Job Description

At Cove Attractions, we bring heritage to life. Our

vision

is to create

world-class tourism attractions

that ignite curiosity, educate, and engage visitors through

immersive, unforgettable experiences

. Rooted in values of

preservation, education, innovation

, and

exceptional service

, we are passionate about making a difference--for our visitors and our people.

The Role

Do you have a passion for history, leadership, and delivering exceptional visitor experiences?

Are you ready to bring a unique historical site to life while leading an inspiring team? If so, Shepton Mallet Prison is looking for an enthusiastic, hands-on leader to join us as our

Assistant Attraction Manager

.

This is an exciting opportunity to take charge of one of Somerset's most iconic historical attractions and shape its future, while ensuring it remains an unforgettable destination for visitors.

Why This Role?

As the Assistant Attraction Manager, you'll be at the heart of transforming this iconic historical site into a world-class tourism destination. From overseeing day-to-day operations to implementing exciting new experiences, you'll have the chance to create an environment where history comes to life and visitors are captivated. Lead a passionate team and guide the attraction's strategic direction while ensuring the highest standards of operation, visitor engagement, and heritage preservation.

What You'll Do:

Strategic Leadership:

Support the long-term plans for growth and development alongside senior leadership. You'll be the driving force behind creating compelling business strategies and executing plans that ensure continued success and growth for Shepton Mallet Prison.

Financial Management:

Assist with the management of budgets and financial performance. You'll track KPIs, meet financial targets, and explore new opportunities for revenue generation--while keeping costs under control.

Visitor Experience Excellence:

Ensure every visitor has an unforgettable experience. From immersive tours to interactive exhibits, you'll continuously innovate and improve the visitor journey, maintaining high standards across the board.

Heritage & Conservation:

Safeguard the rich history of Shepton Mallet Prison through careful conservation and presentation. You'll play a crucial role in maintaining the attraction's heritage while delivering a world-class experience for visitors.

Team Leadership:

Inspire, develop, and lead a high-performing team. You'll recruit, onboard, and coach staff, fostering a positive culture that motivates everyone to deliver the best possible experience to visitors.

Risk & Compliance Management:

Ensure the safety and security of staff and visitors by managing health, safety, and compliance with relevant legislation, while minimizing risks across all aspects of the attraction.

Collaboration & Engagement:

Build strong relationships with colleagues across the business and external stakeholders. You'll collaborate with marketing, sales, and finance teams to drive the success of the attraction and explore partnership opportunities.

About You:

To succeed in this role, you'll need a combination of leadership expertise, strategic thinking, and a deep appreciation for history and heritage. The ideal candidate will have:

Proven Leadership Experience:

Experience in managing teams and creating a positive, high-performing work culture in a customer-facing environment.

Strategic & Financial Acumen:

The ability to support, develop and manage budgets, set KPIs, and deliver on financial targets.

Problem-Solving Skills:

A proactive, organised approach to navigating operational challenges and driving improvements.

Excellent Communication Skills:

You know how to engage and build relationships with people at all levels--whether staff, visitors, or external partners.

Passion for Heritage & Education:

A deep commitment to preserving the past while offering educational and engaging experiences to visitors.

Risk & Compliance Experience:

Confidence in managing health, safety, and compliance requirements.
Experience in tourism, heritage, hospitality, or a related industry is preferred, but not essential.

Desired Experience

Previous experience in a tourism and/or commercial environment. Previous experience in customer facing role. Booking systems Good IT skills (Microsoft Office). Health and Safety knowledge

About us

Shepton Mallet Prison is a heritage led tourist attraction. Built in 1625, it is the oldest prison in the UK and one of the oldest in the world.

Opening in 2017, Shepton Mallet Prison began its journey of developing into a heritage attraction. It is now considered as a renowned heritage site, Somerset's number 1 tourist destination, and the worlds most haunted prison.

Shepton Mallet Prison provides visitors an authentic prison experience, and offers a wide range of tours, activities and events, as well as education visits, team building, private hire, and production usage.

What we offer

Our employees' experience and development is imperative to us, and we are proud to be an inclusive, flexible, and employee-led employer.

As standard, our employees receive:

Employee discount 24 hour Employee Assistance Programme access Access to a library of on-line training courses
This is an annualised contract of

1,950 hours per annum,

which equates to an average of

37.5 hours per week

spread over 5 days per week, including working weekends, evenings, and bank holidays as necessary. The salary for this role is

30,000 per annum

.

At Cove Attractions,

we don't just offer jobs--we offer journeys

. If you're passionate about heritage, love working with people, and are ready to make a difference every day, we want to hear from you.

If you are excited about joining our team and contributing to the growth and at Shepton Mallet Prison-

Please apply!

Please note: Interviews will be conducted week commencing 25th August 2025

Job Types: Permanent, Full-time

Pay: 30,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount
Education:

GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:

Customer service: 1 year (preferred) Management: 1 year (preferred) Tourism or Hospitality: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person