Visitor Services

CONTEXT

We are looking for an experienced and talented individual to join the management team of our fantastic property, Pollok House. This is an exciting opportunity within the heritage industry and the ideal candidate must be passionate about our vision for the future and what we do every day as a business: bringing people together and providing them with the greatest visitor experience. Set within Pollok Country Park, Pollok House is Glasgow’s “country house” and is a fantastic place to soak up the atmosphere of Scotland’s history. With its beautiful gardens, popular park café and retail, famous art collection, busy functions business and events programme. Pollok House is a popular family-friendly visitor attraction in Scotland’s largest city.

KEY PURPOSE

To maximize our visitor enjoyment of Pollok House by providing an exceptional heritage experience, maintaining excellent standards of service, optimizing opportunities to generate visitor income, and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure. Ensuring the smooth and safe operations in admissions, tours, membership and event activities making the property the best possible place to visit and support.

The visitor services team focus on providing information about Pollok House, its art collection and its history to our visitors, delivering seasonal events and tours when required, supporting collections care within the property and supporting the delivery of functions when necessary. The Visitor Services Supervisor will be responsible for leading a team of visitor services assistants and volunteers, ensuring we meet and exceed our visitor expectations.

This role will be part of the duty management team for Pollok House, along with supervisors and managers from other departments. This responsibility ensures the smooth running of the day-to-day operation across all our operations and to support a 7-day opening.

The successful candidate will be expected to work 5 days over 7 on a rota basis with other managers and supervisors within the property.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Visitor Services
o Assess and improve our visitor experience with support from Visitor Services Manager, Operations manager and regional curator.
o Work closely with travel trade team at Head office to adapt and enhance the travel trade offering, increasing visitor numbers and revenue opportunities, with support from VSM and Operations manager
o Volunteer and VSA line manager, leading this team to provide a consistent visitor experience with exceptional levels of customer service. Recruitment and development within this team will be key to its success
o Lead on social media and website content to promote Pollok House
o Create & manage seasonal events, and specialized tours to help drive visitor numbers
o Handle enquiries for group bookings, ensuring optimization of visitor numbers and revenue opportunities across the property
o Lead the team to ensure membership sales targets are being met.
• Collection care
o Line report for the housekeeping team
o Improve on our housekeeping plan with support from housekeeping team, VSM and regional conservator
o Monitor the environment within the property to ensure we’re looking after our collections correctly, including IPM management.
• Operational management support
o Compliance checklists and walk round procedures/ daily- weekly- monthly
o Identify issues to smooth running of daily operations and co-ordinate with IT/ Facilities Manager as appropriate to resolve any issue (e.g., EPOS, blocked toilet, water leak or power cut)
o Customer complaint handling, both handling informal issues and providing information for escalation/formal complaints
o Group bookings/ event/ function – supporting delivery where needed
o Accept and good receipt deliveries and/or pass over where appropriate to colleagues
o Security of building, retail stock, collections
o Daily banking, incl. weekly Loomis collection
o Fully aware of daily activity noted in Property Calendar- and co-ordinate any specific requirements to the staff teams
o Handover to other managers at the end of the day (via note or email)
o Be available on radio for staff team support
o Escalate any issues as appropriate to Operations Manager

VISITOR ASSISTANT

DYNAMIC STORYTELLER, PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATING MEMORIES
Proactively acknowledge every customer and deliver a warm, genuine welcome
Anticipate every customer’s needs so that no-one is disappointed
Connect each guest personally with Scotch whisky to make them feel valued
Uphold outstanding levels of service to overcome any problem or challenge
Ensure the customer experience you offer is never just fine, it is always excellent

What about you?

A confident, outgoing storyteller with a natural character
An engaging communicator overflowing with a warmth of spirit
An inquisitive, keen learner with a thirst for knowledge
A Scotch whisky ambassador bringing a blend of enthusiasm and devotion
A hardworking, flexible problem solver determined to raise the bar
A cheerful presenter always ready for a double measure of fun!
What will you be doing?
Proactively welcoming customers and proudly promoting our tours
Efficiently operating our box office till and offering advice to customers
Enthusiastically leading tours, ensuring everyone has a memorable experience
Assisting at our Scotch whisky bar and giving knowledgeable recommendations
General housekeeping to keep our bar, tour and shop looking their best!

