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Bloomsbury, London

Visitor Experience First Line Manager: Museum Galleries

The British Museum
Hospitality
Hospitality
£34,586/Year
Contract
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Description

Location
Bloomsbury, London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£34,586 per annum

About the Role
Are you an experienced visitor experience, customer service or operations leader looking for your next challenge in the museum and cultural sector? We are seeking an exceptional Visitor Experience First Line Manager to lead and develop a team of Visitor Experience Assistants within one of the world's most visited cultural attractions. This is a highly visible leadership role, responsible for ensuring outstanding standards of visitor experience, operational excellence, safety and team performance across our galleries. You'll lead by example on the floor, managing visitor flow, coordinating staff deployment, responding to incidents, resolving customer issues, and maintaining exceptional presentation standards throughout the galleries. You will play a key role in supporting daily delivery, major exhibitions, public programmes and special events while ensuring health, safety and security procedures are consistently maintained. At the heart of the role is your ability to motivate, coach and develop your team, creating a positive culture focused on service excellence and continuous improvement. This is a fantastic opportunity for a confident people manager who thrives in busy visitor-facing environments and is passionate about delivering memorable experiences for diverse audiences.

Key Responsibilities
- Engage and motivate the team
- Lead on performance and appraisals, supporting training and personal and professional development
- Undertake employee relations processes where required
- Lead proactive, informative and engaging daily briefings
- Plan and coordinate resources
- Ensure health, safety and security in public spaces
- Manage operational situations such as emergencies, incidents and visitor complaints
- Maintain high standards of presentation throughout the Museum by providing information and guidance to visitors and encouraging visitors’ feedback

The Masterplan
The British Museum is undertaking its biggest transformation since its founding nearly 300 years ago. This physical and intellectual transformation includes large scale building and gallery transformation, new ways of connecting with audiences and different ways of working. As we look towards this exciting future, we remain guided by the words of our founder Hans Sloane - who dreamed of a museum connecting all arts and sciences, which would be accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Benefits
At the British Museum, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do and have designed a benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary. Highlights include free exhibition entry for you and guests, exclusive private views, ICOM and reciprocal museum access; Civil Service Pension Scheme defined benefit with 28.97% employer contribution; 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (and +5 days after 10 years); social and wellbeing perks including staff parties, social clubs, CSSC sports and leisure, and support from the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship; peer support and allyship with five diversity networks for community; learning and development through courses, mentoring and support for professional qualifications; and an Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for counselling and wellbeing support.

Values
Our values drive everything we do, from how we handle our objects to how we work in our team to fostering a culture where everyone feels heard and empowered: Care Deeply, Embrace the Unknown, Spark Curiosity, Value Many Voices. These values are a core part of how we recruit and are reflected throughout the application, interview and selection process.

Requirements

Experience
Proven experience leading, motivating and developing frontline teams. Strong people management capability, including performance management, coaching and employee relations. Experience delivering outstanding customer or visitor service in busy public environments with a commitment to creating inclusive, welcoming experiences for all visitors. Confidence making operational decisions and managing challenging situations while remaining calm, professional and decisive. Experience within the museum, arts or heritage sector is advantageous but not essential; applications are welcomed from candidates with transferable leadership experience from other visitor-focused environments.

About you
Confident people manager who thrives in busy visitor-facing environments. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to problem solving. Passionate about delivering memorable experiences for diverse audiences.

Qualifications
No specific qualifications required, but relevant experience and a commitment to continuous professional development are essential.

Expiry date: 08/10/2026
Visitor Experience First Line Manager: Museum Galleries
Company:
The British Museum
Salary:
£34,586/Year
Job Type:
Contract
Location:
Bloomsbury, London