Senior Guest Experience Manager in London

Hornblower Group is a global leader in experiences and transportation. Spanning a 100-year history, Hornblower Group’s portfolio of international offerings includes water-based experiences (dining and sightseeing cruises), land-based experiences (walking and food tours) and ferry and transportation services. City Experiences, Hornblower Group’s premier experience division, offers land- and water-based experiences as well as ferry and transportation services.

City Cruises UK is part of the City Experiences division of the Hornblower Group, a global leader in world-class experiences and transportation services. We operate public dining and sightseeing cruises as well as private charters for corporate events, birthday parties, weddings, or other special occasions across London and York.

As Senior Guest Experience Manager (known internally as the Senior Pier Manager) you will lead the guest experience and colleagues across our London piers, ensuring safe, seamless, and welcoming journeys. You will set service standards, coach and develop the Pier Team, drive on-time departures, and deliver commercial results through world-class customer service. Working across Tower, Westminster, London Eye and Greenwich piers, you’ll build a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and safety-first operations in partnership with our key stakeholders.

• Customer Experience Leadership
  • Lead the delivery and continuous improvement of pier guest experience standards, using customer satisfaction and revenue insights data.
  • Be a visible leader, empowering teams to proactively support guests, resolve issues, and uphold exemplary customer service behaviours.
  • Deliver budget and revenue targets through effective staffing, service quality, and upsell execution.
• People Management
  • Lead, develop and motivate Pier Managers, Team Leaders, and Crew, fostering a high-performance and supportive culture.
  • Ensure optimum staff coverage levels and strong service standards through recruitment, onboarding, and training.
  • Manage performance, including ER case management, in collaboration with HR.
• Operational Excellence
  • Deliver on-time departures and safe vessel dispatches across all piers.
  • Oversee ticketing/POS systems, cash control, stock, and accurate operational record-keeping.
  • Collaborate closely with wider Operations team to manage schedules, disruptions and contingency plans.
• Safety & Compliance
  • Champion a safety-first culture through adherence to SMS standards and proactive safety leadership.
  • In collaboration with the Safety and Compliance team, lead risk assessments and crowd safety planning, ensuring safe guest movement and emergency readiness.
  • Ensure compliance with TfL/LRS procedures; oversee incident reporting and corrective actions.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including LRS and trade unions.
  • Promote cross-departmental collaboration and communication.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Proven leadership of customer facing teams in high footfall, fast paced environments (for example, transport, attractions, retail, hospitality, or tourism).
• Track record of driving NPS/CSAT improvements and commercial outcomes (conversion, retail, or ancillary revenue).
• Rostering and dynamic resource management experience.
• Training, coaching, and performance management across multi-site operations.
• Proficient in MS Office and familiarity with retail software platforms.
• Budget management and ability to interpret and use data effectively.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and analytical abilities.
• Experience in unionised environments and employee relations (desirable).

All employees must commit to upholding our RESPECT values. They are as follows:

• Respect: We will value, appreciate and respect each other. We will foster diversity and inclusivity.
• Environment: We will respect our planet. We will conserve, protect, and educate. We will practice environmental stewardship.
• Safety #1: We will think and work safely. We will follow safety standards and instructions. We will create a safe and secure workplace.
• Professionalism: We will conduct ourselves professionally. We will take responsibility for our actions. We will own the problem until it is solved.
• Exceed: We will continuously improve. We will exceed standards and expectations.
• Communication: We will be open and honest. We will choose a respectful approach. We will share information with others effectively.
• Teamwork: We will exist to serve others. We will anticipate the needs of others. We will have fun and practice “enthusiastic friendliness”.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to create a diverse and inclusive environment. Candidates for employment or promotion will be assessed objectively against the requirements for the position.