Tourism Manager - Full time

New College is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated Tourism Manager to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to manage the day-to-day tourism operations as well as the College’s new on-site shop, providing a welcoming and engaging experience for tourists, visitors, and the College community.

The successful candidate will combine excellent customer service and retail management skills with the ability to collaboratively lead the current Tourism Team through the successful implementation of the department’s improvement plan. The role offers the chance to work in a vibrant and historic setting while contributing to the growth and success of New College’s visitor experience. An understanding of heritage tourism and the unique traditions of Oxford University is desirable but not essential.

JOB TITLE:                                     Tourism Manager

DEPARTMENT:                              Tourism 

ACCOUNTABLE TO:                     Home Bursar

HOURS PER WEEK:                       Tuesday-Saturday, full-time at 35 hours per week plus 1-hour unpaid lunchbreak (the actual hours required are those necessary to fulfil the duties entailed by the post).

SALARY RANGE:                             Grade 5 currently (£29,959 -£35,116pa) subject to experience + Oxford Weighting allowance of £1,500pa

1.     As head of the department, the role holder will act as the principal point of contact for tourism and respond promptly to all tourism enquiries.

2.     Manage the day to day running of the gate and shop.

3.     Manage staff rotas for the Tourism Team, record and manage annual leave and sickness and advertise recruit/interview for Tourism team members, as necessary.

4.     Oversee the cashing up of the tills at the end of each day, maintaining accurate sales records through the proper use of the EPOS system and ensuring that the team are fully trained in the use of the payment systems.

5.     Promote excellent customer service standards within the team and take a proactive approach. with regard development to any training or support needs found to be necessary in this area.

6.     Support the Tourism Team, creating a good working environment and promoting a positive attitude and pride in your work.

7.     Ensure that the shop is presented and maintained to a high standard, making suggestions and recommendations as to improvements.

8.     Manage stock requirements, buy new stock and take pro-active action with regard stock which is selling poorly.

9.     Manage online ticket sales to ensure timely communication to the team and customers, including managing College closure notifications on the online calendar.

10.  Keep the ticket sale platform regularly updated and maintained. Take an overview of customer feedback, both positive and constructive in order to drive forward improvement and positive change.

11.  Manage the day-to-day running of the audio tour software available to all ticket holders.

12.  Manage the ‘Visiting the College’ page of the New College website to ensure it is regularly maintained and updated.

13.  Work closely and collaboration with the Home Bursary to forecast objectives for the department.

14.  Any other duties commensurate with the role.

The Tourism Manager will be expected to participate in ongoing training and development, including training courses that are held outside Oxford.

Working relationships

The Tourism Manager will be expected to liaise with all College staff and departments as appropriate.

This job description is intended as a guide and may be revised in discussion with the post holder to meet changing demands.

Essential:

1.     Experience of hospitality and or tourism management and a proven ability to lead a customer service team.

 2.     Experience in the provision of tourism and hospitality within a College or retail setting. 

3.     Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to prioritise work, plan rotas and produce reports to deadlines.

 4.     Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with people at all levels of the College.

 5.     The ability to problem solve and remain calm and constructive under pressure. 

6.     Excellent oral and written communication skills.

 7.     Demonstrable commitment to the values and culture of an Oxford College.

Desirable:

1.     Leisure and Tourism NVQ or Degree level qualification

• 6 weeks annual leave + Bank holidays of which one week is taken over Christmas/New Year when College is closed.
• Free lunch in College when available.
• Pension: The post-holder is eligible to join one of the College’s employer-provided pension schemes, to which both the post-holder and the College contribute.
• Employee Assistance program.
• The College runs the cyclescheme and a scheme to help with travel to work costs.
• Relevant professional subscriptions paid.

Please upload to this portal:

·       a full CV.

·       a covering letter outlining your skills and experience relevant to this post.

·       the names and contact e-mail addresses of two referees, one of which should be your most recent/current employer.

The closing date for applications is 17th April 2025.

Interviews will be held on 24th/25th April 2025

The anticipated start date is 27th May 2025