Visitor Services Manager

Job Description Join Our Team: Visitor Services Manager, National Waterways Museum Gloucester.nnWere excited to welcome a new Visitor Services Manager at our Wales & South West location.nnNavigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.nnWorking Hours & LocationnnThis role follows a 37 hours, over a 7 day working pattern. This is a site-based role, requiring occasional travel to meetings with partners, other attractions and to our main hubs for collaborative meetings and team activities.nnRole OverviewnnThe purpose of the post is to manage and lead the day-to-day operations, business development and visitor experience at the National Waterways Museum, Gloucester. The Visitor Services Manager (VSM) will lead the site team at Gloucester (colleagues and volunteers) on a day to day basis to focus on the visitor offer, striving for excellence in experience, achieving financial sustainability around income generation and charitable giving and delivering a consistently high-class visitor welcome across the board. This includes managing a range of front of house functions including food and beverage, retail, events and commercial boat trips. The Visitor Services Manager plays a central role in overseeing, coordinating and championing the experience of every visitor from site presentation, to large/small scale events and programming, making the site a must-see attraction, acclaimed internationally, nationally and loved locally.nnAs a key member of the Destinations and Attractions Management Team the VSM will work strategically with colleagues in other attractions and with other teams within the Trust such as, Operations, Fundraising, Collections, Marketing and Volunteering teams amongst others to promote, drive and deliver excellence in customer service and a visitor centred approach. The VSM will work collaboratively with teams and volunteers to ensure focused visitor activity which will help build our audiences and increase visitor footfall whilst building engagement for the Trust brand.nnA key accountability of the role is managing and reporting on financial performance, delivering on KPIs and leading and motivating teams to deliver income targets whilst effectively managing costs.nnThe Visitor Services Manager will manage a range of stakeholder relationships including representing the Trust at local partnership groups, representing the site at relevant external meetings as appropriate.nnKey ResponsibilitiesnnDeliver on financial KPIs working to control costs and maximise income (commercial and charitable giving) including managing diverse budgets relating to the Front of House operationsntMonitoring and delivering other appropriate KPIs set in the Business Plan, reporting back to the management team on progress and actionsntOverseeing the recruitment of permanent and seasonals and volunteers and ensuring they are trained to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively.ntOwning the visitor experience and ensuring colleagues and volunteers work as a team to deliver an unforgettable, quality visit whether in the caf/shop or at eventsntLead on volunteer growth, building the volunteering team to deliver key operational functionsntMaintain an overview of the presentation of the site at all timentLeading on gathering visitor data and analysing customer feedback to ensure that necessary actions are taken to improve performance.ntPlaying a key role in all projects that have an impact upon our visitors and the public.ntDeliver on financial KPIs working to control costs and maximise income (commercial and charitable giving) including managing diverse budgets relating to the Front of House operationsntMonitoring and delivering other appropriate KPIs set in the Business Plan, reporting back to the management team on progress and actionsntOverseeing the recruitment of permanent and seasonals and volunteers and ensuring they are trained to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively.ntOwning the visitor experience and ensuring colleagues and volunteers work as a team to deliver an unforgettable, quality visit whether in the caf/shop or at eventsntLead on volunteer growth, building the volunteering team to deliver key operational functionsntMaintain an overview of the presentation of the site at all timentLeading on gathering visitor data and analysing customer feedback to ensure that necessary actions are taken to improve performance.ntPlaying a key role in all projects that have an impact upon our visitors and the public.nnnAbout younnYou will have extensive experience of working operationally in a customer-focused environment, ideally in a visitor attraction, delivering financial targets and creating dynamic and innovative projects and programming that will engage and inspire audiences. You will have experience of leading teams, including volunteers to deliver successful initiatives and keep them motivated and involved. You will be able to demonstrate the ability to create safe working environments and understand the importance of compliance in day to day operations. If you love working with people and want to make a difference then this role is for you.nnSkills & Qualifications nnEducated to degree level or equivalentntKnowledge/experience of customer care and visitor services preferably in a museum contextntKnowledge / experience of managing staff rotas over two sitesntSuccessful track record in recruiting and developing volunteersntKnowledge of heritage and interpretation issuesntExperience of managing staff and dealing with customersntExcellent Communication and interpersonal skillsntConsiderable people management and hands-on team leading experience including managing volunteersntProven experience of planning operations 'staffing in a visitor-based attractionntAbility to work in partnership with internal and external staff and organisations.ntExperience of managing budgets.ntGood understanding of Health & Safety Policy, Principles, Standards, Procedures & Guidance.ntAble to creatively & innovatively develop solutions to obstacles and challengesntAbility to Travel between sitesntDemonstrate an interest and competency in effective museum management.ntThe successful candidate will require a DBS checknnnContact & ApplicationnnIf you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.nnWhat We OffernnWe offer an annual salary of 33,677. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1. nnLearn more:https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefitsnnIND MP

Created: 2026-02-21