Visitor Experience Officer

Job Description

Summary Do you have great communication skills and exceptional attention to detail We’re looking for someone to help us bring East Riddlesden Hall to life, inspiring and engaging with our visitors to ensure they have a great experience on their visit.You’ll need to have a keen eye for detail, as we need someone to manage the overall presentation of the site, ensuring all visitor touchpoints are regularly maintained and kept to a high standard. You’ll help our visitors to engage with the site, by creating and managing eye-catching interpretation and signage, and organising and delivering exciting seasonal programming throughout the year.Working days are Saturday – Wednesday, with Thursday and Friday off.Please read the accompanying role profile. What its like to work here East Riddlesden Hall is an intimate 17th-century manor house, built above the River Aire and once the heart of the agricultural estate of Riddlesden. It is a green haven on the edge or urban Keighley and is set in attractive grounds with mature beech trees.Your first impression of the place centres on the pond, gently framed by house and trees. It is a simple setting and apparently little changed from early illustrations of the Hall.In 1934 under threat of demolition, the hall was purchased by two Keighley brothers, William and John Brigg who presented it to the National Trust. The house is home to a wonderful array of seventeenth century needlework and original exquisite plasterwork ceilings, created by local craftsmen. The intimate gardens, with an ever-changing palette of colour, offer a peaceful space to relax, unwind and plan. For families, there is a mud pie kitchen, den building area and a hobbit house. What youll be doing As the largest conservation charity in Europe we work hard to raise funds, so that we can continue to care for all the heritage in our trust. Visitors are a vital part of what we do, so you’ll be responsible for ensuring that you provide an excellent service to all our supporters, every day.As the Visitor Experience Officer, you will work on all aspects of our visitors’ experience at this unique property. You will manage the visitor welcome, working with a small, friendly team of staff and volunteers to ensure our visitors have a great first impression on their visit.You will be responsible for the presentation of the site, ensuring everything is kept to the highest standard with creative and exciting signage to help our visitors find their way around the site and engage with the property. You will also lead our volunteer team in the house, helping engage our visitors with the changing history of this urban property.A creative thinker and brilliant communicator, you’ll lead the planning, design and creation of high standard interpretation, trails and activities to help visitors engage with the site and its fascinating history.There is also an exciting opportunity for you to lead on developing the family offer at East Riddlesden Hall, by evolving our natural play areas and connecting these to the wider landscape.East Riddlesden Hall is part of the West Yorkshire Portfolio Group and therefore the role will involve some exciting cross-working opportunities with other properties in the portfolio; Hardcastle Crags and Marsden Moor. During winter, there will be the opportunity to work at Hardcastle Crags to support the visitor welcome team during some of the busier months. Who were looking for It’s a significant role at a busy property and we need someone who can take on a challenge. To deliver this role successfully, you’ll need to have:

A flexible customer focused approach, with high standards of customer service

Excellent people skills, enabling strong relationships, both externally and internally

Experience of working to multiple deadlines and managing own workload

Outstanding organisation and planning skills, and a good eye for detail

Understanding of the aims and ethos of the National Trust

Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

A hard working approach, be committed and a team player

Strong IT skills - Microsoft Office, as well as web and social media applications

Experience of producing interpretation, marketing or promotional material

Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety procedures

The package Benefits for working at the National Trust:

Flexible working whenever possible

Free parking at most locations

Discounts in high street stores, cinemas, National Trust properties and cafes.

Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

Generous annual leave

Subsidised health cash plan

Free 24-hour support service

Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Training & Development tailored to you

Up to 5 days of paid volunteering for you.