Visitor Experience Manager - Farleys House & Gallery, - Farleys House and Gallery Ltd is looking for a highly skilled and experienced professional to join our team as a Visitor Experience Manager (VEM) and take it to the next level. As a key member of our leadership team, you will be responsible for driving innovation and excellence in visitor experience across our historic house, galleries and gardens. Farleys is the former home of photographer Lee Miller and painter Roland Penrose located near the village of Chiddingly, East Sussex. Farleys House, Galleries, Cafe and Garden now open to the public every season on Thursday, Friday and Sunday from April – October each year, with occasional additional days for private visits. Farleys has been growing its visitor numbers steadily over the last 20 years and is looking for someone to help drive this further whilst maintaining the unique atmosphere, excellent standards and visitor experience. With overseeing of the house-based visitor operation and shouldering direct responsibility for the seamless visitor engagement throughout the season, the VEM will work closely with our Gallery Coordinator and Café Manager to ensure they will enable a broad range of audiences to have an outstanding and inspirational visit through the consistent quality of our welcome and the information we deliver. The VEM will play an important role in the growth and development of the Visitor Experience, championing excellence in operational delivery, recruitment, training, customer experience, and engagement initiatives. Using their knowledge and understanding of best practice within the sector, they will play an integral part in developing Farleys Visitor Experience strategy and helping to future proof department objectives and delivery of KPIs. Working 4 days a week including 2 Sundays per month throughout the season (April to October), they will be experienced in supporting and delivering Farleys daily visitor operation and ensuring the best use of staffing and resources across the property. Requirements • 100% honesty, integrity and motivation • Own transport essential • 3-5 years' experience in a similar role within the heritage sector. • Proven ability to manage high-performing teams. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Ability to remain calm and confident under pressure. • Computer literate with good word processing, Excel and Outlook skills and experience of using databases, EPOS and stock control systems. • A strong customer service background to maintain our reputation of delivering an outstanding visitor experience and engaging guided tours of Farleys House, Galleries and Sculpture Garden. • An interest in photography and modern art and a respect and understanding for the artist’s work • Excellent financial, business management and planning skills with proven budget management responsibility. • Brilliant communication and interpersonal skills gained through experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams, plus the ability to demonstrate this with both internal and external stakeholders. • Ability to think creatively and pragmatically, whilst driving improvement and change in a busy environment • Collaborative approach to problem solving • Good understanding of collection care and conservation strategies. 4 days a week (2 of which will be Sundays April to October) Renumeration: Salary £23,000 to £28,000 depending on experience. To apply please send your CV, and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the position to amileemiller.co.uk by close of business on Monday 27th January 2025 About the Role in more detail: Operations and Visitor Experience: • Visitors experience - ensure that all visitors’ experience is of a high quality. To coordinate the Farleys House and Galleries compliance with quality marks such as the ‘visitor attraction assurance scheme’. • Handle, supply accurate information and support visitor and group bookings to Farleys House, Galleries and Sculpture Garden. Responding to related telephone and email enquiries in a timely manner. • Tour Bookings co-ordination with house activities - Co-ordinate the visits on the ground floor and the Private View Tours with other activities within the Lee Miller Archives (LMA), The Penrose Collection (TPC) and Farleys House (FHG). • Lead, inspire and motivate the FOH Team to optimise profitability, encouraging them to achieve and exceed budgeted targets. • Oversee the smooth and safe running of daily operations to include health and safety issues, annual performance development, staff rotas, cash handling and EPoS reporting. • Audit review of current systems and processes to improve profitability, activity management, reporting and operations. • Collaborate with Social Media Officer to develop and implement a marketing strategy for Retail, eCommerce and Public Tours. • Implement strategies and external partnerships to enhance the visitor experience and develop the Guided Tours programmes. • Implement a new programme of customer feedback surveys; identify key trends through analysing data, reports and customer feedback to make continuous improvements. • Oversee recruitment visitor services and retention programme. Financial • Agree strategies with the Directors and Finance department. Support the shop in achieving its financial budgets from a sales and cost point of view. Responsible for implementing all financial procedures within visitor services online ticketing platform. Ensure that all financial transactions are accurately recorded, and procedures adhered to by all staff. Contribute to monthly and year end reporting requirements including data analysis of online sales. Working in collaboration with other team members to identify revenue generating and cross promotional opportunities. House Based Operation: • Have oversight of the House based visitor operation, to ensure the consistency of visit for all guests and engagement of staff with the purpose of their roles and environment. • Ensure presentation standards are exemplary throughout and meet brand guidelines compliance throughout the operation. • visitor feedback is recorded and reviewed, escalating where appropriate • Create operational House planning document, updating regularly following operational changes • Look strategically to future proof the house-based visitor operation, regularly benchmarking against other sector leading properties, and implementing change management where necessary • Deliver house opening and tours programme • Act as a Fire Warden for the property during opening hours • Act as a point of escalation for the FOH team, confidently responding to any in-person visitor feedback or complaints, resolving any issues raised and escalating with suggestions when required. Tours Operation: • Operational responsibility for the visitor journey and experience and for the overseeing and daily operational delivery of the public tours, galleries and garden visits programme. Working with the Gallery Coordinator on non-House based activities, ensuring Farleys is consistently delivering to a high standard and sufficiently resourced with staff. • Conduct informative briefings for staff teams ahead of tours • Create risk assessments and method statements, pertinent to the operational delivery of the engagement programme • Prepare ticketing set-up for house-based activity and paid for tours in a timely manner • Regularly attend scheduled tours to monitor the consistency and quality of the visitor offer, implementing any necessary improvements • Train to be a guide, covering staff shortfalls to ensure consistency in the visitor offer • Where necessary, support out of hours exclusive access tours, sharing this with the Gallery Coordinator • Grow and develop the public programme, with particular reference to accessible and income generating programming • Work closely with the Exhibitions department to update interpretation materials to ensure that they remain current, relevant and engaging People Management: • Line manage, support and coach the FOH team, providing operational guidance, supporting their growth in post and prioritizing personal development opportunities • Create, support, coach and inspire homogenous FOH team of staff, striving to deliver a culture of excellence, whilst adopting a 'one team' approach across site. • Implement staffing plans to ensure all aspects of the visitor operation are sufficiently resourced and align with agreed budgets and fire and safety training. • In collaboration with the Gallery Coordinator and Café Manager deliver inspiring induction and training programmes for FOH based teams, enabling proactive staff development and ensuring that a culture of continuous improvement is in place • Develop role specific induction and training materials, continuously assessing their impact as the season progresses and updating where necessary • Provide regular role specific training for FOH staff, including; collection and exhibition updates, security, access awareness, fire evacuation, collection care, inspecting and using ladders, and disaster management. • Efficient use of staffing resources to ensure compliance obligations are consistently met whilst maximising budgets