General Manager - Downpatrick

Summary

***INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY***
This is the key leadership role within the property, which you’ll operate with a significant degree of autonomy. You’ll lead from the front, inspiring and motivating your team, turning strategy into reality and delivering across a broad range of operational areas.  You’ll support an inclusive and positive culture, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. 


What it's like to work here

What an exciting portfolio to be a part of. From Castle Ward with its unique 18th century mansion, stunning historic landscape overlooking Strangford Lough to playing a part in sharing with our visitors the most famous and loved mountains in the country, the Mournes, and helping support the recovery of the devastating wildfires of 2021 through Forever Mournes partnership and last but not least showcasing the extraordinarily beautiful dune landscape of Murlough National Nature Reserve with its kaleidoscope of flora and fauna... you will be inspired daily in your work.

The South Down team is characterised by a strong ethos of working together across departmental boundaries, with a justified pride in the portfolio and the visitor offer. South Down is focused on a desire to deliver brilliant standards of conservation, visitor experience, presentation, and service. 

Your contractual place of work will be based from Castle Ward. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40-60% of your working week.

What you'll be doing

This is a 1 year fixed-term contract.  As well as having an eye on the day to day, you will have to plan for the future in line with the national and regional strategy. You’ll be part of a successful wider GM team across Northern Ireland, you’ll work with our internal Consultancy and external partners to achieve our goals and champion the NT cause message. 
You’ll manage a Property Leadership Team, each with their own specialty.  You’ll need to bring a positive, can-do attitude to the team, and your motivational style will inspire them to deliver outstanding results across all areas of the portfolio, in order to generate the funds to invest back into further conservation and development.  


Who we're looking for

You must be able to drive and direct change across a diverse remit. We have some ambitious visitor and revenue targets so you'll need to be brilliant with finances, people and projects. You’ll need to know when to delegate, and when to take ownership. Everything you do will be in harmony with our values and ambitions, but it will also make perfect commercial and financial sense.
With a wide range of skills in your toolkit, you'll need to demonstrate the following skills and experience;

• A forward-thinking approach to managing your multi-site portfolio, able to share your vision in a clear and compelling way
• You’ll be a natural motivator and coach with an ability to set stretching targets and drive performance, helping your Property Leadership Team achieve their full potential
• You’ll be adept at prioritising and the sort of person who can keep a cool head while balancing the urgent with the important
• Able to focus energy and resources not just on where we can improve the most, but on how we ensure all our supporters feel valued, invested in and care passionately about our work
• You’ll need to have experience in stakeholder relationships, building and partnering with local communities and authorities.  
• Both conservation and commercially minded, you’ll have an understanding of what makes a great visitor experience and will be keen to make sure your high standards are evident across the whole property and portfolio
• You’ll need to be a confident communicator, accomplished decision-maker and natural collaborator, adept at building effective working relationships with a wide variety of people including commercial partners, tenants, and National Trust consultancy colleagues
• You'll be comfortable managing operational risk, understand the underpinning need for compliance and know what it means to hold others to account 

Please refer to the role profile to find out more about the role. Please articulate and identify clearly on your application form how you meet the criteria for the role (Who we’re looking for)We know that we can’t serve our diverse audiences without firstly celebrating the diversity of our people. That’s why we are working hard to create an inclusive culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. 


The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Rental deposit loan scheme

• Season ticket loan

• EV car lease scheme 

• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Employee assistance programme

• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.