Visitor Experience Manager

As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is already a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. But it’s where we go next that makes things really interesting.

In our strategic vision:Archives for Everyone, we set ourselves the challenge of becoming the 21st Century national archive – a different kind of cultural and heritage institution: Inclusive, Entrepreneurial, Disruptive. We won’t become this overnight. It will take time, focus, effort and daring.

That’s where you come in. Because we can’t do this without you.

Job Overview

Salary: £38,322 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

Band: F / Senior Executive Officer

Closing date: Thursday 20th February 2025 at midnight

The National Archives has embarked on an ambitious and exciting transformation programme to inspire the public with new ways of using and experiencing our collection. We have made a strong start with our flourishing ’What’s On’ programme offering a range of events and exhibitions. We are now poised to take things to the next level, developing our public programming strategy, building our capability, professionalising our delivery, and re-imagining our public spaces at Kew. We have developed our first Visitor Experience Strategy, in which you will be a key player in implementing improvements and changes.

Reporting to the Head of Visitor Experience, and working closely with colleagues across The National Archives, you will be a highly visible and leading member of a small but growing team, to support the delivery of a consistently high quality visitor experience to all TNA audiences. This role includes direct support of events and activities, which will require some working outside normal office hours.

We also have an ambition to develop volunteering opportunities within Visitor Experience. You will take the lead on developing and implementing a volunteer programme from initial vision to operational delivery, including task identification, internal approval, recruitment and supervision.

You will have strong experience of visitor experience management in the cultural and heritage sector, working with both staff, volunteers, and contracted resources.

You will be a daily ‘go to’ person, expected to deal with operational matters in a confident and proactive manner – a role model of consistency of delivery and quality, supporting Visitor Experience and other visitor-facing staff.

You will have the opportunity to work alongside the Head of Visitor Experience and the Director of Public Engagement & Sector Leadership, and our architectural partner, to support the transformation of the site at Kew to a welcoming and vibrant learning environment, and a destination of National significance.

This is a full time post. However, requests for part-time working, flexible working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department.

This is an onsite role with minimal option for hybrid working.

How To Apply

To submit your application please click the ‘Apply’ button on this page. You will be asked to provide details of your work experience and write a personal statement, not exceeding 1200 words. In your statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria below. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section.

We understand that you might use artificial intelligence (AI) and other resources to assist with your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Job Description

Job Purpose

Our collection is one of the largest in the world, containing over 11 million historical government and public records. From Domesday Book to modern government papers and digital files, we hold paper and parchment, digital records and websites, photographs, posters, maps drawings and paintings. Taking an audience focussed approach we want to give even more people the opportunity to engage with our collections, whether they visit our site at Kew or online.

The National Archives has embarked on an ambitious and exciting transformation programme to inspire the public with new ways of using and experiencing our collection. We have made a strong start with our flourishing ’What’s On’ programme offering a range of events and exhibitions. We are now poised to take things to the next level, developing our public programming strategy, building our capability, professionalising our delivery, and re-imagining our public spaces at Kew. We have developed our first Visitor Experience Strategy, in which you will be a key player in implementing improvements and changes.

Reporting to the Head of Visitor Experience, and working closely with colleagues across The National Archives (TNA), you will be a highly visible and leading member of a small but growing team, to support the delivery of a consistently high quality visitor experience to all TNA audiences. This role includes direct support of events and activities, which will require some working outside normal office hours.

We also have an ambition to develop volunteering opportunities within Visitor Experience. You will take the lead on developing and implementing a volunteer programme from initial vision to operational delivery, including task identification, internal approval, recruitment and supervision.

Role and Responsibilities

• To manage and lead a small but growing team of Visitor Experience Assistants ensuring they provide an excellent service to all our visitors (potentially supported by a VEx Supervisor in the future)
• Ensuring the deployment of staffing and supervision is provided throughout the week to support front-of-house delivery including welcome and gallery invigilation
• Responsible for the recruitment, development, and performance management of VEx Assistants (and potentially a VEx Supervisor in the future)
• To lead, and be actively engaged in, the co-ordination of front-of-house delivery for the entire visitor journey with internal partners, in particular Estates, IT Operations, Retail Team, Document Services, Collections Expertise & Engagement, and our catering partner, paying particular attention to intelligence gained from audience insight and visitor feedback
• To be the first port-of-call for any service delivery issues – the ‘duty manager’ – including managing emergency situations affecting visitors
• To support the Head of Visitor Experience with regard to all public spaces outside the reading rooms, including health & safety, licensing, wayfinding, equipment provision, and general appearance.
• To be a role model of consistency of delivery and quality, supporting Visitor Experience and other visitor-facing staff.
• To develop and implement a front-of-house volunteering programme
• Working alongside the Head of Visitor Experience and Director of Public Engagement & Sector Leadership, and our architectural partner, to support the transformation of the site at Kew to a welcoming and vibrant learning environment, and a destination of National significance, including leading on discrete projects up to £100k in project value
• To keep abreast of developments in visitor experience by cultural sector organisations

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment – this is an onsite role with minimal option for hybrid working
• Moving items up to 10kg in weight

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Evidence of successful management or supervision of a diverse group of staff and volunteers, and delivery through staff not under direct control, in a cultural service delivery environment.
• Good organisational skills, ability to work under pressure and to competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent customer care/service skills, understanding the needs of diverse visitors to TNA.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills and experience of engaging with a diversity of stakeholders and service partners at all levels, in order to achieve positive outcomes for the visitor experience.
• A ‘can do’ attitude to delivering high quality services, and responding to challenging and emergency situations effectively, and with an eye for detail.
• The ability to trouble-shoot and resolve problems rapidly and effectively, working with a variety of internal and external specialists (IT, Estates, Events & Exhibitions, etc.) to deliver optimal outcomes
• The ability to interpret audience insight and visitor feedback information and translate that into effective service improvements
• Experience of developing and implementing cultural sector volunteering opportunities

Desirable Criteria

• Hold or be willing to obtain a Personal Licence (Licensing Act 2003)

Other Requirements

• Includes working evenings and weekends as required to ensure continuous management presence when the building is open to visitors or event attendees

Benefits

Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development. Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year (rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years) and 10½ days public and privilege holidays per annum.

Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at (opens in new window)

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact The National Archives via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks (opens in new window)

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles. (opens in new window)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. (opens in new window)

Contact Point For Applicants

• Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team
• Email:

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact The National Archives via email: If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at (opens in new window)#J-18808-Ljbffr