Contract full time, 36.25 hours per week
Hours rota based, includes evenings and weekends
Salary £11 per hour, increasing to £11.40 with experience
You will be busy; on your feet all day and you will be learning lots! Our friendly visitor assistants will look after you and encourage you to reach your full potential through regular training and coaching.

What about us?

We are a team of friendly and passionate storytellers in a five-star visitor attraction, and our vision is to make the world fall in love with Scotch whisky! Why not have a look around our website, or to get a better feel for our team’s enthusiasm, expertise and personality, why not read our blog?
Our visitor assistant team work together to connect everyone- from absolute beginners to connoisseurs- with Scotch whisky.

Would you like to be part of a team that welcomes 750,000 visitors a year?

Do you have a love of Edinburgh’s history?

We are looking for a Retail and Reception Supervisor to join our team who can deliver a welcoming, memorable and enjoyable experience for all the visitors and customers, ensuring that they receive the highest level of customer service at all times whilst contributing to the commercial success of our collection of unique venues.

Please note, this post will include weekend working and occasional evenings.

AJOR TASKS/JOB ACTIVITIES Carry out replenishment buying. Supervise stock control procedures and administration on EPOS system including annual stock-check. Supervise EPOS retail management system in liaison with Retail and Reception Manager. Collate and analyse data with Retail and Reception Manager for use in merchandising and buying decision-making.

Checks the work of Retail and Reception team including casual staff and associated HR system and IT processing of forms including creation of rotas in conjunction with team leaders to ensure building operations.

Ensure the maintenance of customer service, merchandising and other standards within the Retail and Reception Team.

Updating risk assessments in liaison with Retail and Reception Manager.
Undertake reception and retail sales duties and provide excellent customer service in the retail outlets in various retail outlets across Cultural Venues.

Supervision and Management of People Allocation of work to 5.96 FTE grade 3 including casual staff and student placements over at least four venues.

Motivating team to ensure high standards of customer service and merchandising.

Creativity and Innovation Maintain necessary staffing levels, requiring the ability to manage rotas and make last minute changes to deal with unforeseen problems and work with Team Leaders to achieve this.

Creativity in approaching staff development and working with different learning styles. Problem solving to resolve issues with EPOS system and writing copy for point of sale. Take initiative in promoting sales to visitors.

To be creative in establishing attractive displays of merchandise in order to maximise sales. Responds to visitor inquiries and requests and to offer alternative solutions to meet customer needs.

Contacts and Relationships Regular contact with suppliers and payments/vendor units. Works in collaboration with colleagues to achieve targets.

Deals with visitors of all ages and abilities, local, national and international, and has daily contact with Museum and Council colleagues. Decisions (Discretion) Daily decisions about the operation of the shops.

Manages staff rotas and allocates work daily. Assists with recruitment of staff.

Makes decisions on stock and suppliers to replenish.

Ensures that EPOS transactions and stock control paperwork are correct and accounting procedures adhered to.

Daily decisions on amount and level of information to give to visitors.

Prioritises courses of action when venues are very busy and there is pressure from customers. Responds to complex situations when manager is absent.

Makes time management decisions to achieve daily/weekly objectives.

We’re committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits that a diverse workforce with different values, beliefs, experience, and backgrounds brings to us as an organisation.

Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.

KEY PURPOSE
To ensure that the garden and related policies of Brodick Castle Garden and Estate are managed and maintained as a nationally-recognized garden of outstanding historical and horticultural importance; contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters.

The role of ‘Gardener’ as a key member of the Brodick Castle team will be heavily involved in the development plans of the garden and wider designed landscape, with future projects aimed at creating gardens of international significance. Hence this post will be vital to realize this ambition of the gardens as a top visitor attraction. This post is likely to include frequent work in the woodland garden.

CONTEXT
The garden comprises a listed walled garden containing an impressive collection of tender plants that may be grown due to the effect of the Gulf Stream. It also features a large woodland garden containing a world class collection of Rhododendrons and plants from temperate regions of the world.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:
1. Undertaking practical maintenance of the garden (e.g. managing trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; staking, plant nutrition, composting and soil improvement to the required standards expected by the Trust and for the maximum safety of, and enjoyment by visitors including other professionals in the horticultural industry;
2. Fostering positive relationships with local communities and organisations and promote the work of the Trust.
3. On occasion, supervising and working with volunteers and/or staff members to ensure they deliver required outputs at the appropriate standard, and gain benefit/satisfaction from their activities;
4. Demonstrating self motivation, organizing, planning, and prioritizing and good time management;
5. Undertaking such other reasonable duties as may from time to time be required to ensure the smooth running of the property as required by the Head Gardener.
6. Ensuring compliance with the Trust’s health, safety, and environment policies and procedures.

