Senior Engagement Officer

Job description

**Senior Engagement Officer**
**Location**:London, NW1
**Position Type**: Full-Time / Permanent
**Salary**: £36,767.00 p/a (inclusive of all allowances) Enhancements London Weighting, Weekend Enhancement

**Overview**

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.

**Role Profile**

As Senior Engagement Officer, you have the day-to-day autonomy for the live visitor engagement experience, from point of welcome through to goodbye. You will lead the Engagement Team and Visitor Welcome Volunteers to drive and inspire operational teams to deliver memorable experiences every day for our guests. Your focus will be to ensure the highest levels of visitor engagement and customer service, collaborating across departments to optimise our ways of working whilst maximising on the daily experience we offer. As one of the key daily contacts on site, you will also perform Duty Manager shifts as part of a rota.

**Main Duties and Responsibilities**
- This role is centred around being the visitor advocate, leading the Engagement Team, Visitor Welcome Volunteers and wider customer facing departments across the site to deliver the best possible experience for our visitors.
- Provide the primary London Zoo representation for daily site engagement operations. Act as a visual senior presence around site throughout the day engaging with visitors, staff, and volunteers, delivering talks and experiences as necessary.
- Be responsible for leading a team of Engagement Officers and Visitor Welcome Volunteers in the delivery of a full, fun and inspiring programme of visitor engagement activities and animal experiences, ensuring the offering flexes according to our audience and peak/off peak visitor numbers.
- Support the Visitor Engagement Manager to input into a strategic, evolving programme of daily activity for London Zoo, ensuring ‘wow’ moments are created along the visitor journey which will leave our visitors inspired, informed and empowered.
- This role will perform regular Duty Manager shifts as part of a rota, acting a Silver Command point of contact in an emergency situation, as an escalation point for operational customer complaints, as well as being an operational liaison for VIP visitors.

**Person Specification**
- Have previous experience in a visitor attraction environment
- Be able to demonstrable experience of presenting regularly to large groups
- Have experience of managing teams of staff and volunteers
- Have experience of creating a diverse programme of visitor activity
- Have previous experience in a Duty Management role or similar
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and influencing skills and a high level of credibility are a must for this role
- Experience in delivering excellent customer service and engagement through skills development in others
- Experience in managing the life cycle of a team member to include recruitment, appraisals and performance management including holding difficult conversations
- Proven ability in managing customer feedback and dealing with complaints
- Be able to demonstrate a high level of planning, prioritising and control, and ability to establish a systematic course of action to achieve objectives effectively and efficiently.
- This position is part of a team rota and is required to work either a Saturday or a Sunday each week.

**What do we offer?**

You will have access to a blended program of Wellbeing initiatives, including confidential access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program as well as regular webinars and activities around mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing. The opportunity to be part of an organisation that is committed to improving diversity and inclusion.

Other benefits include 25 days holiday, life assurance, stakeholder pension (ZSL will also match further contributions you may choose to make up to a further 5% - limited to 12% employer contributions), complimentary zoo tickets with a 30% discount in shops and online, subsidised canteen, enhanced paternity and maternity leave, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership and access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

Ultimately, you’ll know that you’ll help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct.

**Interested?**

The Zoological Society of London is a charity registered in England and Wales: no. 208728.

No agencies please.