Manager; Band 1 pa

We’re looking for someone with a real talent for making people feel welcome to join us as the Welcome Manager at Castle Ward, leading our small but essential welcome team.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver exceptional service across one of the three remarkable places in the County Down Property Group:
Mount Stewart, Castle Ward, and Rowallane Garden. We’re ambitious about growing and diversifying our audiences, inviting more people than ever to connect with our places and our purpose. By strengthening our welcome and deepening engagement, we can increase our ability to invest in the vital conservation work that protects these special sites for the future.

Castle Ward is a place full of character, creativity, and stories, and the welcome team sits right at the heart of it. As Welcome Manager, you’ll be part of a supportive, close‑knit group who care deeply about creating memorable experiences for every visitor. You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues and volunteers who bring energy, humour, and a genuine love for this extraordinary place.

No two days are the same. One moment you might be helping a family plan their perfect day out, the next you’re working with teams across the property to shape events, improve our welcome, or support our ambitions to grow and diversify our audiences. You’ll have the freedom to try new ideas, the encouragement to develop your skills, and the satisfaction of seeing your work make a real difference.

You’ll also be part of the wider County Down Property Group, Mount Stewart, Castle Ward, and Rowallane Garden, giving you a strong network of peers, shared learning, and opportunities to collaborate across three remarkable places.

Above all, you’ll be joining a team driven by purpose: connecting people with nature, beauty, and history, and helping to protect these special places for generations to come. It’s meaningful work in a stunning setting, with plenty of room to grow.

As Welcome Manager, you’ll lead the team that shapes every visitor’s first impression of Castle Ward. Your work will centre on creating a warm, seamless, and memorable welcome for everyone who comes through our gates.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and inspire the welcome team, supporting staff and volunteers to deliver consistently high‑quality service.
• Ensure every visitor has an exceptional experience, from arrival to departure, helping them feel informed, valued, and excited about their day.
• Oversee daily operations at the visitor reception areas, including admissions, membership recruitment, and retail or visitor‑flow touchpoints.
• Use insight and feedback to improve our welcome, remove barriers, and help us grow and diversify our audiences.
• Work closely with colleagues across the property — from programming and events to outdoors and conservation — to make sure our welcome reflects what’s happening across the site.
• Support the delivery of property‑wide plans, contributing to our ambitions for growth, engagement, and financial sustainability.
• Champion the National Trust’s values and purpose, helping visitors connect with the stories, landscapes, and heritage that make Castle Ward special.
• Ensure compliance and safety standards are met, creating a secure and accessible environment for visitors and the team.

Every day, you’ll be helping people discover something new, feel part of something meaningful, and enjoy a place that’s cared for with passion and purpose.

Applications from redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below:

• understanding of visitor experience and service leadership
• ability to support team management and development
• awareness of commercial considerations and financial performance
• knowledge of operational delivery and risk management
• experience in communication and stakeholder engagement

Additional criteria for all other applicants:

• experienced in visitor services, tourism, heritage or similar situations
• naturally curious about people, and motivated to give the highest standards of service
• highly organised
• ad…