering our commercial offer which includes membership, general admission, donations, some retail products and travel trade. You will be part of our Visit Scotland 5-star team acting as an ambassador for the site and the National Trust for Scotland.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

This role will assist the wider Welcome team to deliver high quality visitor experience at Culloden Battlefield (including but not limited to):

• To provide excellent customer service.
• Be responsible and proactive. Ensuring all day-to-day tasks are completed including responding to customer enquiries, answering the telephone, cleaning, recording statistics etc.
• Working with the Visitor Services Manager (Welcome) and a Visitor Services Supervisor (Welcome) to deliver membership targets and KPI’s
• Cash reconciliation duties including end of day and administration tasks. Ensuring cash is handled accurately and there is continuity across all sales platforms
• To ensure perpetually high levels of accuracy are maintained for all transactions and data recording
• Working with the Visitor Services Manager (Welcome) and a Visitor Services Supervisor (Welcome) to deliver audio guide systems and other services efficiently to visitors
• To actively drive-up selling opportunities through strong product knowledge and an excellent customer service to maximise sales of admission tickets, membership and donations.
• Working with the Visitor Services Manager (Retail) and wider property staff to ensure high standards of display & merchandising at all times.
• Be able to take responsibility for your own development and learning.
• Answer historical questions and booking enquiries and process bookings appropriately
• Have a flexible approach to working hours and days including working weekend and Bank Holidays as appropriate.
• To work across departments when necessary, supporting the wider Culloden Cluster team
• To develop a working knowledge of the history of the site and being able to relate that to visitors in a friendly and engaging way
• To provide consistently excellent customer service when dealing with high volumes of customers
• Adhering to the property’s quality standards including wearing of uniform.
• Ensuring health and welfare of property staff, volunteers and visitors by adhering to the Trust’s Health, Safety and Environment policies and guidelines. This includes working within the property’s “Safe System of Work” (the system for managing Health & Safety).

• The current duties of this job do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

KEY PURPOSE:

To ensure that the garden and policies of Brodie Castle and Playful Garden are managed and maintained as a nationally-recognised estate and garden of historic importance; contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:

• Care and development of the 1753 designed landscape.
• Undertaking practical maintenance of the garden (including but not limited to: managing trees and shrubs; removing dead and damaged plants; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard-landscaping; path care) to the required standards expected by the Trust and for the maximum safety of, and enjoyment by, visitors;
• Contributing to the management, conservation and development of the garden by maintaining appropriate plant records and labels;
• As requested, assisting with education /interpretation activities such as introductory talks and guided walks;
• Fostering positive relationships with local communities, promote the work of the Trust, and actively seek opportunities to increase Trust membership;
• Contributing to the review and development of property action plans and operational work plans and budgets for the garden;
• Ensuring compliance with the Trust’s health, safety, and environment policies and procedures.
• Horticulture/ Commercial forestry/General estate works of amenity woodland and specimen trees, thinning, felling and general estate management (pathways, ponds, sluices etc.)
• Supervision of volunteers.

Eden Scott is delighted to be working with OnFife, an ambitious Public Sector Trust to recruit a Venue Manager.

As part of their ongoing commitment to welcome communities back into their spaces this role will help them to deliver on their ambitious plans for the future.

This role of Venue Manager has come about as OnFife are revisiting their Operations Management Team structure following on from the pandemic. It’s important to the Trust to develop the right structure so it’ll be a great time to join the team. There are some exciting times ahead as OnFife’s Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy emerges from a complete refurbishment. Significant investment into the infrastructure and production equipment is also being made across all four of their 4 theatres.

Initially the post will have day to day management responsibility for two of their venues in Central Fife, Rothes Halls in Glenrothes and The Lochgelly Centre in Lochgelly. These busy community venues both include a theatre, public library, meeting spaces and a café. It’s a role that’s well suited to an individual with great people management skills, an eye for detail, someone who’s loves to coach and develop people and enjoys delivering excellent customer service.

You’ll be working alongside colleagues that are looking afresh at how the Trust runs its operations and delivers its services, so they’ll be looking for you to bring your experience and ideas. You’ll play a significant part in helping lead the organisation through an extensive Recovery & Renewal Strategy that they’re shaping up, not only in response to the Covid pandemic, but also in the recognition that their venues need to continuously evolve.

You’ll be reporting into the Deputy Operations Manager who leads on Venues, Theatres and Heritage sites, and you’ll liaise directly with the Creative Development Team to ensure that they’re living their values; well governed; forward looking and relevant and trusted by their communities.

Being part of their Operations Team means delivering a great overall service experience to their communities. There’s a lot of day-to-day management and leadership but it’s equally about working collaboratively with colleagues. The role holder will embrace an equitable and co-ordinated approach to service delivery and development and the successful candidate will be a key member of their Operations Management Team, demonstrating the vision, empathy and agility to contribute at the highest level.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities include:

Take the day to day management and leadership responsibilities within Rothes Halls and The Lochgelly Centre. Overseeing and approving rotas to ensure appropriate levels of cover and support are consistently maintained.

Provide leadership, support and coaching to venue supervisors and front-line teams regarding the management and operation of the facilities.

To collaborate closely with OnFife’s Theatres Managers and Catering Operations Manager in helping to reshape how they deliver front line services in line with changing customer behaviour needs

Implement the organisation’s Health and Safety policies and ensure that all staff across the venues are well trained on all procedures.

Assist with the implementation of corporate initiatives including the management and delivery of major events and productions.