The current duties of this job do require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

JOB PURPOSE

This job is necessary to help the National Trust for Scotland properly care for the cultural landscape and natural heritage of the busy Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre site, through directly carrying out skilled estate maintenance work including path maintenance, caring for the conservation grazing herd and scrub clearance.
The Estates team play a pivotal role ensuring that the Culloden Landscape Management plan is realised and that we ensure safe access for over 300 000 visitors per year.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Ensuring a high standard of health and safety practice is followed while undertaking practical maintenance and conservation at Culloden Battlefield.
o Ensure you follow all relevant and appropriate Health and Safety Risk Assessments and activity procedures.
o Complete all relevant Health, Safety and Welfare logs relevant to your work and ensure compliance with COSHH
o Assist in delivery of all operations to ensure, where relevant and practical, the property is managed to reduce risk to the visiting public.
o Have an awareness of specific environmental risks relevant to working on the property, e.g. Lyme’s disease.
• Carry out essential estate maintenance to a high standard – this will include
o Small scale repairs to fences, benches, gates and other countryside furniture
o Using and maintaining equipment including fencing tools, brush cutters and woodchippers
• Day to day care of the conservation grazing herd including cattle, goats and horses.
• Undertaking conservation work while following guidelines and regulations around scheduled monuments and archaeological sites
• Interacting with visitors at the site to communicate key visitor safety messages and act as a positive ambassador for the site and the NTS
• Work with and supervise volunteers in a safe and responsible manner helping them to maximize their input to the work needed at the site and their enjoyment of the experience

JOB PURPOSE
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure.
Specifically, to ensure the smooth and safe operations in Admissions, Tours, Retail, Catering and Events activities making the property the best possible place to visit and work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing their admission/retail or catering purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner;
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act;
• Welcoming International visitors and aiding with specific needs.
• Welcoming groups in an efficient and warm manner
• Answering visitors’ queries about the site, education facilities and the local area;
• Providing information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise;
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.

To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times
• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required;
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time;
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to your line manager;
• Working in harmony with other departments; housekeeping, gardening, grounds maintenance and site repair employees/contractors.

Financial Responsibilities (where applicable)
• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies: to implement amendments to standard procedure as instructions may dictate.

Retail/Catering/Events/Cashier duties (where applicable)
• To ensure good housekeeping of catering kitchens, serveries and back of house areas.
• To ensure that retail merchandising is in accordance with NTS policy.
• To assist in achieving site retail/catering/events targets and KPI’s.
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in liaison with the events coordinator.
• To assist with Heritage Hospitality events. Staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post: Marketing and Events Officer
Directorate: Commercial Services
Reporting to: Marketing and Communications Manager

Job Purpose:

Responsible for the development and delivery of the Great Tapestry of Scotland Marketing strategy. Developing and delivering an events programme, sponsorship and fundraising opportunities.

Responsible for driving the charitable focus of the Live Borders’ Marketing and Communication strategy to internal and external stakeholders.

Duties include:
1. Lead the execution of marketing programs from start to finish, leveraging internal support and driving collaboration across national and international markets.
2. Establish positioning, identify target audiences, and develop marketing plans with specific objectives across different channels and segments
3. Work with Fundraising officer to identify opportunities
4. Analyse customer insights, consumer trends, market analysis, and marketing best practices to build successful strategies
5. Keep, create, maintain, and conduct analytics reporting across multiple platforms and extract key insights for future campaign development and go-to-market strategies, complete with formal proposals and recommendations
6. Develop and deliver Events programme positioning the centre as a desirable venue for private and public events.
7. Manage projects with external marketing support providers e.g. designers, web or media relations support
8. Effectively manage project budgets and advise teams on marketing spend
9. Update the Great Tapestry of Scotland website using content management systems (CMS) with a view to SEO optimisation
10. Daily management of social media to achieve growth in audiences and engagement

This job description is indicative of the nature and level of responsibility associated with the job. It is not exhaustive and there may be a requirement to undertake such other duties as required