Job Description

Starting salary:

40,158

Contract type:

Fixed term

Band:

D

Location:

Edinburgh Castle

Working Hours:

5 days out of 7, 35 hours per week (including weekends and evenings)

Interviews:

In person (with accommodation to move to MS Teams interview if needed)


You will lead the Retail team within Edinburgh Castle who are based out of three retail shops. This role will be the key liaison with the centralised Retail team to support the delivery of the retail strategy.

Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland

Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme - 28% employer contribution 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions Support for further education and personal development Study leave for work related courses Flexible working hours (where appropriate) Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests) Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties

Key Responsibilities of this role

Retail

Management of the Retail team at Edinburgh Castle, ensuring exceptional service is offered to visitors. Work with retail HQ to deliver the HES Retail strategy and develop a retail plan for Edinburgh Castle. Maximise the growth of store sales and profits, achieving and exceeding set KPIs. Establish and maintain professional sales floor standards Focus on maximising opportunities through agreed events, pop-ups and collaborations. Ensure effective stock management, to maximise stock availability and minimise losses. Ensure all best practice and Visual Merchandising guidelines (issued by HQ) are implemented. Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the store, through effective planning and organisation of daily operations to improve sales and productivity. Ensure adherence to guidance and recommendations from the centralised retail team in terms of visual merchandising, top sellers and maximising sales opportunities. Management of cash and stock in compliance with HES procedures, prioritising and ensuring the necessary resources are allocated to prevent loss and achieve growth. Oversee management of retail events and ensure all concessions are aligned with Castle procedures and policies. Act as the main alcohol licence holder for Edinburgh Castle Retail, ensuring licensing procedures are followed for the site. Liaise with Conservation team on the delivery of works while minimising disruption to visitors. Provide relevant reports with regards to your team and input into regional planning activity. Support with the resolution of customer and visitor complaints, ensuring relevant procedures and processes are adhered to.

Stakeholder Management

Proactively seek to build and maintain an understanding of the wider context in which decisions are made and actions taken, staying informed on key activities happening within the region and the major activities and priorities for the organisation. Build and maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders and partners relating to the Visitor & Community operations within the region including our Conservation colleagues. Manage working relationships with stakeholder groups assigned to the role. Work closely with central Retail colleagues and communicate regularly to ensure information is shared and that an overarching team dynamic is fostered. Work in conjunction with peers to support the Regional Visitor & Community Manager (RVCM) to deliver the smooth operation of Edinburgh Castle, including major events. Work collaboratively with colleagues to maintain Visit Scotland five-star grading status. Ensure mystery visit key performance indicators are met and exceeded.

Leadership

Line management responsibility and leadership of a large team of retail colleagues at Edinburgh Castle. Lead, motivate and develop yourself and your team to ensure the highest standards of service to visitors and clients. Lead on recruitment to ensure sufficient levels of staffing are maintained across your areas of responsibility in line with HES policy. Perform Duty Manager responsibilities at Edinburgh Castle working with your colleagues in the management team as part of a rota. This will include weekend and occasional evening working. Ensure compliance with all aspects of health, safety, security, and colleague wellbeing in relation to operations across the castle. Support and contribute to overall Edinburgh region commercial targets.

Key requirements of the role:

In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience.

Essential:

Experience of leading and managing a successful team Experience working in retail management Experience of analysing and improving retail KPIs Experience working collaboratively to conceive and deliver innovative solutions to challenges Experience working to and achieving commercial targets Proven track record in developing and implementing premium experiences in a visitor or heritage environment Stakeholder management experience Excellent communication skills Experience of using Microsoft Office packages




We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.


We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at recruit@hes.scot or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team.


Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.