Join the team

Job Description: Duty Manager

Reports To: Director

Hours: Part time 28 hours per week, 4 days per week (10am-5pm) working Sunday to Wednesday, including bank holidays during our ‘open season’ - currently April to October, and Monday to Thursday during ‘closed season’. Some event days may require an early start/late finish. There is with the possibility of additional days, some flexibility is required and working from home is not part part of this role.

Salary: £27,000 - 31,200 per annum pro rata dependant on experience

About the Role

We want everyone coming to the Museum to have a very high quality experience and for their time spent at the Museum to be memorable, enjoyable and inspiring. This is not only for our visitors, although they are an absolute priority, but also for our volunteers and staff. This is a very special role where you will act as the person responsible for ensuring that daily Museum operations meet these high expectations, and are delivered, and managing our team of Volunteers.

Dr Jenner’s House is an accredited, independent Museum dedicated to sharing the inspiring story of Dr Edward Jenner, Enlightenment man and creator of  Vaccination, who was born in Berkeley, and lived in The Chantry between 1785 and 1823. The Museum welcomes over 6000 visitors each year, these are made up of members of the public, Season Pass Holders, VIPs, corporate hospitality guests and school groups. The Museum is run by a Charitable Trust, and has been based in Jenner’s old home since 1985 when the building was purchased by the Trust. The Trust employs a small team, and is dependant on it’s volunteer body to remain open to the public.

Overview

This new role will actively participate in the visitor operation and is responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the daily operation of the museum to ensure that we consistently deliver maximum visitor enjoyment and quality presentation standards whilst maintaining the health, safety and security of the museum, staff, volunteers and visitors. Core to the role will be the recruitment and management of our Volunteer body, currently comprising 15 people who work one day a week.

Daily Routine

• After unlocking the House and Garden you will start each day with a verbal briefing to our volunteers and maintain a highly visible, hands‐on role throughout the day. Securing the site at the close of the day.

• Rostering and daily co-ordination of a team of Gallery Stewards – a team with the skills and flexibility to work in a variety of visitor facing areas including Visitor Reception, Events, Admissions and Retail, as well as our Gardening volunteer team.

• Together with our volunteers you will ensure that all areas of the visitor experience are adequately resourced throughout the day. With the ability to think one step ahead you will need to be able to multi‐task, be flexible and willing to “get stuck in”. This could include anything from helping to cover lunch breaks for volunteers working in our collections and exhibition spaces to resolving customer concerns or co-ordinating parking. You will need to be able to make informed and considered decisions – often under pressure, ensuring that visitor safety and enjoyment is at the forefront of all your decisions.

• With an eye for detail you will maintain sight of our presentation standards, reporting anything that does not show Dr Jenner’s House at its best. Never settling for ‘that’ll do’ you will also ensure that any maintenance tasks and repairs are reported in a timely manner, followed up and dealt with effectively.

• You will deal with and co-ordinate appropriate responses to a wide range of issues, acting as the first point of contact for any visitor queries that others are unable resolve directly and you’ll also be the person responsible for the site when a member of the extended leadership team may not be on site.

Key Success Criteria

Ensuring Dr Jenner’s House is at its best, every day, is consistently delivered by a well-informed, positive, and motivated team of volunteers.  The team should work seamlessly together to deliver an enjoyable, memorable, and targeted experience for all of our visitors in a well presented, fully operational and safe environment. Any issues are resolved in a timely and professional manner.

Main areas of responsibility:

• Front of House / Volunteer management: ensuring all areas have enough volunteers and that everything is unlocked, presented and operating as it should be.

• Preparing and delivering the morning briefing for the volunteer team to ensure everyone is familiar with the daily visitor offer, visitors with appointments to see specific members of the Museum team and any other relevant information that is essential for everyone to deliver their role well.

• Managing ticket, shop and online sales, creating / uploading sales and visitor number reports for the Finance Officer and Director

• Managing Gift Aid donations

• Ensure all volunteer stewards are allocated to roles in specific locations and supported during the day, liaising with the volunteer stewards in each of our galleries and exhibits throughout the day to ensure smooth operations and proper welfare of volunteers.

