Visitor Services

KEY PURPOSE
This job exists to ensure that the garden and policies of Pitmedden Garden and Haddo House are managed and maintained as nationally recognised gardens of high horticultural importance, contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters in line with the Trust conservation procedures and Heritage Garden Management Plan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:

1. Ensuring the conservation and practical maintenance of the garden and policies – whether through delegation to other staff/volunteers, or personal participation – in terms of:

a. Practical horticulture (e.g., managing trees and shrubs, roses, herbaceous plants, vegetable and fruit gardens and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard landscaping; path care, plant propagation; plant sales management, tree care, Arboricultural techniques, care & maintenance of garden machinery, tractors, and estate management equipment).
b. Plantsmanship (e.g., the identification, recording (using Plant databases), labelling of individual plants and other collections).
c. Research and development (e.g., research into historical precedents and practical contemporary solutions to inform proposed activities and projects).
d. Interpretation (e.g., through the development and delivery of events such as introductory talks, guided tours or practical demonstrations, contribution to guidebooks or leaflets).

2. Ensuring an appropriate management regime of the gardens and policies that includes the management of:
a. Staff: including the Regional Grass Cutter and volunteers (recruitment, induction, development, performance management) such that they are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards.
b. budgets (setting, phasing, monitoring, pro-active and re-active adjustments) such that both gardens’ finances are sustainable within the context of the wider property budgets.
c. health, safety and the environment in line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers.
d. recognition of the Trust’s Environmental Policy with respect to sustainable gardening activities, including energy, water, recycling, carbon reduction, peat & pesticide-use.
e. daily, weekly, yearly and longer-term operational work plans and reporting in the context of the properties’ statements of significance and action plans (and contribution to these action plans) to ensure that activities are prioritised and planned to optimize the use of resources.
f. customer service and care from garden staff/volunteers, and in the broader sense of facilities and “visiting experience”, to ensure that the properties’ reputation for excellence is maintained and enhanced.
g. Taking a lead property role in monitoring and reporting on hazardous tree inspections
h. administration to enable gardening activities to be undertaken and recorded efficiently.

3. Participating fully in the property’s wider “management team” including
a. supporting the Operations manager strategically and practically with the operation of the properties, and assuming the role of “duty manager” as required
b. taking an active role in promoting the gardens and properties through digital media, events, workshops, presentations, and talks.
c. Managing turf areas, traffic flow and protecting the estate landscape features during major events including supervision of contractors.
d. Snow, ice, and storm management
e. Fire and security duties on a rota basis

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Supervising/undertaking the day-to-day operation of the Palace and gardens to ensure an excellent customer/visitor experience. This includes supervision of:
 Visitor services, catering, events and retail offer (including ordering, merchandising, sales targets).
 Line management of Visitor Services Assistants and volunteers.
 Duty management and oversight/maintenance of the property.
 Ensure the property social media is managed to generate interest, engagement and help drive visitors.
 Deliver the schools programme to meet the targets for number of visits, revenue generated.
 Support the informal learning and community engagement / outreach activity.
 Ticketing & Membership sales (to targets) and general customer service (individuals, education visits, other groups).
 Security of the Property.
 Health & Safety procedures, emergency procedures, and environmental procedures.
 Deputising for the Visitor Services Manager / Operations Manager on-site and off-site as required.

Responsible for day to day financial administration at the property, including:
 Ensuring the completion of Cash/till reconciliation.
 Week-end reports and reconciliation.
 Completion of the banking and all cash handling processes.

Supporting the Visitor Services Manager with:
 recruitment; induction; development; and management of all visitor services employees and volunteers such that they understand and are equipped to fulfill their roles to the standards required and that they feel valued, respected and supported.

Purpose of Role

To deliver a first class Deanston Distillery Experience for all our customers and visitors whilst assisting in the day to day running of the Distillery Visitor Centre (DVC).

Key Performance Areas and Responsibilities
Includes but is not limited to:

– Demonstrate a pride and passion for Deanston Distillery, Scotch whisky and other CVH Spirits brands.
– Deliver the CVH high performance culture by leading by example.
– Support the realisation of the vision for the Deanston Distillery Visitor Centre (DVC) through the Scotch Whisky & future Gin Experiences from our sister distillery, Tobermory, and the DVC Retail Store.
– Display professional communication, behaviours and actions resulting in a high level of credibility, trust and respect from customers, visitors and colleagues.
– Engage customers and visitors in the Deanston Distillery Experiences accurately, informatively and with passion. This to include the development, implementation and delivery of guided tours and experiences, events, retailing/merchandise, marketing campaigns and virtual sessions.
– Carry out with enthusiasm all duties related to the merchandising and retailing aspect of the role including till work, cash handling and safe/banking.
– Maintain the required DVC stock levels and carry out stock taking and store work.
– Prepare stock for sale – to include filling bottles, building packaging and related tasks.
– Carry out cleaning and housekeeping to maintain attractive and functional extended DVC work areas – floors, surfaces, glasses, wash areas, toilets etc.
– Participate in administrative tasks and the development and use of new approaches to the work of the DVC – to include email and telephone enquiries, web work, tilling, DigiTickets, social media, etc.
– Assist with the planning of tours and shifts.
– Provide training and support to new team members, promoting business and team values and the achievement of departmental and business objectives.
– Embrace community engagement.
– Work within the standards of CVH Spirits and Deanston DVC’s health and safety policy, ensuring compliance at all times.
– Be adaptable and embrace the continuous process change in CVH Spirits.
– Carry out other reasonable duties/tasks as required to deliver and meet the objectives of the DVC. This will include working at weekends, occasional evening work in the corporate and online facilities, project work.

