District Visitor and Community Manager - Central Region (East) at Historic Environment Scotland

, Scotland, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

13 May, 26

Salary

41765.0

Posted On

12 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Team Leadership, Visitor Services Management, Community Engagement, Commercial Income Growth, Operational Management, Budget Management, Stakeholder Management, Event Management, Health And Safety Compliance, Continuous Improvement, Innovation, Problem Solving, Data Analysis, Team Management, Cultural Heritage Operations, Retail Management

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Starting salary: £41,765 per annum Contract type: Permanent Grade: 4 Location: Argylls Lodging Stirling with hybrid working and regular travel across Central East district Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week Interviews: To be held in person in Stirling on Week Commencing 2nd March 2026 As District Visitor and Community Manager (DVCM) – Central East, you will lead our visitor and community services team within the Fife, Dundee and Angus area working across key sites including Arbroath Abbey, St Andrews Castle & Cathedral, and Dunfermline Abbey & Palace. You will be responsible for running a successful operation that delivers high quality visitor offers in collaboration with our partners and communities, maximises commercial income and the sustainability of our operation, and creates an empowering culture that inspires innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement across some of Scotland’s most significant heritage sites. For more information about the post and information about the team, please access the full job description for this post. Please note that if you don't have Office 365 installed on your device, this can be opened using your browser. Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme – 28% employer contribution 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions Support for further education and personal development Study leave for work related courses Flexible working hours (where appropriate) Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests) Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties Key Responsibilities of this role Planning Support the RVCM with the development and maintenance of a multi-year programme of site and district-level visitor and community engagement activity for Central East. Develop and maintain a district-level programme of operational and community engagement activity supporting your team to explore, collaborate, create and innovate with the aim of increasing local engagement with sites. Support the wider priorities of the Directorate, including the care of our properties, by working collaboratively with colleagues, cross-functionally and cross-regionally, to solve problems and implement the best solution for the organisation with the resources available to you. Support leaders in the Directorate and partners across the organisation with the continuous development of HES by sharing insights and data from your District and working collaboratively to deliver projects and improvements relevant to your role. Visitor and community services delivery Manage the visitor and community operation activities for all properties within the district, ensuring consistent national standards are applied, delivering against agreed performance indicators and creating the highest standards of service to customers visiting those sites. Effectively and efficiently manage the resourcing levels and operating standards associated with the visitor operations at sites within Central East, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and innovation to deliver outstanding experiences for those who visit. Manage the overall development, delivery and facilitation of events at all sites in Central East working with local teams, colleagues across HES and third-party groups to provide a range of experiences and services for visitors and communities. Support with the resolution of operational issues on sites ensuring relevant procedures and processes are adhered to. Support the RVCM with the delivery at a District level of sustainable growth of commercial income at sites, working closely with colleagues across HES to take an innovative, proactive approach to local retail, ticketing, events, marketing, and partnerships. Support with the delivery of the volunteer programme, ensuring all members of local communities who contribute to the work of HES within the district feel welcome, engaged, and safe. Respond to all complaints in a timely manner and at a high standard, ensuring relevant procedures and processes are adhered to. Ensure compliance with all aspects of health, safety, security, and colleague wellbeing in relation to visitor operations across the district. Community engagement and stakeholder management Build and maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders and partners relating to the visitor and community operations within your District. Manage working relationships with stakeholder groups assigned to the role. Support the RVCM to grow outreach activities within the available budget, increasing the understanding of the cultural value of heritage and the use of sites as a resource for education and learning. Proactively seek to build and maintain an understanding of the wider context in which decisions are made and actions taken, staying informed on the key activities happening within the region and the major activities and priorities for the organisation. Management Effectively and efficiently manage the budget allocated to Visitor and Community operations within Central East and ensure compliance with HES governance arrangements. Lead and manage a team of site-based colleagues, complying with HES policies and procedures, and encouraging a culture of empowerment, developing colleagues to support HES in realising our ambition and enabling us to be a great place to work for all. Line management of the Monument Managers and, where appropriate, Key Keeping colleagues in the district. Support site teams to use their local knowledge and experience to contribute to the continuous improvement of the visitor experience and commercial success of the site, including exploring ideas for events. Role model a proactive, collaborative, outward-facing culture, thinking creatively about opportunities, developing networks internally and sharing the work and experiences of colleagues in the district with the wider Directorate and organisation. Partner with the other managers to ensure effective cover in the event of absence, and as part of an on-call rota covering business continuity incidents. Key requirements of the role: In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience. Please read our CV and Cover Letter Guidance first before completing, as you will only be eligible for selection if you use examples of how you meet the essential and desirable criteria. Essential: Experience of successfully managing either a large single-site, or smaller multi-site, heritage, cultural or tourist destination operation Experience of leading a large, successful team in a context relevant to the requirements of this post. Knowledge and experience of leading the successful delivery of a complex operation, including delivery against, and the management of, operational plans, targets and budgets. A proven track record of increasing community engagement. Knowledge and experience of growing commercial activity. Experience of working collaboratively to conceive and deliver innovative solutions to problems Excellent communication skills, enabling effective stakeholder engagement and the ability to influence decisions and outcomes Find out more about desirable skills and experience in our full job description . We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers. We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at recruit@hes.scot or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team. Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post. To submit your application online, please read our ‘How to Apply’ followed by ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.

Responsibilities

The role involves leading the visitor and community services team across key heritage sites in Fife, Dundee, and Angus, ensuring high-quality visitor offers and maximizing commercial income and operational sustainability. Key duties include managing visitor operations, developing engagement activities, overseeing events, managing budgets, and leading site-based colleagues.