Assistant Visitor Welcome Manager
Board Of Trustees Of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Botanics
Full-time
Listed 1 week ago
Assistant Visitor Welcome Manager Job Description Purpose To support the delivery of a welcoming, safe and inclusive visitor experience by leading day-to-day visitor operations. The role provides hands-on operational leadership, overseeing admissions, visitor services and frontline teams. Working collaboratively across the organisation, the job holder ensures smooth operations, high standards of service and compliance and plays key part in supporting staff development, visitor satisfaction and continuous improvement. Core Responsibilities Team Leadership and Scheduling • Lead and support the visitor operations team to ensure day-to-day activities are delivered smoothly and consistently. • Manage staff rotas and leave requests, maintaining appropriate staffing levels while responding flexibly to changing operational needs. • Line manage team members, undertaking regular performance conversations, supporting wellbeing, monitoring attendance and applying absence management procedures fairly and consistently. • Manage tasks generated through the ticketing system efficiently, coordinating work across internal teams and external service providers to ensure timely and effective resolution. Visitor Operations and Admissions • Oversee all aspects of the admissions system, including online and in-person sales, group bookings, travel trade and education visits. • Act as Duty Manager for visitor operations, providing visible leadership and support during daily operations. • Liaise closely with internal teams and external partners to coordinate visitor activities, events and seasonal programmes, including operational support for Christmas at the Botanics. People & Organisational Development – January 2026 Visitor Experience, Safety and Security • Take responsibility for delivering a positive, inclusive and safe visitor experience across the site. • Act as a senior point of contact on site, including during rotational weekend cover, overseeing site safety, garden security and operational decision-making. • Coordinate responses to accidents and incidents, working calmly and effectively with emergency services when required, and ensuring appropriate follow-up reporting and escalation. Health, Safety and Compliance • Ensure compliance with all health and safety policies and procedures, contributing to regular reviews and continuous improvement. • Coordinate Garden opening and closing procedures and ensure all required daily safety and compliance checks are completed and recorded accurately. Financial and Cash Handling • Complete daily cash reconciliation, banking and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with agreed cash handling and banking procedures at all times. Security and Access • Act as a keyholder, taking responsibility for the security of the Garden, including gates and visitor buildings. Training and Development • Deliver and facilitate team training, including inductions, operational briefings and ongoing development, helping team members build confidence and capability in their roles. Additional Support • Contribute flexibly to other operational tasks and activities as required, supporting the wider team and organisational priorities. People & Organisational Development – January 2026 Person Specification Essential Skills • Takes a proactive and responsible approach to managing their own workload, confidently prioritising tasks to balance multiple and sometimes competing demands. • Brings a positive, solution-focused mindset, with a willingness to adapt and contribute wherever needed. • Experience of leading and supporting teams within large or complex venues, managing multiple priorities while maintaining service quality. • Uses initiative and sound judgement to work effectively to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. • Able to remain calm and positive during peak periods and frontline pressure, supporting team morale and engagement through visible, supportive leadership. • Strong organisational, communication and administrative skills, with an ability to share information clearly and effectively. • Actively listens to and responds constructively to visitor feedback, concerns and complaints, using insight to improve the overall visitor experience. • Builds and maintains positive, collaborative working relationships with colleagues across the organisation. • Understands visitor needs, market trends and benchmarking information, and can respond thoughtfully to change to enhance service delivery. • Able to develop, adapt and implement standard operating procedures, including those relating to health and safety and security. • Demonstrates a strong understanding of high-quality, inclusive service delivery and the role it plays in creating positive visitor experiences. People & Organisational Development – January 2026 Desirable Skills • Demonstrated experience in managing admissions systems, ensuring efficiency, accuracy and a positive user experience for all stakeholders. • Experience in monitoring and managing operational budgets, with a focus on accountability, value for money and continuous improvement. • Proven ability to develop, grow and maximise travel trade business, building strong partnerships and identifying new opportunities. People & Organisational Development – January 2026