/ JOB DESCRIPTION / June 2015
Role: Visitor Services Manager / Business Function: Properties and Visitor Services
Reports to: Property Manager,Pollok House / Pay Band: Band D / £21,750
Location: Pollok House, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow, G43 1AT / Type of Contract: Permanent /full time (40 hours per week).

KEY PURPOSE

This job exists in order to ensure that all of Pollok House’s visitor-related activities provide a positive experience for visitors, enhance its reputation as a “destination” heritage/tourist attraction, and provide a positive budgetary contribution to the property’s financial sustainability.

CONTEXT - Pollok House

In 1998 Glasgow City Council passed management of Pollok House to the National Trust for Scotland (the Trust) under a 25-year lease whilst retaining ownership. Pollok House is situated within Pollok Country Park (146 ha), which is owned and managed by Glasgow City Council, at the centre of the remaining core of Pollok Estate (458ha). The internationally important Burrell Collection is also housed within the Country Park with the City Council retaining control of its management. The role covers the area currently managed by the Trust (Pollok House) and is mindful of the need to consider the house in the context of the Country Park and the Burrell Collection and how our position will evolve over time. The Trust has an influence over the management of Pollok Estate through a Conservation Agreement and the work of the Pollok Advisory Committee.

The collection contained within the house, consisting of Council, Glasgow Museums and family items, supplemented by pieces owned by the Trust, reflect its’ history of ownership and management. The House is open all year, except for four days at Christmas and New Year, and visitor numbers have increased to current levels approaching 70,000 per year.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the Job will be met by:

  1. Managing staff and volunteers (recruitment, induction, motivation, development, performance management) such that they have clear direction and are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards. That staffing budgets are adhered to and volunteering opportunities are developed.
  2. Managing daily operations in the shops, front desk and upper house while workingin conjunction with other senior property staff, responsible for the daily operations associated with Pollok House. Being responsible daily cash handling and financial reporting in the absence of the Senior Assistant.
  3. Key Holding and Duty Management with responsibility for security including being part of a call out list.
  4. Customer Service Creating, maintaining, and developing excellence in customer service such that a culture of excellence pervades all parts of Pollok House’s visitor-related activities.
  5. Engagement of all stakeholders developing and maximizing key relationships to the ongoing benefit of Pollok House and the Trust (e.g. members, family, visitors, neighbours, , local community, Trust “Members’ Centres”, internal stakeholders and subject specialists).
  6. Budgets Being accountable and responsible for the performance of the visitor-service and retail budgets in terms of financial KPIs. Proactively identifying, developing and implementing visitor/commercial opportunities (i.e. admissions, membership, retail) that make a positive contribution to the property’s financial bottom-line and add value to the visitor experience;
  7. Health, safety and the environment ensuring safe systems of work are followed in line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers; complying with health and safety, licensing and all other legislative and regulatory requirements.
  8. Embracing Conservation management ensuring a high standard of collections care and presentation of the upper house under the guidance of the regional Conservator.
  9. Retail Management Being responsible for the ordering and management of stock as well as its presentation /preparation. By ensuring familiarity with and adherence to central guidance relating to the shop’s presentation and demonstrating merchandising skills and showing innovation and commercial awareness. Using and analysing data from EPoS till system to inform decisions.
  10. Events Working with the Functions and Events Manager to develop and deliver events which enhance the visitor experience and increase income.

The current duties of this post require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out. This post requires regular weekend working.

SCOPE OF ROLE

People Management

  • The post-holder will directly manage all visitor services staff and the volunteers team.
  • The post-holder will work frequently with the following centralised departments: Travel Trade Retail; Finance & Business Support; Human Resources, Conservation.
  • Working with other senior property staff.

Finance Management

  • The Property Manager is the overall budget-holder, but the post-holder has devolved responsibility and accountability for the following budget activities: Admissions & Membership; Retail; with a total income of c.£210,000 and expenditure of c.170,000 annually.
  • The post-holder will ensure that cash-sales are recorded and banked in accordance with Trust policy and local arrangements.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

The above outlines the key skills the job-holder will need to possess and exercise. In addition, the following is required:

  • experience in retail management;
  • competence and self-sufficiency in IT (principally Microsoft environment);
  • highly developed organisational skills, deployable in a multi-tasking environment;
  • possession of a current Driving licence, valid for driving in the UK;
  • ability to work as part of a team ;
  • ability to foster and motivate a team;
  • to work 'hands-on' alongside the team members demonstrating the customer service skills required of all staff in that area;
  • be able to regularly work weekends and evenings when required; and
  • possess highly developed financial management and commercial awareness.

Desirable:

  • have direct experience of managing multi-strand visitor/commercial services in a heritage or tourist-attraction context;
  • possess excellent communication skills (written and oral), including influencing/persuasion;
  • experience of conservation in a heritage environment and collections care.

The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

Applications

Interested applicants should forward a completed application form to Human Resources Department (Applications), The National Trust for Scotland, Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road, Edinburgh, EH11 4DF, by mail or by email via , by first post (i.e. 10.00am) on10 July 2015. Interviews are likely to be held at Mar Lodge Estate during week commencing 20 July 2015.