About the job

Job summary

These exciting roles are responsible for leading the customer facing teams at Kew Gardens, welcoming around 2 million visitors each year to our UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting within our Visitor Operations Team, the Visitor Operations Team Leaders will help ensure the delivery of world class customer service through supportive leadership, training and coaching of their team members. This is a fast-paced and engaging role in an outdoor environment where no two days are the same, overseeing the visitor facing operation across each of the four entrance gates, at key attractions including the Kew Explorer land train, and at locations across the Gardens for our visitor programmes, events and exhibitions.

Job description

Visitor Operations Team Leaders work as part of a Leadership Team, responsible for ensuring customer service excellence, revenue generation and secondary spend, and ensuring a safe environment for visitors and staff. Our Team Leaders work on a rotating duty manager roster basis, which will include weekends and bank holidays, working an annualised pattern which averages at 36 hours each week.

Person specification

Successful candidates will have a passion for customer service and for teamworking, and will love working outdoors. To be successful you will need to have proven experience of leading customer focused teams with high customer volumes within a similar venue to Kew, such as a visitor attraction, a botanic garden, a museum or heritage venue, an art gallery, or any other leisure or retail environment. In addition to the above, experiences in ticketed venues and in cash or card handling are of real value in this role.

You will also need to adopt a collaborative and proactive approach to problem-solving as part of a team, and will be able to demonstrate an inclusive approach to team working. You will love training, coaching and developing teams, and will champion a growth mindset in your day to day work.

Finally, successfl candidates will need to hold a full UK driving license or an ability to obtain one within first three months for this role in order to drive vehicles on site such as buggies or the Kew Explorer land train, if required.

Benefits

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply for this role, please submit your application through the Kew Gardens website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.