Heritage Visitor Services & F&B Lead

Organisation: The National Trust for Scotland

Salary: £31,055 pro-rata, per annum

Location: Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Murdoch's Lone, Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ

JOB PURPOSE

To provide operational coordination and supervision of food, beverage & hospitality at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum 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. The Visitor Services Supervisor at a Trust property plays a pivotal role ensuring that the management objectives are achieved through excellent customer service, and, with delegated responsibility for food & beverage, hospitality & duty management is very often the “face” of the Trust to visitors and suppliers. As such, s/he directly influences public perceptions of the Trust and is crucial to developing and maintaining the property’s local/national reputation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Supervising/undertaking the day-to-day operation of the property and environment to ensure an excellent customer/visitor experience.
• Supervision of visitor services, F&B (including ordering, merchandising, sales targets).
• Line management of Visitor Services Assistants and volunteers to deliver an exceptional visitor experience for all guests.
• Overseeing and ensuring that the sale of alcohol legislation is adhered to.
• Being visitor/customer focused by being visible, approachable, and quick to exceed expectations in fulfilling customer needs.
• Working closely with other managers across the Property to deliver a programme of visitor events, which increase visitor numbers, drive secondary spend and support overall Property targets.
• Working with the Functions & Events Supervisor to deliver the F&B offer for weddings, hospitality, and corporate events.
• Duty management and oversight/maintenance of the property.
• Deputizing for the Visitor Services Manager / Operations Manager and providing cover for other Visitor Service Supervisors on-site and off-site as required.
• Visitor services, functions, events, admissions, and retail offer when acting as Duty Manager.
• Ensure the property social media is managed to generate interest, engagement and help drive visitors.
• Promoting the National Trust for Scotland as a memberships organization and the benefits of becoming a member to all visitors.
• Security of the Property.
• Health & Safety procedures, emergency procedures, and environmental procedures.
• Instil a Health & Safety culture across the property, ensuring teamwork within the property’s ‘Safe System of Work’ to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees, and visitors.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

• No formal educational qualification required (but see “Experience” below).
• A full, clean driving license for driving in the UK.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Significant previous experience of working in an operations role in the hospitality industry – including experience managing, leading, coordinating and developing a team with varying remits and professional competences.
• Significant previous experience in a customer facing, service environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and confidence in dealing with a wide range of staff, visitors, and other stakeholders, with a friendly, confident manner.
• Excellent organisational, administrative, and time-management skills with the ability to prioritise and re-prioritise workload to meet changing demands.
• Proven sales skills with the ability to achieve targets.
• The ability to think and act quickly when confronted with emergencies.
• To hold, or, have the ability and willingness to hold a Scottish Personal Licence Holder’s Certificate and Personal Licence.
• To hold, or, have the ability and willingness to achieve an Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Access to own transport.
• A full clean driving license valid for the UK and access to a vehicle suitable for use on Trust business (with appropriate business insurance).

Desirable

• A genuine understanding of, and belief in, the work of the National Trust for Scotland.
• Previous event coordination/management experience.
• An understanding and experience of food and beverage operations within an historic/heritage environment.
• A formal qualification in Hospitality, Tourism or Event Management.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word.