Seek and support continuous improvement recognising and rewarding performance and encouraging innovation.

Contribute to, and deliver against, the organisations strategic objectives and associated strategies, eg business plan, financial plan, customer services plan and communications plan.

Key skills and experience required:

Applying candidates should have a CV that details:

Excellent leadership skills with the ability to motivate others.

Operational management within a multifaceted customer focussed organisation where experience has been gained developing and maintaining effective relationships and partnerships internally and externally.

Previous Theatre experience or similar would be advantageous.

Experience of financial and business planning and budget and cost management.

This role will initially be based between Glenrothes and Lochgelly and the post holder may be required to travel throughout Fife, applicants must have a driving licence and their own car.

Salary banding ranges from £34,614 to £38,312 dependant on experience, benefits include a local government pension, death in service, generous holiday entitlement of 32 days.

Eden Scott is dealing exclusively with OnFife on this vacancy so please submit your CV online or to sally.rae@edenscott.com or for further details contact Sally Rae 07776 662506.

No closing date has been set for this vacancy so we would suggest candidates apply without delay.

CONTEXT

Brodie Castle is set within a 75 acre “policies” estate, it is the ancestral home of the Brodies of Brodie and consists of a number of listed buildings including the main 16th century Z plan Castle, stables, walled garden, gate houses and gardeners bothy, as well as a number of estate houses currently used as holiday lets. The Castle consists of dressed rooms used as a guided tour visitor experience and houses a collection worth over £6m. Within the Castle is the main catering outlet and retail facility as well as housing the main estate offices. There is also the Lairds wing, a luxury 7 bedroom holiday let within the Castle.

The wider estate consists of a nationally significant designed landscape with Victorian Shrubbery, tree lined avenues, commercial forestry, agricultural land and mature mixed woodlands surrounding a manmade lake. Within the old walled garden is a Playful Garden, consisting of imaginative play area, formal gardens and the national daffodil collection. This area is served with separate catering and retail facilities.

The VSS Welcome is responsible for ensuring that the Welcome and Visitor Experience at Brodie Castle and Playful Garden is world class.

KEY PURPOSE
To provide operational coordination and supervision of the Welcome Team, Retail and Customer Service at both Brodie Castle and Playful Garden in line with the Trust’s policies, priorities, performance standards and targets to contribute to the enjoyment of the property by visitors and members, and help ensure commercial, financial, and conservation objectives are achieved.

To maximize our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed properties by ensuring excellent standards of service, optimizing opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure.

Specifically, to assist the VSM and supervise the Welcome Team at Brodie Castle ensuring the smooth and safe operations in all service areas.

Due to the success of the Belhaven Visitor Experience, we are now looking for an additional member to join the team!

This role is very much the face of Belhaven, as the first person visitors to the brewery meet.

It is an exciting role which offers a broad scope of activities that support the smooth and safe operations of our visitor experience and shop, including; Meet & Greet, Admissions, Retail, Food & Drink, Events, Guiding activities and general administrative duties together with promoting Belhaven beers at events, where required.

The role is full time – 5 days p/week – 2 days of which must be a Friday and Saturday. Some evening and weekend work may be required. Working hours are 08.30 to 16.45 with one hour for lunch.

Provide a consistently high standard of visitor experience at all times

· Greet all business visitors and trade customers in a professional and warm manner

· Welcome shoppers and visitors and process their admission/retail purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner.

· Welcome visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

· Provide information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise.

· Handle general deliveries to and enquiries about the site, notifying the relevant Belhaven staff of deliveries.

Maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation

· Ensure shop is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time.

· Maintain general tidiness of all areas as necessary e.g. toilets, waste bins, shelving, stock items and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required.

· Work in harmony with other departments at the property.

Assist with Retail/Food & Drink/Events/Guiding duties

· Manage the new Belhaven shop, from stock control to sales of beer and merchandise;

· Correctly handle all cash and card transaction, reconciling sales and revenue at the end of each business day.

· Adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies and to implement amendments to standard procedure as instructions may dictate.

· Ensure that retail merchandising is displayed to maximise appeal and purchase.

· Ensure good housekeeping of bar areas, appliances, store rooms and other back of house areas.

· Assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in liaison with the events coordinator.

· Be prepared to work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.

· Assist with additional hospitality events. Staff may be asked to work late hours and / weekends.

· Provide information on the history and stories of the Brewery, and conduct tastings to visitors as tour guide (training will be given for this).

Competency Requirements

· Delightful “front of house” persona – warm, welcoming, patient, understanding.

· Demonstrable time management skills and the ability to prioritise.

· Flexible, helpful outlook to customers and colleagues.

· Living the values of Belhaven / GK and encourage colleagues to do the same.

· The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone.

· An open and honest way of communicating, ready to ask others for their ideas and to be open to hear and consider different points of view.

· A pro-active approach to taking initiative and so improve daily operations and deliver an exceptional visitor experience.

Desirable

· Experience in storytelling and a passion for Scottish heritage and history.

On the job experience in existing or comparable role

· Demonstrable experience in a customer-facing retail-based role, ideally food and drink, delivering impeccable customer care through excellent inter-personal skills.

· Demonstrable experience in sales or ticket/event/admissions – ideally in a heritage/tourism context – with experience and confidence undertaking till-work and cash handling/reconciliation.

· Experience in EPOS style till operation and excellent cash handling skills.

· Good selling skills – adaptable to customer type and product.