Visitor Engagement Officer
Pay: £13.50 per hours / £14,040.00 per annum
Hours: 20 hrs per week / 1040 per annum
Location: Shrewsbury Prison, The Dana, Shrewsbury SY1 2HP
Role Purpose
To deliver engaging and immersive visitor experiences that bring the site’s history, heritage and stories to life. The role exists to educate, inspire and interact with visitors through guided tours, educational programmes and special events, ensuring a high-quality and memorable experience for all audiences.
The Role
The role is responsible for delivering guided tours and interactive and immersive visitor experiences, sharing knowledge of the site’s history, heritage, archaeology and paranormal activity while responding to visitor questions and engagement.
The postholder will also deliver the Education Behind Bars programme to educational groups of varying sizes, ages and learning needs, adapting delivery to ensure an enriching and accessible experience.
The role involves supporting all visitors, participating in special events and history days, including portraying costumed historical characters, and maintaining consistent standards across all tours and educational activities by following established guidelines and procedures.
The postholder will work closely with visitors, educational groups and the wider visitor experience team, contributing to the overall quality, reputation and success of the attraction.
Flexibility is required to support operational needs, including weekends, evenings, bank holidays and other duties as reasonably required.
Key Responsibilities
This section outlines the key areas of accountability for the role and the standards expected in each area.
Strategy & Delivery
- Contribute to the organisation’s overall delivery of excellent customer service, visitor engagement, guided tours, and educational programmes.
- Develop and maintain a deep understanding of all products, services, and visitor experiences offered at the attraction.
- Conduct engaging guided tours presenting information on history, heritage, archaeology, and prison life.
- Learn and deliver scripted tour and educational content consistently while bringing individuality and personality to presentations.
- Support management in the ongoing development and improvement of tours and educational programmes.
- Facilitate educational programmes for groups of varying sizes, ages, and learning needs.
- Identify operational challenges and proactively implement effective solutions to maintain service quality.
Experience & Engagement
- Deliver a high-quality, educational, safe, and enjoyable visitor experience at all times.
- Encourage visitor interaction, participation, and active engagement throughout tours and experiences.
- Interact with visitors during self-guided visits, special events, and immersive experiences, including portraying costumed historical characters.
- Respond to visitor questions professionally, accurately, and respectfully.
- Lead the delivery of first-class customer service and visitor engagement standards.
- Resolve customer complaints promptly and professionally, escalating issues where necessary to management or relevant departments.
- Maintain constant supervision of visitors during tours to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Operational Management & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with day-to-day health and safety procedures and organisational policies.
- Maintain a safe environment for visitors, colleagues, and contractors.
- Deliver tours and educational activities in line with operational procedures and quality standards.
- Ensure accurate and responsible communication of historical information and scripted content.
- Support smooth day-to-day visitor operations and event delivery.
- Identify risks, issues, or disruptions and take appropriate action to mitigate impact.
Financial & Commercial Performance
- Contribute to positive visitor satisfaction, repeat visits, and reputation through exceptional service delivery.
- Promote visitor engagement with the attraction’s wider products, services, and experiences.
- Promote secondary spend opportunities throughout the site, including retail, catering, events, and additional visitor experiences.
- Support the organisation’s commercial success by delivering highly rated tours and educational experiences.
- Assist in maintaining high visitor feedback scores and positive customer reviews.
Collaboration & Communication
- Ensure clear, professional, and transparent communication with visitors, colleagues, and other departments.
- Work collaboratively with management and wider teams to improve visitor experiences and operational delivery.
- Escalate operational concerns, visitor issues, and additional support needs appropriately.
- Build positive working relationships across departments to support effective service delivery.
- Adapt communication styles to suit different audiences, including schools, families, and diverse visitor groups.
Key Performance Indicators
Performance in this role will be measured through a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators aligned to the Cove Group’s PDR framework.
These include:
- Achievement of visitor satisfaction and feedback targets.
- Delivery of consistently high-quality guided tours and educational programmes.
- Positive visitor engagement and participation levels.
- Compliance with health and safety procedures and operational standards.
- Effective resolution of visitor complaints within agreed timeframes.
- Accuracy and consistency in delivery of scripted historical and educational content.
- Contribution to repeat visitation, positive reviews, and overall visitor experience ratings.
- Attendance, punctuality, and reliability in operational delivery.
About You
You are an enthusiastic and engaging individual with a passion for history, heritage and delivering exceptional visitor experiences.
You are confident speaking to groups, able to build rapport with a wide range of audiences, and capable of working independently while maintaining high standards in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
Essential Skills & Experience
- An interest in history and heritage.
- Strong public speaking and audience engagement skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. with a visitor-focused mindset.
- Ability to build rapport with a diverse range of visitors and educational groups.
- Strong listening skills with the ability to understand visitor needs and adapt accordingly.
- Ability to work independently, use initiative and take responsibility for delivering high-quality experiences.
- Organised and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
- Energetic, enthusiastic and passionate about delivering memorable visitor experiences.
- Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to work in a fast-paced and changing environment.
- Commitment to maintaining high standards and contributing to business goals.
Desirable
- Previous experience in a tourism, event or theatre environment.
- Previous experience in customer facing role
Personal Attributes
- Positive, professional, and respectful in all interactions.
- Proactive and solution-focused with strong problem-solving skills.
- Calm and confident when managing complaints or challenging situations.
- Reliable, organised, and capable of working independently and as part of a team.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly when delivering historical and educational content accurately.
- Safety-conscious with a strong understanding of visitor wellbeing and operational compliance.
- Flexible and willing to support special events, immersive experiences, and costumed interpretation activities.
- Resilient and able to maintain professionalism in a fast-paced visitor environment.
- Commercially aware with the ability to promote visitor experiences and secondary spend opportunities appropriately.
The Reward
This role is both challenging and rewarding, offering the opportunity to significantly impact the success of Cove Attractions. You will find immense job satisfaction engaging and educating visitors, bringing our history to life. We offer competitive remuneration and a collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued and recognised.
This role offers clear opportunities for professional growth and development.
What We Offer
At Cove Group, we believe work should be something you look forward to. We’re building a culture where people feel valued, growth is constant, and purpose drives everything we do. You’ll be part of a team that’s passionate, collaborative, and proud of the difference we make every day.
As part of our culture promise, we offer:
- A collaborative, supportive, and values-driven environment.
- Fair pay, regular recognition, and genuine appreciation for your work.
- Opportunities for professional growth, learning, and development across Cove Group.
- Clear expectations, honest feedback, and leadership that lifts others.
- A positive, purpose-driven workplace where you can grow, thrive, and make an impact.
Here, you won’t just do great work, you’ll help shape a culture we can all be proud of.
Pay: £13.50 per hour
Expected hours: 20.0 per week
Work Location: In person
