Visitor Operations Manager

Salary: £41,042 per annum
Hours: Full-time (5 days per week)
 
We also offer:
 

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and a discretionary Christmas closure
• Benefits platform with discounts on retail, dining and days out
• Salary sacrifice schemes for gym, bicycles and nursery/childcare
• Access to a free Employee Assistance Scheme to support you inside and outside of work
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Location: Walthamstow Wetlands (N17 9NH)
 
Walthamstow Wetlands is our flagship visitor centre and welcomes over 500,000 visitors a year, which provides us with an unparalleled opportunity to engage and inspire people from across London to learn more about wildlife and champion nature. The visitor centre has a café, gift shop, education room, art exhibition space and regularly hosts public and private events. The busy nature of the site means a strong, operational presence is required to keep daily activities running efficiently and troubleshooting any logistical challenges.
 
Role & Responsibilities
 
As our Visitor Operations Manager, you’ll be responsible for the overall visitor experience and operational management of Walthamstow Wetlands, as a nature reserve and visitor attraction. Leading on buildings and facilities management, ensuring H&S compliance, overseeing external contractors, and supporting with a range of site activities to ensure an excellent visitor experience for all.
 
You’ll work closely with the multi-disciplinary teams based on site at Walthamstow; Café, Events, Retail, Learning & Engagement and Nature Recovery. As well as liaising with the Trust’s central teams, including; Marketing & Communications, Finance, People & Organisational Development. You’ll also act as the Trust’s representative for the external partnership with landowner; Thames Water and contract manager; Waltham Forest Council.
 

• Coordinate staffing rotas to ensure 7-day operational coverage at Walthamstow Wetlands, including sessional and site-based staff.
• Lead the delivery of the management contract with Waltham Forest Council, including regular reporting on KPIs and progress.
• Manage the site budget, monitoring income and expenditure in line with agreed forecasts.
• Act as the main point of contact for external stakeholders, fostering partnerships with local authorities, community groups and businesses.
• Oversee health, safety and security on-site, ensuring compliance with Trust policies and legal requirements through drills, audits, and maintenance coordination.
• Chair weekly operations meetings and manage internal communications on site activity, including the weekly 'What’s On' update.
• Support the operational delivery of public and private events, assisting with logistics such as set-up, guest management, and suppliers.
• Maintain a high-quality visitor experience by ensuring clean, accessible spaces, up-to-date signage, and engaging exhibitions and interpretation materials.
• Work with nature conservation teams to support habitat management, statutory site conditions, and the Green Flag Award process.
• Provide effective line management, including 1:1s, appraisals, wellbeing support, and development planning in collaboration with the People & Organisational Development team.

 
(Please see job description for full list of responsibilities)
 
Our ideal Visitor Operations Manager:
 

• Demonstrable experience of managing a busy visitor centre or complex operational site
• Confident and experienced in coordinating and managing teams
• Proven ability to deliver outstanding visitor experiences
• Knowledgeable in facilities management, health and safety, and compliance processes
• Highly organised, adaptable and proactive problem-solver
• Strong communications skills
• Competent with Microsoft Office and experienced in managing budgets effectively

 
(Please see job description for full person specification)
 
Closing Date: 9am 22nd April
Interviews: Are scheduled to take place on Monday 28th April at Walthamstow Wetlands and reasonable adjustments will be offered to all candidates including the choice to meet online or in-person.
 
Does this sound like you? We’d love to hear from you!
 
Our vision is a London alive with wildlife, with nature in everyone's neighbourhood. To achieve our goal of inspiring everyone to help restore London’s wildlife, we recognise that our team must better reflect and represent all of London’s diverse communities. Find out more about London Wildlife Trust’s commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion on our website.
 
We are also committed to ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk is at the heart of our engagement with people. Read about our commitment to safeguarding on our website.
 
REF-221061