Visitor Operations & Experience Manager

About the role

Bamburgh Castle, one of England’s most iconic coastal fortresses, is seeking a senior leader to own the day‑visitor operation and shape the overall visitor experience. Reporting to the Estate Manager and the Owner, you will be the on‑site champion for delivering a seamless journey from arrival to departure while driving commercial performance.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a diverse on‑site team of around 50 staff across welcome, guiding, retail, parking, maintenance and seasonal roles.
• Own the end‑to‑end visitor experience, ensuring high standards of presentation, customer service, health & safety, security and compliance.
• Develop and deliver an engaging events and experiences programme to increase repeat visitation and dwell time.
• Work closely with the Retail Manager to improve secondary spend and retail performance.
• Represent Bamburgh Castle at industry events, conferences and networking opportunities.
• Oversee daily operations during peak periods, including weekends, Bank Holidays and live events.
• Manage rotas, performance, training and people issues with fairness and clarity.

Required profile

• Proven senior leadership experience in a visitor‑focused or heritage attraction environment.
• Commercially minded with a track record of driving growth and operational excellence.
• Strong people‑management skills, able to motivate large, diverse teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑engagement abilities.

Required skills