Visitor Operations & Experience Manager

Bamburgh Castle is one of England’s most iconic coastal fortresses and a privately owned family estate welcoming around a quarter of a million visitors each year. With its dramatic setting, rich history and strong reputation as a visitor attraction, the Castle is now seeking an experienced and commercially minded leader to take its visitor operation into the next phase of development.

Nigel Wright Group is proud to continue its exclusive partnership with the Bamburgh Castle Estate in the search for a talented and experienced Visitor Operations and Experience Manager.  This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior, hands‑on leadership role at one of the UK’s most recognisable heritage destinations, with real scope to shape visitor experience, events and commercial performance.

The Role

As Visitor Operations & Experience Manager, you will be the senior on‑site lead for the day‑visitor business, responsible for delivering an exceptional end‑to‑end visitor journey while driving operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Reporting directly to the Estate Manager and the Owner, you will have a broad remit covering people leadership, visitor experience, events, retail performance and day‑to‑day site operations. You will play a central role in ensuring Bamburgh Castle continues to thrive in a competitive visitor economy while remaining true to its heritage and character.

This is a fully site‑based role, requiring strong visibility, practical leadership and the confidence to take ownership in a dynamic, live environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a large, diverse on‑site team (c.50 staff across visitor welcome, guides, retail, car parks, maintenance and seasonal teams).
• Own the end‑to‑end visitor experience, from arrival and welcome through to retail and departure.
• Ensure consistently high standards of presentation, customer service, health & safety, security and compliance.
• Develop and deliver an engaging events and experiences programme that encourages repeat visitation and increased dwell time.
• Drive improvement in retail and secondary spend performance, working closely with the Retail Manager.
• Act as an ambassador for Bamburgh Castle within the visitor attraction sector, attending industry events, conferences, exhibitions and networking opportunities to maintain sector awareness, build relationships and inform future development.
• Oversee daily operations during peak periods, including weekends, Bank Holidays and live events.
• Manage rotas, performance, training and people issues with fairness, clarity and confidence.
• Play a key role in interpretation projects, filming and location hire activity, working with internal and external stakeholders.
• Take responsibility for visitor‑facing systems including online ticketing, website content updates, mailing systems and cashless payment operations.
• Act as a trusted, senior presence on site, handling issues calmly and professionally as they arise.

Location & Working Pattern

• This is a fully site‑based role at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland.
• Salary: Competitive
• Holiday: 28 days including Bank Holidays
• Hours: 40 hours per week, on-site.
• Regular weekend working required.  Hours are worked on an annualised basis, with flexibility required around peak trading periods.

This is a unique opportunity in one of Northumberland’s most picturesque locations. If you’re ready to bring energy, ideas, and leadership to a growing, visitor focused business, we’d love to hear from you. All CVs and enquiries must be directed to Nigel Wright Group. Please do not contact the venue directly, as Nigel Wright Group is the exclusive point of contact for this recruitment process and as such, any direct, third party supplied or referred applicants/CVs will be forwarded to Nigel Wright for consideration as part of our process.