Cowdray Heritage Trust Operations Manager in Midhurst

Cowdray Heritage Trust exists to preserve and manage Cowdray Ruins for public benefit, ensuring this nationally significant Tudor site remains protected, understood, and enjoyed by current and future generations. Cowdray Ruins are the remains of one of England’s great Tudor houses, comparable in scale and significance to the great palaces and country houses of its era. Largely destroyed by fire in 1793, the Ruins are now Grade I listed and of exceptional historical importance. The Trust sits within the wider Cowdray Estate, located at the heart of the South Downs National Park. While the majority of the Ruins remain closed to the public, the Trust has recently opened a Visitor Centre and Café and delivers guided tours and events. These activities are in an early but exciting phase of development, with clear ambition to grow visitor numbers, diversify audience engagement, and increase commercial contribution to the ongoing care of the Ruins. Alongside this, the Trust is undertaking early-stage Masterplanning to stabilise and repair the stonework, enabling future re-opening and expanded public access. This is a pivotal moment for the organisation, with significant opportunity to shape how the site develops operationally, commercially, and culturally.

The Operations Manager plays a central role in the day-to-day delivery and continuous development of Cowdray Ruins as a visitor destination. You will be responsible for the smooth and safe running of the Visitor Centre, Café, events programme, and all public-facing operations, ensuring consistently high standards of visitor experience while supporting the Trust’s wider conservation and development goals. This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring strong operational judgement, a practical mindset, and the ability to balance heritage sensitivity with commercial and audience development ambitions. You will also play a key role in shaping how the site grows, helping to increase footfall, improve visitor experience, and maximise the use of accessible spaces in a heritage environment that is actively evolving.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational leadership
  • Lead day‑to‑day operations across the Visitor Centre, Café, and public‑facing areas
  • Ensure safe, efficient, and consistently high‑quality visitor experience delivery
  • Manage site opening/closing procedures, security, and duty management cover
• People management
  • Recruit, induct, train, and support staff and volunteers
  • Foster a high‑performing, visitor‑focused team culture
  • Ensure staffing levels and costs remain within agreed budgets
• Health & Safety and compliance
  • Lead and embed a strong Health & Safety culture across the site
  • Maintain, review, and implement Risk Assessments and operational procedures
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and site‑specific requirements
  • Monitor site condition and oversee required maintenance and remedial actions
• Events and audience development
  • Plan and deliver an annual events and engagement programme
  • Maximise use of available spaces to grow audiences and increase income
  • Support development of new visitor experiences and activities
• Marketing and communications
  • Oversee social media activity and website content relating to the Ruins
  • Support public understanding of Cowdray Heritage Trust’s mission and activities
  • Contribute to audience development and promotional planning
• Visitor experience and engagement
  • Handle visitor enquiries in person, by email, and via phone
  • Maintain a culture of exceptional service
  • Support audience research, including surveys and feedback analysis
• Finance and operations
  • Support budgeting and financial monitoring with the General Manager
  • Ensure operational sustainability through effective cost control and planning
• Site stewardship and wider projects
  • Coordinate outsourced maintenance and contractors
  • Support the evolving Masterplan project where required
  • Contribute to long‑term operational planning for the site

The Candidate

We are seeking an experienced and confident operations professional with a strong background in visitor‑facing environments. You will likely bring:

• Proven management or supervisory experience in a visitor attraction, museum, heritage site, hospitality, or leisure environment
• Experience delivering or coordinating events, activities, or visitor programmes
• Strong understanding of operational delivery in a public‑facing setting
• Experience working with budgets and operational planning
• Confidence managing staff and/or volunteers

You will also demonstrate:

• A strong commitment to exceptional customer and visitor experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High levels of organisation, reliability, and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of operational delivery
• Confidence working in a changing or developing environment
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office

You will stand out if you also have:

• Experience in heritage, conservation, or historic environments
• Marketing or audience development experience
• Experience improving operational systems or visitor flow
• Exposure to seasonal operating models

To apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to Gemma Butterfield, General Manager: gemma.butterfield@cowdray.co.uk, by 5pm on Sunday 31st May 2026.