• Conducting site walk rounds throughout the day to monitor the quality of the visitor experience and facilities with a final walk through at the end of the day to ensure all areas have been vacated by members of the public, left in an appropriate condition and are properly secured.

• Prompt resolution of any aspects of the visitor experience and facilities not up to our desired standards with timely reporting to the relevant staff member.. If an issue or fault cannot be dealt with on the day you will ensure that it is reported effectively and follow up accordingly.

• When we share our collection with our visitors through a series of workshops / demonstrations on site you will liaise with the Education Officer and Director and monitor the in-house experience.

• During event days you will liaise with the events delivery teams and the Event Director at regular intervals to maintain an oversight of the event.

• Take ownership and resolve any visitor or neighbourhood feedback as required

• Co‐ordinating the response to incidents, accidents and near misses, escalating to the Director as appropriate and ensuring all relevant paperwork including the Duty Manager daily report is completed accurately and timely.

• Making key safety and operational decisions such as evacuating the site, as necessary e.g.when there is no member of the Extended Leadership Team or Visitor Experience Manager available.

• Being part of the Museum first aid response team.

Other responsibilities

• Acting as host for events and experiences providing a warm welcome to guests and being available to those delivering the event should they require support not only on the day but also in setting up the event or experience.

• Rostering first aiders to ensure enough cover during public access periods.

• Providing training to volunteers, ensuring everyone demonstrates consistent standards.

• Providing support and setting clear direction for the Front of House and Garden teams who will be working across a variety of Museum functions. Ensuring they receive relevant supervision and support in the areas they are working in.

• Rostering of our daily Volunteer Stewards

• Recruiting new volunteers as needed.

• Provide regular communications to staff and volunteers.

• From time to time you may be asked to assist in overseeing photo shoots and filming.

• Assist and support the Director to develop, implement and maintain a quality visitor experience

• Attend and participate in key museum meetings which may include, but not be limited to Health and Safety Committee meetings, planning for events and experiences and Programming.

• All staff within the Museum’s small team are focussed on providing the best possible experience for all and this requires everyone to be flexible therefore you may be asked to carry out other activities in addition to those above.

• Please note this is not an exhaustive list of duties and the Museum’s may allocate similar tasks to support the other teams within the Museum, especially during the closed season.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Desired Knowledge

• Working within a visitor attraction, customer facing or hospitality environment

• Strong background of managing volunteer teams

• Retail experience would be an advantage

• Demonstrable background of operational delivery and decision making.

• Experience as a Duty Manager would be a strong advantage

• Demonstrable experience of motivating a team

Skills & Competencies

• Positive approach and a ‘can do’ attitude with a willingness to be flexible and ‘get stuck in’ as needed.

• Possess good communication skills with the ability to adapt your approach to suit your audience, and conduct all interactions in a professional, engaging and approachable manner

• A calm, professional manner, especially when under pressure.

• Be able to use initiative and common sense to resolve problems.

• Be able to demonstrate a good understanding of best practice in customer service.

• Demonstrate discretion in handling situations and material confidentially.

• Have excellent negotiating and influencing skills.

• Demonstrate an ability to make informed decisions.

• Attention to detail.

• Ability to diffuse difficult situations.

• Understanding of health and safety requirements within a visitor facing environment (or willingness to receive training).

• Full First Aid at Work & Fire Safety certificate (or willingness to obtain the qualification).

• Have a willingness to embrace and adapt to change and to try new approaches.

• Displaying behaviour that is professional, respectful, engaging, confident and enthusiastic.

• Have an understanding of the need for flexibility in role activities and respond accordingly, be adaptable to sudden situation changes and willing to work in a variety of locations, including in the office, in and around the garden which will mean being outdoors.

Closing Date: 30th April at 9am

Please send your C.V. with covering letter via the above link or by post to:

Helen Hood, Director, Dr Jenner’s House, The Chantry, Church Lane, Berkeley, Glos, GL13 9BN