Visitor Operations Manager

Portsmouth Museums operate 6 historical museums across the city, with our collection including around 500,000 items that showcase the history and culture of Portsmouth to both residents and visitors. We are looking for a Visitor Operations Manager to lead the Museum Operations team across all sites to ensure a consistent high level of visitor service experience.

Our 6 sites are:

• The D-Day Story
• Southsea Castle
• Charles Dickens' Birthplace
• Portsmouth Natural History Museum
• Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery
• Eastney Engine Houses

Your new role

You will lead the Museums Operations team to deliver a consistent, high‑quality visitor experience across all sites. This includes managing staff rotas, recruitment, training, and performance, while coaching Duty Managers to effectively run their teams and buildings. You will support income generation through admissions, retail, donations, and venue hire, ensuring financial procedures are followed. The role also oversees building safety, maintenance, and compliance, including liaison with contractors and Historic England for listed or historic sites, as well as managing major works. You will maintain the service’s emergency plans and work closely with partners to enhance the visitor offer, improve ways of working, and promote both the Museum Service and Portsmouth as a destination.

Who is the person summary:

You will bring extensive experience in leading and managing diverse staff teams, including permanent, seasonal, and casual roles within customer-focused or visitor experience environments. Your background includes comprehensive building management—covering visitor operations, security, and health and safety—ideally within historic or listed sites. With a strong educational foundation and exceptional customer service skills, you demonstrate excellent communication, sound decision-making, and the ability to motivate others. You have a thorough understanding of statutory regulations, health and safety legislation, and emergency planning, supported by qualifications such as IOSH Managing Safely. Your experience also includes staff recruitment, training, rota planning, and budget management, alongside a commitment to personal development and collaborative working across wider services and teams.

A full UK driving license is desirable but not essential, as this role involves travelling between the 6 sites across the city.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Additional Information

Please ensure that you read the job profile for full details on the post. This role is based 5 days per week between all our Portsmouth Museum sites; please ensure you can fulfil this prior to submitting your application. This role works on a rota basis including evening and weekend working, details on which to be confirmed on appointment.

Please note we are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we have a large number of applications.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found atEquality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage:Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contactrecruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.