Senior Retail & Visitor Experience Manager
Overview
The Design Museum is the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design in all its forms, supported by a dynamic Commercial & Operations directorate.
We are now seeking a Senior Retail & Visitor Experience Manager to play a central role in shaping and delivering an outstanding end‑to‑end visitor journey.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the integration of visitor experience and retail operations, driving commercial performance while ensuring a consistently high‑quality, engaging and customer‑focused experience across the museum.
About the role
The Senior Retail & Visitor Experience Manager supports the delivery of strategic commercial objectives, with a focus on enhancing the visitor journey, driving retail performance and embedding operational excellence.
Working closely with the Head of Commercial & Visitor Experience and cross‑museum teams, you will lead on visitor experience standards, retail operations and the delivery of key projects and initiatives, ensuring strong commercial outcomes and an exceptional customer experience.
Key areas of focus include:
- Leading and developing visitor experience and retail teams to deliver high standards of service, welcome and sales.
- Driving retail performance through effective use of data, visual merchandising and operational planning.
- Overseeing and improving the end‑to‑end visitor journey, using feedback and insight to enhance experience and accessibility.
- Planning and delivering commercial projects and initiatives, including exhibitions, seasonal activity and revenue‑generating opportunities.
- Embedding robust operational processes across retail and visitor experience, including financial controls, stock management and systems.
About you
We are looking for someone who brings:
- Strong retail and operational management experience in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment.
- Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop high‑performing teams.
- Experience delivering commercial results and achieving income and KPI targets.
- A customer‑focused approach, with a passion for delivering an excellent visitor experience.
- Strong organisational, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships.
The complete job description (including the person specification) is available to download on this page.
Terms and conditions
Salary: up to £45,000 per annum
Holidays: 25 days + Christmas Eve (museum closed)
Hours: 35 hours/5 days per week (including evening and weekend attendance at book signings, events and off-site trading as required)
Location: This role is based on site at the museum, but there will be times when it would be appropriate for the post-holder to work from home, and this will be agreed in advance on an ad hoc basis. It is anticipated that this would be a maximum of four days per month.
Closing date: Sunday 21 June (midnight)
Interviews: Thursday 02 July
Queries
If you encounter any issues while completing your application, please email peopleteam@designmuseum.org before the vacancy closing date. We will be in touch as soon as possible; (please note the inbox is monitored Monday-Friday).
Senior Retail & Visitor Experience Manager
Kensington, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, United Kingdom
W8
Up to £45,000 per year
Permanent - Full-time
Posted today
Closing date: 22/06/2026
Documents
Senior Retail and Visitor Experience Manager_Job Description and Person Specification.pdf
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- 25 days holiday, rising to 26 days (after two years' of service) and 27 days (after five years' of service)
- Hybrid working, 60% museum, 40% remote and annually two weeks fully remote
- Core hours and flexible working, including part-time and compressed hours
- Season ticket loan, tenancy deposit loan, cycle to work scheme
- Access to a defined contribution pension scheme
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Free museum entry for friends and family
- Discounts in the museum shops and cafes
- Free entry to other galleries and museums
- Employee assistance programme
The museum pro-actively seeks to collaborate with institutional partners, individuals, and networks to realise its commitment to build a culturally diverse workforce. We positively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and consider candidates who are suitably qualified and eligible regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
Senior Retail & Visitor Experience Manager
Kensington, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, United Kingdom
Up to £45,000 per year