At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Kents Cavern to achieve visitor and revenue targets while ensuring exceptional operational standards.
- Company: Kents Cavern, Britain's oldest home and a top heritage attraction.
- Benefits: Competitive salary and the chance to shape a historic site.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team focused on growth and excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on visitor experiences at an iconic location.
- Qualifications: Senior operational experience in visitor attractions or customer-facing businesses.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Kents Cavern is Britain's oldest home, a site of international archaeological significance and one of the South West's most iconic visitor attractions. We are looking for an exceptional General Manager who knows how to deliver results and make things happen. You will set standards, drive performance, solve problems and ensure the attraction consistently delivers against visitor, revenue and operational targets.
You will be responsible for ensuring Kents Cavern achieves its commercial objectives while maintaining the highest standards of visitor experience, presentation, health and safety and operational delivery. You will lead the day-to-day operation of the attraction and ensure plans become reality. You will be key to delivering the vision for this iconic site.
Purpose of the Role
To lead the attraction with pace, focus and accountability. The General Manager is responsible for ensuring Kents Cavern delivers its visitor, revenue and profitability targets while maintaining exceptional operational standards. You will take ownership for performance across every area of the business, ensuring plans are executed, projects are delivered, teams are performing and standards are consistently maintained. You will identify issues before they become problems, remove barriers to progress and ensure the attraction moves forward at pace.
What You'll Be Accountable For
- Commercial Performance
- Delivering visitor and revenue budgets.
- Growing sales across all areas including admissions, groups, schools and coach business.
- Maximising secondary spend through retail.
- Driving performance across all revenue streams.
- Ensuring forecasts, plans and reporting are accurate and up to date.
- Operational Excellence
- Running a safe, efficient and highly organised attraction.
- Maintaining exceptional standards every day.
- Ensuring visitor-facing areas are clean, well-presented and operational.
- Managing resources effectively to maximise performance.
- Ensuring compliance across all operational areas.
- Project Delivery
- Delivering seasonal events and exhibitions.
- Implementing self-guided experiences and operational improvements.
- Driving infrastructure and visitor experience enhancements.
- Ensuring projects are delivered on time and to the required standard.
- Team Performance
- Setting clear expectations.
- Holding managers accountable.
- Addressing poor performance quickly.
- Recruiting and retaining strong people.
- Building teams that focus on solutions rather than barriers.
What You’ll Do
- Be visible across the attraction.
- Monitor standards continuously.
- Review visitor feedback and take action.
- Track performance against targets.
- Drive visitor growth initiatives.
- Ensure maintenance issues are resolved promptly.
- Manage budgets and staffing costs carefully.
- Lead daily operational decision-making.
- Remove obstacles that prevent progress.
- Deliver business plans and agreed priorities.
- Work closely with central support teams to maximise results.
The Type of Person We’re Looking For
- Gets things done.
- Takes ownership.
- Notices the details.
- Holds high standards.
- Is commercially aware.
- Makes decisions.
- Doesn’t wait for problems to solve themselves.
- Can manage multiple priorities.
- Is comfortable holding people accountable.
- Understands that execution matters as much as strategy.
Key Skills & Experience
Essential
- Senior operational experience.
- Experience managing visitor attractions, hospitality, tourism or customer-facing businesses.
- Proven track record of delivering budgets.
- Strong project delivery experience.
- Experience managing teams and performance.
- Excellent organisational skills.
- Strong understanding of operational planning.
- Experience managing health and safety compliance.
Desirable
- Heritage or visitor attraction experience.
- Experience managing exhibitions or events.
- Experience working with educational, group or tourism markets.
Success Looks Like
- Visitor targets achieved.
- Revenue targets achieved.
- Schools, groups and coaches growing.
- Projects delivered on time.
- High visitor satisfaction scores.
- Strong health and safety compliance.
- Excellent presentation standards.
- Teams performing well.
- Problems dealt with quickly.
- Senior leadership has confidence that plans will be delivered.
The Opportunity
Kents Cavern has significant potential. The successful candidate will play a key role in growing visitor numbers beyond 200,000 annually, enhancing the visitor experience and strengthening Kents Cavern’s position as one of the UK's leading heritage attractions. We’re looking for someone who combines commercial awareness with operational discipline, someone who can take ownership, maintain momentum and ensure that great ideas become reality. If you are someone who thrives on delivery, accountability and high standards, we’d love to hear from you.
General Manager in Torquay employer: KC – Management
Kents Cavern offers a dynamic and rewarding work environment where the General Manager will lead a passionate team at one of the South West's most iconic visitor attractions. With a strong focus on employee growth, operational excellence, and a commitment to delivering exceptional visitor experiences, this role provides unique opportunities to make a significant impact in a culturally rich setting. Join us in shaping the future of Kents Cavern while enjoying competitive compensation and a supportive work culture that values accountability and high standards.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager in Torquay
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand Kents Cavern’s mission and values, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you stand out and show that you’re genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or family to get comfortable with common questions. Focus on showcasing your leadership skills and operational excellence, as these are key for the General Manager role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in leaving a positive impression. It shows you’re keen and professional, which is exactly what Kents Cavern needs in a General Manager.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager in Torquay
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for Kents Cavern shine through! We want to see how much you care about visitor experiences and heritage attractions. Share any personal connections or experiences that make you excited about this role.
Be Specific About Your Achievements:We love numbers! When discussing your past roles, be sure to include specific examples of how you’ve met or exceeded targets. Whether it’s visitor numbers, revenue growth, or project delivery, concrete figures will help us see your impact.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure your application speaks directly to the job description. Highlight your relevant experience in managing visitor attractions and operational excellence. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so show us how you fit the bill!
Keep It Professional Yet Personal:While we appreciate a friendly tone, remember to keep your application professional. Use clear language and structure your thoughts well. A well-organised application reflects your organisational skills, which are key for this role!
How to prepare for a job interview at KC – Management
✨Know Your Numbers
As a General Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your understanding of visitor and revenue targets. Brush up on Kents Cavern's current performance metrics and be ready to discuss how you would drive growth in admissions and secondary spend.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to talk about your experience managing teams and driving performance. Think of specific examples where you've set clear expectations, addressed poor performance, or built strong teams that focus on solutions. This will show you can lead effectively.
✨Be Ready for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect questions about how you've identified issues before they became problems in past roles. Have a few examples ready that highlight your proactive approach to operational excellence and your ability to remove barriers to progress.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Visitor Experience
Kents Cavern is all about delivering exceptional visitor experiences. Be prepared to discuss how you've maintained high standards in previous roles and how you plan to enhance the visitor experience at this iconic site.
