Head of Visitor Experience: Manchester International Festival

MIF invites great artists from across the globe to create extraordinary new work for the Festival, which is staged every two years at venues and found spaces across Manchester. Their future home is The Factory, a world-class cultural space being built in the heart of the city, where they’ll present a year-round programme and artists will be able to develop work of huge ambition and scale that they might not be able to anywhere else.

The Head of Visitor Experience is central to realising their vision for the Factory, working to shape and deliver the visitor offer in our landmark new building. You will join them at an exciting time in their development as they work with communities, staff and artists to ensure that all those who visit and interact with MIF and The Factory are made welcome and their needs are placed at the heart of our work.

They are committed to designing a blended visitor experience. This means that whether you encounter The Factory in the digital or the real world there is consistency of voice and personality. Excellence is delivered through all channels.

The Head of Visitor Experience will provide leadership to all customer facing functions at the Factory and MIF, maintaining oversight across physical and digital touchpoints and ensuring the visitor and user experience is fully allied with the values of the organisation. This Head of Visitor Experience is part of the core team responsible for the visitor experience including how technology and new engagement strategies can shape in-venue experiences at The Factory.

Responsibilities include:

Working closely with the Director of Audiences and Digital Director to ensure our visitor experience delivery supports our audience development goals and maximises in-venue digital experiences
In collaboration with the Audience team, developing and implement a comprehensive research programme which will support delivery of the Audiences Strategy in driving a greater diversity and broader demographic in the Factory and MIF’s audiences
Working closely with the Access Manager and Disabled People’s Engagement Group (DPEG) to ensure accessibility innovation and best practice is embedded at the heart of our offer
Representing Visitor Experience in strategic planning, contributing to scheduling and event planning, for the Factory and the Festival, providing a senior point of contact and expertise for other departments
Providing a responsive, friendly and efficient ticketing service to customers, internal departments, producing partners, commercial promoters and other hiring parties in a wide range of ticketing set-ups, working to improve service delivery and realise commercial potential from ticketing
Maintaining the safety and security of visitors, through the management of risk, deployment of the core security team, and through the design, delivery and monitoring of staff and volunteer training programmes
Working with the Venue Director, to support the F&B Contract Manager and F&B Partner in delivering new business and commercial opportunities that will add to the commercial resilience and visitor experience of the Factory
Working in close collaboration with the Volunteer Manager to shape a strategically focused and imaginative volunteer programme, developing opportunities and integrating volunteers into the welcome at the Factory

Essential requirements include:

Proven experience of leading a large team in a fast-moving contemporary customer facing environment
Experience of Visitor/Customer or User Design
Demonstrable commitment to increasing access to the arts, entertainment, hospitality and/or public space
Experience of embedding disability access best practice in a customer facing service or operation
Enthusiasm for, and understanding of, the potential of in-venue digital experience
Familiarity with Health & Safety legislation, guidance and practical implementation
Understanding of ticketing operations and functionality
Experience of embedding environmental responsibility within a customer facing service or operation
Commitment to championing representation and inclusion at every level of the organisation with a proven ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds

For full details and to make an application please see the link below.

For more information visit https://recruitment.mif.co.uk/recruitment/head-of-visitor-experience/