Visitor Operations Supervisor

Wonder Seekers; Winchester; On-site; GBP 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A local charity is seeking a Visitor Operations Supervisor to lead the team at the Winchester Science Centre. The role involves ensuring exceptional visitor experiences through team management and operational oversight while working closely with other departments. The ideal candidate will have supervisory experience in a visitor-facing setting and a strong passion for customer service. Benefits include flexible working arrangements and a supportive environment committed to enhancing visitor interactions.

Benefits

Life assurance

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Enhanced pension contribution

Free tickets to the Science Centre

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer-facing supervisory role is essential.
• Ability to lead and motivate diverse teams under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a focus on customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Visitor Operations team ensuring a seamless visitor experience.
• Manage daily operations and staff performance during shifts.
• Handle visitor inquiries and complaints with professionalism and empathy.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Strong communication skills

Customer service skills

Event supervision

Team motivation

Cash handling

Knowledge of health and safety

Job description

Job vacancy: Visitor Operations Supervisor

Join Wonderseekers, the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre as our Visitor Operations Supervisor and help inspire the next generation of science lovers!

Work Pattern: 35 hours per week. Worked across 5 in 7 days on a rota basis but will include frequent evenings, weekends and bank holidays. We are open to discussing flexible working

Salary: £26,681.20 per annum (35 hours per week, 0.93 FTE). Based on a full-time equivalent of £28,587 per annum. Salary pro-rata'd depending on agreed hours.

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: Visitor Operations Manager

Holiday: Pro-rata based on 25 days per annum plus bank holidays FTE. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. Bank holiday working required.

Location: Winchester Science Centre. Onsite presence is essential for this role.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Closing Date: Wednesday 28th January 2026 Please note, we’ll accept applications until the closing date, but we may start interviewing earlier - so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews:

Our interview process is designed to be relaxed and informative, and will include an in-person interview, tour and a brief task. Depending on the number of applicants, we may also arrange an informal Teams call prior to meeting in person. We look forward to getting to know candidates through a two-way process, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn about us and what it’s like to work at Wonderseekers.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on Earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

The Role

As Visitor Operations Supervisor you will lead from the front to deliver exceptional visitor service across everything that happens at Winchester Science Centre, including public days, school visits, evening programmes, private hires and special events.

You will be the day to day lead for the Visitor Operations team, ensuring our staff are motivated, well briefed and supported to deliver an excellent experience for all our visitors.

You will work closely with the Visitor Operations Manager, Retail Manager and Food and Beverage Manager to create a seamless visitor journey across all areas of the site. The duty manager will hold the overall site responsibility while you lead the Visitor Experience team to deliver their plans effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Visitor Operations team on shift, allocating roles, setting the tone and ensuring delivery of the Duty Manager’s daily briefing
• Reinforce the Duty Manager’s briefing to ensure all Visitor Operations Assistants understand the day’s plan, show times, access needs and priorities
• Provide visible leadership on the floor, directing the team to take ownership of their areas and tasks rather than stepping in to do everything personally
• Maintain a strong presence across the exhibition floor, ensuring staff are positioned effectively, actively engaging visitors and managing queues
• Monitor team performance and energy throughout the day, giving clear, constructive feedback and support to maintain high standards
• Maintain presentation, cleanliness and signage standards across public spaces, escalating issues promptly to Estates or the Duty Manager
• Handle first line visitor queries and complaints with empathy and professionalism, escalating significant issues as needed
• Support safe opening, daily checks and secure close down procedures under the Duty Manager’s direction
• Act as Duty Manager for small-scale events (typically under 250 visitors), including opening and closure of Winchester Science Centre, taking responsibility for the safe and smooth operation of the site, coordinating teams across Visitor Experience, Retail and Food & Beverage, and ensuring excellent guest service throughout.
• Carry out safety and accessibility checks in visitor areas, reporting hazards and incidents in line with procedures
• Ensure smooth ticketing and entry processes, including event and planetarium set ups, capacity checks and late changes
• Support the Duty Manager by providing accurate and timely information for the Daily Report, including visitor feedback, incidents, maintenance issues and team updates
• Encourage upselling of memberships, Gift Aid and add ons, sharing daily performance insights with the Visitor Operations Manager
• Manage breaks and deployment within the Visitor Operations team to balance service quality and budget efficiency
• Provide coaching and support for new starters, building confidence, consistency and a positive team culture
• Champion accessibility and inclusion, anticipating visitor needs and removing barriers
• Keep accurate records of incidents, near misses, lost property and maintenance issues
• Liaise with Retail and Food and Beverage colleagues to coordinate queues, visitor flows and service peaks
• Contribute ideas for continuous improvement and support projects that enhance the visitor experience

Person Specification

• Supervisory experience in a busy customer-facing environment such as a visitor attraction, leisure, heritage or hospitality venue.
• Confidence leading teams on the floor, staying calm under pressure and making good decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and support diverse teams.
• Strong customer service skills with experience resolving complaints and delivering memorable experiences.
• Familiarity with ticketing and/or EPOS systems and the ability to complete simple shift or incident reports.
• Understanding of health and safety, safeguarding and accessibility responsibilities. First aid and fire warden training provided if needed.
• Reliable and organised, able to manage rotas, breaks and shift priorities effectively.
• Positive attitude, approachable style and a genuine enthusiasm for creating great visitor experiences.
• Experience supervising or supporting events, private hires or evening programmes.
• Knowledge of museum, attraction or theatre operations and visitor flow management.
• Experience with stock management, cash handling and reconciliation processes.
• Awareness of sustainability and environmental good practice in visitor settings.
• Basic training or qualifications in customer service, first aid or health and safety.

Additional Information

• The post-holder will be subject to a basic DBS check.
• Flexibility to support events or operational needs outside of standard hours may be required.

Ready to Apply?

Click here to visit our recruitment webpage. When you’re ready, please submit your application through our recruitment portal here for this vacancy.

You’ll be asked to share your contact details and answer a few short questions so we can get to know you better. Keep your responses clear and concise - this is your chance to really shine! After that, you’ll upload your cover letter and CV.

We’re always happy to chat about the role before you apply - just reach out using the details below.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We want to make sure the process works for you.

• Life assurance
• Buy/sell annual leave and long service holiday bonus
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Free tickets to the Science Centre and partner attractions
• Access to charity worker discounts
• Enhanced family friendly leave
• Wellbeing policy and mental health first aiders
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible IT
• Casual dress and staff events
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance