Job Description

Location

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ

Reporting to

Visitor Experience Manager

Fixed Term

July 2026 until November 2026

Hours of work

Full-time (35 hours/week, Wednesday to Sunday)

Salary

£28,000

Role

Pitzhanger Manor is the Grade 1 listed ‘country’ house of British architect Sir John Soane, designed and built by Soane 1800-1804 in Ealing, West London.  The Gallery and Manor are managed by the Pitzhanger Manor Gallery Trust to oversee conservation of the site, present a contemporary arts programme and engage audiences across all demographics and locations. The Visitor Experience team is an essential part of PMGT operations and encompasses visitor welcome, ticketing, membership, retail, conservation, invigilation, security, working with our volunteers and health and safety.

As the Visitor Experience Co-ordinator, you will lead by example and provide a warm and friendly welcome to our visitors whilst ensuring they have an enjoyable, safe and engaging visit to the Manor & Gallery. You will lead by example and set high customer service standards for the wider team and be the first call point for operational and technical problem-solving on the floor. You will be an ambassador for Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery brand and values with a solutions driven approach.

In addition to a five-star visitor welcome the visitor experience team also encompasses retail operations. Our small gallery shop delivers a retail experience that is inspired by our exhibitions programme and location in the manor gardens. You will help drive retail sales and growth with effective stock management, pricing and managing shrinkage whilst ensuring our shop is replenished and always looking it’s best.

As Visitor Experience Co-Ordinator you will have a passion for customer service and an understanding of the essential role that the welcome plays in the visitor journey. We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated team member that has experience in a heritage, cultural or visitor attraction setting and is looking for their next career step. You will be responsible for daily floor operations, supporting the VE team and the VE manager. You will open and close the site ensuring that all public facing spaces are ready to welcome the public. You will organise the daily invigilation schedule and brief the team and set tasks for the day. You will support the team in signposting our visitors to workshops, events, the shop, and cafes. You will also motivate our teams to offer memberships, encourage gift aid donation, complete visitor surveys, and collect postcode data from our visitors.

Key Accountabilities

Visitor Welcome and Engagement

• A floor-based role that will oversee daily opening and closing procedures, cover positions as needed, and support team members on the floor.
• Welcome and positively engage with every visitor to the manor and gallery.
• Perform regular site walks to ensure that all visitor facing spaces are well presented and accessible.
• Ensure that visitors are orientated through the site to get the most out of their visit.
• Answer customer enquiries and feedback in a professional manner.
• Develop a strong knowledge of Pitzhanger’s mission across the heritage site, and art programme.
• Maximise admissions revenue by promoting gift aid, donations and membership.

Retail

• Process retail sales through the point-of-sale system.
• Provide information on retail items and engage with visitors to support their retail journey.
• Meet or exceed sales targets in the shop through proactive, positive interactions with our customers, excellent product knowledge, and the up-selling.
• Ensure the shop merchandise is cleaned and toped up when sales take place highlighting any stock issues with managers.
• Assist with preparing and processing stock, accurately inputting stock information into the retail database.
• To take part in the preparation and delivery of stocktakes and stock checks.

Manor, Gallery, and Security

• Confidently talk to visitors about the manor and gallery using information provided by PMGT.
• Brief and support any volunteers working in on site.
• Ensure the safety and upkeep of the manor and gallery spaces in line with health and safety guidelines, including fire regulations.
• Have an awareness of safety protocols for visitors and staff and be able to implement procedures, including evacuation and First Aid procedures, if required.
• Follow all guidelines to ensure casual damage does not occur in the manor as it is a historic site of significance.
• Perform regular building checks, including conservation checks, in order to report maintenance, cleaning and safety issues.

Person Specification

• Experience of working in a front of house heritage/retail/visitor attraction
• A good level of visitor care skills with a visitor-first attitude.
• Able to anticipate different visitors’ needs and tailor services to those needs – for example – an understanding of disability/diversity issues and learning styles.
• Confidence and ability to proactively sell a range of products and experiences and exceed targets.
• A can-do attitude willing to help with a range of tasks with fantastic problem-solving skills.
• Reliable and trustworthy with the ability to use one’s own initiative and operate collaboratively as part of a small team.
• Smart presentation and a confident style.
• Excellent attention to detail.

What We Offer

The role comes with certain additional benefits, including Pitzhanger contribution to a personal pension scheme and staff discounts in Pitzhanger’s shop and two cafés.