Penzance Council has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Visitor Experience & Retail Manager to join our team at Penlee House Gallery & Museum.
VACANCY: PENLEE HOUSE GALLERY & MUSEUM VISITOR EXPERIENCE & RETAIL MANAGER
HOURS: 37 hours per week including weekend working on a rotational basis and occasional evenings
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent (with 6-month probation period)
SALARY GRADE: £34,434 – £37,280 (SCP 23-26)
Closing date for applications: 5 pm on Tuesday 28 July 2026
Interviews will be held on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
About the role
As a key member of the Penlee House management team, as Visitor Experience & Retail Manager, you will manage the visitor experience and commercial activity at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, with a high level of autonomy over these areas. This will include the visitor welcome, ticketing, retail activity, and ensuring that visitor facilities are maintained to a high standard.
Your duties will include developing a strategy to increase footfall and maximise income, including secondary spend for the Penlee House shop, making it a ‘destination shop’. Managing all retail activity, a key responsibility of the role will include the planning and project management of the redevelopment of the visitor entrance space in January 2027 to support increased retail provision.
You’ll manage the front of house team including staff rotas, ensuring every visitor gets a warm welcome, and has a safe, accessible, and enjoyable visit. You will take responsibility for visitor facilities, ensuring high standards of presentation are maintained in all front-facing areas including the shop, entrance areas, toilets, and galleries delegating tasks as appropriate.
You’ll maintain a safe environment, ensuring good levels of housekeeping are maintained in the building and surrounding areas. You will manage health and safety and security, including management of contractors.
What we are looking for
The successful candidate will have proven experience of working successfully in a customer-facing retail environment, providing an excellent customer experience, and increasing revenue. You will also need experience of leading, motivating, managing, and training a team of staff and/or volunteers, of managing performance and setting targets.
A highly self-motivated individual you will be a confident decision maker, with an ability to motivate others. Having good self-organisational and interpersonal skills, including attention to detail and building rapport with our visitors, local stakeholders, colleagues and peers, will be essential.
About Penlee House & Penzance Council
Penlee House is a much-loved Gallery & Museum in Penzance, owned and operated by Penzance Council. Originally built in 1865, Penlee House today is a first-class gallery and museum in the heart of Penzance.
It specialises in exhibits focused on the area’s unique cultural heritage and incorporates the historic collections of Penzance Town Council, Cornwall Council, and the Newlyn Art Gallery. It also provides a range of family activities, volunteering opportunities, and workshops for adults and children.
Penzance Council operates at the most local level of government with twenty Councillors elected for a term of four years. As well as Penzance, the Council also represents the distinct communities of Newlyn, Mousehole, Paul, Heamoor, Eastern Green, and Gulval.
We provide a range of services to the local community and the large number of tourists who visit the town every year.
Our mission is to make the community (of Penzance Council) a better place to live, work and grow.
What we can offer
We offer access to the Local Government pension scheme, a generous holiday entitlement, a comprehensive training framework, and free parking.
Who can apply?
Penzance Council is an Equal Opportunities employer and will not discriminate against any applicant on grounds of disability, race, religion or belief, gender, age or sexual orientation.
How to apply
Please download and complete the application form and monitoring form below, and send to [email protected] or Penzance Council, Penlee Centre, Penlee Park, Penzance TR18 4HE
Closing date for applications: 5 pm on Tuesday 28 July 2026
Interviews will be held on: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Application Form
Monitoring Form
Job Description
Person Specification
More information
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Anna Renton (Director) – Tel: 01736 363625 | Email: [email protected]
