THE WORDSWORTH TRUST
33,000 per year
Wordsworth Grasmere, Dove Cottage, Grasmere
Full-time
26th January 2026
December 2025 Visitor Operations Manager Application deadline: Monday 26 January 2026, 9:00am Join us as Visitor Operations Manager and lead the day-to-day operations at Wordsworth Grasmere, our world-class visitor destination in the Lake District. You will manage a dedicated team across all visitor operations – including the popular Café and Shop – ensuring exceptional experiences for every visitor whilst driving strong commercial performance. Background The Wordsworth Trust has celebrated the life and work of William Wordsworth since 1891, bringing poetry, people and place together in a unique way – nowhere else can so much of a great writer’s original work still be seen in the place where it was both written and largely inspired. Through exhibitions, events, and our work with schools, universities, families and communities, we fulfil Wordsworth’s own wish for his poetry to ‘live and do good’ bringing history to life and making it accessible to all. Following a £6.5 million transformation, Wordsworth Grasmere now features the historic Dove Cottage, a state-of-the-art Museum, a thriving Shop, and a welcoming Café. As an Arts Council-funded National Portfolio Organisation and an Accredited Museum, we offer outstanding experiences to visitors from around the world. This is a busy, hands-on role with significant onsite management responsibility in an exceptional and unique workplace. We are committed to addressing the imbalance of equality in the cultural sector. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are under- represented within the sector, including by ethnicity, disability, and socio- economic background. Job Details Job title: Visitor Operations Manager Reporting to: Head of Visitor Experience Responsible for: Deputy Visitor Experience Manager Visitor Experience Supervisor/s Visitor Experience Assistants Trainees Organisation: The Wordsworth Trust Location: Wordsworth Grasmere, Dove Cottage, Grasmere Term: Hours: Permanent, full-time 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7. Shifts are 7.5 hours, usually between 9am and 5.30pm. You may also be required to work the occasional evening for events. Salary: £33,000 Job Purpose To be responsible for the delivery of an exceptionally high-quality visitor experience for all our visitors, reflecting our role as an international visitor destination and an Arts Council-funded National Portfolio Organisation. The visitor experience at Wordsworth Grasmere encompasses Dove Cottage, the Museum, the Shop, the Café, venue hire and estate-wide activities and events. As Visitor Operations Manager, you will have independence and authority for day- to-day operational decision-making across the site and will act as a Duty Manager. You will also take responsibility for evaluating the experience of all visitors to the organisation, working with colleagues to ensure every visitor has the highest quality encounter with Wordsworth Grasmere. Key Responsibilities Strategic Audience Development and Growth • Contribute to long-term strategies to grow and diversify audiences in line with the Wordsworth Trust’s vision • Collaborative with the Head of Visitor Experience and Marketing to identify trends and engagement opportunities • Support innovative programming and interpretation to attract new audiences and deepen engagement with existing visitors • Assist in developing digital initiatives, including virtual experiences and interactive resources • Champion inclusivity and accessibility, working with the Access & Inclusion Group, external advisors and user groups • Monitor audience KPIs and provide insights for organisational planning and funding applications • Ensure GDPR compliance in all aspects of visitor data collection and CRM management Visitor Operations • Delivery a high-quality and professional experience for all visitors, including FIT, group and specialist bookings • Lead an exceptional service culture within the Visitor Experience Team • Manage staff deployment across all visitor operations and prepare master, weekly and daily rotas to optimise resources • Collaborate across departments to ensure exhibitions, events, and activities meet the highest standards • Drive admissions, Café, and Shop sales in partnership with Marketing, achieving and exceeding financial targets, including Gift Aid on admissions • Coordinate seasonal decorations and site presentation for exhibitions and events, ensuring alignment with brand standards and visitor expectations • Oversee the online visitor journey, including ticketing, booking systems, and CRM integration • Collect and analyse visitor feedback using tools such as Illuminate; implement improvements where needed • Ensure that all complaints are received, handled and/or forwarded as necessary in line with the Wordsworth Trust’s Feedback Policy • Recruit, train, and develop the Visitor Experience Team, fostering a dynamic and positive workplace • Review and develop Visitor Experience policies, procedures, systems and records • Actively manage the Duty Management rota, ensuring that emergencies, incidents and customer complaints are responded to in an appropriate and efficient manner Volunteer Management • Recruit, induct, and train volunteers, ensuring they are fully integrated into the Visitor Experience Team • Develop a positive volunteer culture aligned with the Wordsworth Trust’s values • Create clear role descriptions, rotas, and training materials to support confidence and effectiveness • Monitor performance, provide