Personal Specification:

Qualifications

– None specifically.
– Professional Skills & Experience

– Experience working with customers in a busy hospitality or retail environment.
– Ability to speak an additional language is a distinct advantage
– Experience working in the drinks, tourism and travel, guiding or retail industry is highly desirable.
– Experience of till work, POS systems, on line platforms desirable

Behaviours & Competencies

– Friendly, confident and enthusiastic.
– Strong communication skills with ability to entertain and engage with people one on one or in large groups.
– Pride and a passion for Deanston distillery and Scotch whisky in general.
– Appetite and enthusiasm for learning.
– Strong team player who can collaborate well with others.
– Ability to work enthusiastically under pressure.
– Self-motivated who can work efficiently with minimum supervision.
– Ability to multi-task, moving from one task to another in a swiftly manner
– An interest and passion for whisky is a strong advantage.
– The enthusiasm and ability to develop your skills as a virtual guide.
– A flexible approach to hours of work over a seven day working week and the year is required and some evening work will be integral to this role.

The Garden Trainee role at Threave Garden will provide the post-holders with development in a broad range of work-based practical horticultural skills over the course of a year spent as part of the team there. The training will be based primarily around the content of the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture, but additional enhancements will also be available. Our aim is to take people who have undertaken a horticultural apprenticeship, an academic horticultural qualification or who have proven practical gardening experience and to develop them further into the rounded skilled, craft professional gardeners that the heritage garden sector, including the National Trust for Scotland, requires.

WHAT WE OFFER

The year at Threave comprises paid day-to-day work in the garden alongside practical training and assessment of skills, knowledge and behaviours. The RHS Level 2 training is supplemented by several assessed assignments designed to enhance trainee learning. This includes fortnightly plant identification tests, keeping a diary, completing plant profiles and participation in a study tour (visiting a number of gardens and nurseries to gain a greater appreciation of the variety a career in horticulture can provide) from which a report is requested.

The Garden Trainees are overseen by our teaching staff of Gardener Instructors, seasoned experts in their fields who have worked in a wide range of gardens themselves. The garden has three department areas: the grounds (lawns, hedges, herbaceous borders, woody plants, alpines, hard landscapes, aquatic, and bog), the walled garden, and the glasshouses. The Garden Trainee will work in each of these areas, moving between them on a rota basis, to ensure in-depth training across the seasons. Trainees will work alongside the Gardener Instructors, other garden staff and volunteers, receiving hands-on practical tuition. There will be some classroom time, however this is primarily a practical role where trainees will spend the majority of the time working and learning in the garden. Study and assignments will be completed largely in their own time. Trainee only shared accommodation within easy walking distance is available for rent.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

While in the garden the Garden Trainee will be formally line managed by the Head Gardener and will have the support, guidance and direction from other members of staff they are allocated to work alongside. The employment is for a fixed period of 1 year, subject to continued progression on the course with acceptable practical performance.
Trainees will be expected to take responsibility for their learning which will include out of hours study, practice of skills and/or project work.

ABOUT THE GARDEN

The School of Heritage Gardening, based at Threave Garden was formed in 1960, shortly after the National Trust for Scotland took ownership of the property. For over 60 years we have been teaching horticultural skills and techniques to aspiring professional gardeners. Former trainees have gone on to have successful careers in the industry, many choosing to stay with the Trust.

Threave Garden is perfectly suited for a range of training requirements, having been created over the years by students, for students, to accommodate a variety of horticultural situations. The garden has a large and diverse plant collection set within an extensive landscape and includes features such as a rock garden, fruit and vegetables, ponds, naturalised bulbs, woodland, orchard, nursery, lawns, herbaceous beds, mixed borders, and glasshouses. This purposefully broad array of garden landscapes, plants and features ensures that trainees are able to receive an extensive and well-rounded education, covering many aspects found in a career in horticulture.

Threave is an approved centre to deliver Royal Horticultural Society qualifications, one of only a handful across Scotland.