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Head of Visitor Experience

Employer
Severn Valley Railway
Location
DY10 1QR, Kidderminster
Salary
£40000 - £45000/annum Plus Benefits
Closing date
20 Feb 2021

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Sector
Travel & Tourism
Hours
Part Time
Flexibility
Set hours
Contract Type
Permanent
Head of Visitor Experience - Kidderminster, DY10 1QR £40,000 to £45,000 Generous company pension, on-site parking, travel discounts and subsidised meals The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is an award winning £8m turnover heritage attraction welcoming over 250,000 visitors every year.  The SVR opened to the public 50 years ago and is a full-size standard-gauge railway line running regular, mainly steam-hauled, passenger trains between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire. Along the line the SVR operates 2 pubs, 8 catering outlets, 3 shops and a visitor centre. In support of the railway operation there is a thriving Engineering Workshop, Diesel Depot, Carriage and Wagon Works. Employing 200 full time and part time people in paid work and a further 1,700 in voluntary roles the SVR is a major employer in the Worcestershire and Shropshire regions. Back in 2007 a survey undertaken by consultants SQW on behalf of Advantage West Midlands confirmed that the net economic impact of the SVR to the West Midlands economy is £10.9 million. In 2007 the annual turnover was £4.5m per annum and in 2019 it has grown to £8m. The last 50 years has seen the SVR rise from relative obscurity to its pre-eminent position as a nationally recognised and award-winning heritage attraction Severn Valley Railway is an umbrella name for three constituent organisations plus supporting owner groups of locomotives, carriages and wagons. Collectively the SVR's mission is to: “To enthuse and inspire an affection and understanding in our visitors and staff for the Severn Valley Railway and the bygone era of steam locomotion and heritage diesels through the operation and interpretation of the Railway infrastructure, locomotives, historic carriages and wagons”. Reporting to the General Manager, this exciting new Senior Management Role has been created to oversee, develop and grow the visitor experience for the Railway. You will have direct line management responsibility for; Visitor Service Manager Events Manager Retail Manager Engine House Manager Education Officer And operational responsibility for Visitor facing volunteers Contract is full time and permanent 40 hours, 5 days from 7. Covers weekends and unsociable hours as required. Duties & Responsibilities: To provide strong and consistent leadership for our enthusiastic visitor experience staff and volunteers across the railway. Ensuring that all our customers are welcomed, engaged with the railway, have a fantastic visit and want to return to the SVR. To work closely with the management team to create exciting, engaging and visitor friendly curated experiences with the SVR. To be the lead senior manager for our sales IT systems looking after prebooked tickets and experiences and on-site EPOS systems across the railway. To manage the retail outlets across the railway and online, developing bespoke product and event merchandise alongside the Retail Manager. Setting annual budgets, reporting on sales and profit on a monthly basis. To manage the visitor services team ensuring the visitor enquiries (on site, telephone and online) are answered in a timely manner at all times. To manage the Engine House team ensuring everything is clean, presentable and in working order. Working closely with the Engine House Manager and SVR Charitable Trust to identify funding opportunities to invest in and develop the interpretation to improve the visitor experience. To manage the education department working with the Education Officer to develop appropriate workshop programmes across the railway offering formal and informal learning to our visitors. To ensure cash handling procedures are in place and monitored at all ticketing and retail sites across the railway. To manage the customer databases effectively and in line with data protection regulations to ensure quality information is being captured and stored safely and is being used to inform marketing and sales activity. To work closely with the marketing department to collect visitor feedback and monitor improvements. Be a passionate advocate about developing a visitor focused heritage attraction. Develop visitor focused KPI’s and use them to improve performance. To build and support an effective visitor experience team ensuring regular communications, planning and feedback are paramount. To work closely with the Head of Communications and the Food and Beverage Manager to package promote and sell all products and services (Special Events, Dining, Day tickets) Be a Duty Manager when events or services are running covering weekends and unsociable hours. TOIL is given. Any other applicable duties as required Key Accountabilities: Improvement of customer feedback directly, on trip advisor and social media Increase turnover and gross profit in all areas Build excellent partnerships with local suppliers Skills Required: Professional communications skills – written and verbal Supervision, leadership and motivation of staff at all levels Interpersonal skills to work effectively across several teams and with external partners Ability to take the initiative, act independently, identify priorities, and balance conflicting demands. Advanced computer skills including use of Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel and Teams Good organisational and personal time management Strategic thinking, planning and creative problem solving skills Ability to work under time pressures Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience: Essential: Significant experience of working in a visitor attraction / tourism / customer service environment. Experience of working with volunteers Experience of working in independent retail or event management Excellent leadership and communication skills Desirable Interest in heritage railways Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject Closing date of 19 February 2021 at noon

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