INSOLE COURT TRUST
ROLE PROFILE
VISITOR SERVICES SUPERVISOR
OCTOBER 2016
SUMMARY
Job Title: Visitor Services Supervisor
Reporting To: Insole Court Manager
Location: Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff
Salary: £18,000 -£20,000
INTRODUCTION
Insole Court is a magnificent Grade II* listed Victorian mansion house and outbuildings set within a Grade II* registered garden in Llandaff, Cardiff. It is undergone extensive refurbishment as part of a major renewal project funding by Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery Fund, Cardiff Council, Cadw and other donors. Insole Court has been transferred from Cardiff Council to the Insole Court Trust as part of the biggest community asset transfer scheme in Wales.
The renewed Insole Court will be both a visitor attraction and a community hub. The Mansion House will feature dedicated interpretation and exhibition spaces telling the story of its survival and the role of the Insole family in industrial South Wales. There are also grand rooms that will be hired for meetings, events and receptions. The Stable Block and Potting Sheds will be developed as community facilities and will feature a Visitor Centre, Tea Room, Training Suite, Community Hall, Activity/Learning spaces and several Courtyards.
Insole Court is reopening to the public in phases this autumn and winter. We are presently building a new team of staff and volunteers that will be responsible for the management of the estate, and the Visitor Services Supervisor will be a key member of this team. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody to come in at beginning and help shape a new future for Insole Court.
The Insole Court Trust welcomes applications from candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, experience and circumstances.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
As the Visitor Services Supervisor you’ll ensure that all visitors to Insole Court receive the highest possible standards of customer service and that their experience is positive – whether they’re running an activity, attending a class, hiring a space for a meeting or a function, visiting the exhibitions in the House, meeting friends in the Potting Shed Café, or simply enjoying the gardens or walking their dog.
You will be responsible for the operation of the Visitor Centre, ensuring it is an efficient and welcoming hub for the organisation. You will promote activities and involvement at Insole Court, administer bookings, oversee room hires and make sure the Centre runs smoothly. The Visitor Centre will be supported by a group of volunteers who will be key to visitor service, and you will also help recruit and manage volunteers, support them, act as a mentor and manage their rota.
This is a public-facing role and you will represent Insole Court to all those who visit and use Insole Court. You will be expected to multi-task; dealing with customers, phone enquiries, website, hirers, volunteers and staff, you’ll need to thrive in a busy environment, and work closely with the Manager to help deliver excellence. The role requires a person who is highly disciplined, organised and takes pride in their work. The successful applicant will need to maintain a flexible work schedule to meet the demands of the position, with long and irregular hours, including regular weekend duties.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Visitor Services Supervisor will have responsibility for front of house service in the Visitor Centre as the point of arrival for visitors and the main hub from which people find out what is happening and can plan their visit.
Key responsibilities include:
Visitor Centre and Front of House Management
§ Manage all aspects of Visitor Centre operation including administration and visitor services.
§ Oversee communications including phones, website/email enquiries, social media contact, mail and direct contact with visitors to Insole Court.
§ Manage bookings of rooms and spaces at Insole Court, and the Insole Court diary.
§ Manage receipts systems including floats, cash receipts, credit-card payments, till operation, cashing up and banking as part of on-site financial systems.
§ Ensure the Visitor Centre develops as an attractive retail destination, with merchandise that supports the Insole Court brand and generates income, including ordering, pricing, displays and stock control.
§ Ensure the security and safety of visitors, premises, stock and cash at all times.
§ Listen to feedback from visitors, and ensure it is used positively to influence and develop the organisation and its activities.
Volunteer Oversight
§ Prepare the monthly rota of volunteers.
§ Fill vacancies in the rota where possible and arranging emergency cover as necessary to ensure there is adequate visitor support.
§ Supervise and support of volunteers on a daily basis, including welcoming volunteers on arrival, updating them on daily activities or changes and ensuring they are in position when the Visitor Centre opens.
§ Support the Manager in identifying, inducting, training, developing and mentoring volunteers, and providing for their welfare whilst on duty, including helping to create a friendly atmosphere and communicating feedback from volunteers to the Manager.
Administration and Other
§ Oversee communications including mail, answering of phones, responding to website/email enquiries, updating of website content and review of social media presence and comments.
§ Provide administrative support to the Insole Court Manager and other members of the Insole Court team.
§ Maintaining records of visitor and user numbers, attendance at events and other performance indicators.
§ Help at special events as required.
§ Attending staff meetings and submitting written reports as required.
The success of Insole Court is the shared responsibility of all employees so the above duties and responsibilities are not restrictive. The Visitor Services Supervisor will be required to work flexibly outside these tasks as necessary and to undertake other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the status of the post as may from time to time be required by the Insole Court Manager.
PERSON PROFILE
This is a role that would suit someone with excellent interpersonal and administrative skills. You must be able to work on your own initiative and be proactive in dealing with day to day requirements and tasks. You will be supported by the Manager and other staff and have the ability to prioritise work and liaise and work effectively with all contacts.
Candidates should be able to demonstrate the following if possible:
Essential
§ Front of house or retail experience, preferably at supervisory level.
§ Reception skills and experience
§ Welsh: spoken and written
§ Proven ability to deliver the highest quality visitor experience with a limited amount of supervision
§ Ambition to deliver and communicate the vision of Insole Court and promote an exceptional front of house visitor experience
§ A positive flexible can do attitude, a pro-active approach and a willingness to learn.
§ Exceptional communication skills are essential
§ Standard IT skills (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc)
§ Strong and demonstrable numeracy skills
Desirable
§ Experience and evidence of successfully working with volunteers would be advantageous, including sensitive and appropriate expectations across a wide range of ages, interests and abilities
§ Evidence of passion for heritage and culture
§ Experience of merchandising, buying and visual exhibits/displays
§ Understanding and experience of ticketing/venue hire/sales culture
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Contract Term: Full time.
Salary: £18,000-£20,000.
Hours of Work: 40 hours per week. There will be a requirement for some evening and weekend work.
Leave Entitlement: 28 days of paid annual leave (includes Bank and other public holidays).
Probation Period: 3 month probation period during which notice entitlement is 1 month.
Notice Period: 2 months following initial probation period.
Pension: In accordance with government regulation.
Contract: A contract of employment will be issued upon commencement of employment, which may be supplemented with (non-contractual) terms in the Insole Court Trust Staff Handbook as staff policies are established.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this position please submit the following:
§ A completed Application Form
§ A completed EOPS monitoring form (optional)
Applications should be marked ‘Confidential’ and sent by email to:
All referee details will be treated with the strictest confidence and no referee will be approached without prior consent.
Applications close: 31 October 2016
The decision regarding invitation to interview will be based on the information provided in the Application Form.
Candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted during the week beginning 7 November 2016. Interviews for short-listed candidates will take place at Insole Court. A tour of Insole Court will be offered ahead of interview.
Due to pressures on resources, only candidates who are invited to interview will be contacted. If you haven’t heard from us by 14 November 2016 then please assume you have not been shortlisted.