feedback and recognise contributions • Implement initiatives to increase engagement and retention through communication, appreciation, development opportunities Commercial Operations (Café & Shop) • Oversee daily operations of the Café and Shop, ensuring exceptional service and profitability • Lead teams to achieve commercial targets while maintaining quality and presentation standards • Monitor stock levels, control waste, and optimise purchasing to maximise profitability • Manage EPOS system programming and liaise with the external support for timely updates and issue resolution • Track sales, budgets and profit margins to enable accurate forecasting and performance improvement • Work with Marketing to deliver effective merchandising and promotional campaigns • Source new products through the Commercial Procurement Committee, engaging regional artists and suppliers • Implement sustainability best practices including local sourcing and environmentally conscious materials • Ensure compliance with food hygiene, licensing, retail regulations, COSHH and Health and Safety legislation Facilities • Ensure that information for visitors is accurate and well presented • Work with the Estates Manager to maintain a safe, accessible, and attractive site • Uphold Health and Safety standards and maintain records, including accident & incident reports. Act as one of the Wordsworth Trust’s appointed Health & Safety Managers • Manage procurement contracts for operational services and supplies (e.g. cleaning, provision of consumables etc.) • Liaise with the Estates Manager to ensure timely maintenance and repairs across visitor facilities • Maintain vigilance and respond promptly to any security issues Finance • Achieve income and profitability targets to support the Wordsworth Trust’s charitable objectives • Oversee the Visitor Experience operational budget, assisting in annual budget and ensuring cost control • Prepare, analyse, and present KPIs and financial reports to key stakeholders, including footfall, admissions, retail performance, and profit margins • Manage cash handling and safe procedures, liaising with the Finance Team on banking, cash flow and availability of change Other • Undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required • Exercise discretion and always respect the need for confidentiality • Maintain the Wordsworth Trust’s high standards and reputation at all times Person specification Essential Desirable We would like you to have professional experience of: • Managing a high-quality visitor experience team or similar • 2 years’ minimum operational management of a similar visitor/customer-focused operation, ideally in a heritage environment • Overseeing the preparation of work rotas • Effectively dealing with difficult situations and emergencies within a customer facing environment • Working with a range of visitors in a variety of settings • Managing commercial operations such as a café and/or retail • Working with and/or managing EPOS and online booking systems • Working to KPIs, managing budgets, increasing income and visitor numbers, and controlling costs including stock and waste management • Recruitment, training and performance management • Establishing and maintaining contracts with suppliers, especially cleaning, fire safety and security • Health & safety, risk management, legislative compliance and licensing within a similar context • Supervising volunteers We would like you to be: • Numerate and able to understand and analyse financial and qualitative data • Passionate about delivering amazing customer service • Able to lead and work as part of a brilliant team • An excellent communicator and able to work confidently and professionally with a wide range of people • Self-motivated, organised, with excellent problem-solving skills • Competent in the use of information technology, and proficient in Microsoft Office – Word and Excel ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü • Able to work under pressure and effectively manage and prioritise workload • A personal licence holder or be prepared to be trained to hold a personal licence We would like you to have: • Enthusiasm, resilience, and a ‘can do’ attitude • Knowledge and experience of health and safety and risk management, including security procedures • High standards of presentation, cleanliness, and hygiene • A committed approach to access for all • L3 Food Hygiene Certificate or equivalent awareness of food safety management • An understanding of commercial drivers in a café & retail environment • Exceptional attention to detail, with accurate and excellent administration skills ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü Other details Contract Permanent Pension Defined contribution pension scheme with the People’s Pension Holidays 22 days a year plus bank holidays pro rata, rising by one additional day a year after five years’ continuous employment to a maximum of 27 days a year Workplace The Wordsworth Trust’s premises at Wordsworth Grasmere Benefits Discounts in the Wordsworth Grasmere Shop and Café Holiday purchase scheme Staff parking How to apply Deadline: Interviews: Monday 26 January 2026, 9:00am w/c 9 February 2026 Please send your application to Caitlin Armstrong, PA to the Director: c.armstrong@wordsworth.org.uk. We will only consider applications submitted on the form provided. A covering letter is optional, but please don’t send a CV or other supporting information. Interviews will take place at Wordsworth Grasmere. We regret that we can only get in touch with applicants who are shortlisted for interview.