Job Description

Before applying please complete the monitoring form linked below

www.baxterworld.com/bdl-edi

Who are we?

Here, at Belfast Distillery Company, we have revived a brand established in 1776, J&J McConnell's Irish Whisky. The hub of Irish Whiskey distilling was here, in Belfast, and the home of McConnell's (the old Cromac Distillery) was at the heart of this in our city. Through a combination of factors (world wars, American prohibition and more) the distillery was forced to close in the 1930s. And now? Well, the legend is re-born. McConnell's Irish Whisky has been re-establishing itself as an international brand since 2019. With sales soaring worldwide, and winning awards for the quality of our products, we have now created a brand home for our whisky with the opening of McConnell's Distillery & Visitor Experience in North Belfast, at the historic site of the Crumlin Road Gaol. Here we hope to honour the history of Belfast's past while bringing distilling to its future, welcoming visitors from all over the world to see our state of the art Distillery and Visitor Experience. We take pride in our product, our history and our passion for distilling and we will tell everyone who comes to visit us our exciting and unique story. In addition, we are bringing investment and employment opportunities to the local community whilst creating an incredible new tourist destination in Belfast.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Assistant Manager supports the Brand Home Operations Manager in the delivery of a world-class visitor experience at McConnell's Distillery - placing tours, customer satisfaction, and brand storytelling at the heart of daily operations. This role is instrumental in building McConnell's Brand Ambassadors, ensuring that every visitor receives exceptional service and leaves with a lasting connection to the brand.

With responsibilities spanning tours, cafe, bar, retail and event operations, the Assistant Manager ensures seamless day-to-day delivery of the Visitor Experience, leading the host team, coordinating activities, and driving performance in line with operational excellence.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

VISITOR EXPERIENCE & TOUR OPERATIONS

Lead the delivery of daily public and private tours, tastings, and hosted experiences, maintaining consistent 5-star standards. Champion the tour experience as the core of the Brand Home, ensuring storytelling is delivered with accuracy, enthusiasm, and impact. Actively monitor customer feedback across channels (TripAdvisor, Google, internal systems), identifying trends and implementing improvements. Ensure all visitor-facing staff are knowledgeable, confident, and committed Brand Ambassadors. Proactively identify and implement operational improvements using frontline insights and experience.
PEOPLE & TEAM LEADERSHIP

Directly line-manage Brand Hosts and Support Staff across all Brand Home functions. Lead the recruitment, induction, and training of new staff; deliver probation reviews and support appraisals in line with HR standards. Build individual development plans for all Hosts and nurture high performance through coaching, mentoring, and motivation. Plan and manage rota schedules that reflect visitor demand, events, and operational efficiency.
HOSPITALITY, RETAIL & EVENTS OPERATIONS

Oversee day-to-day service delivery across cafe, bar, retail and event spaces. Ensure consistent delivery of McConnell's brand standards across all service points - cleanliness, presentation, product quality, and engagement. Work collaboratively with the Events & Commercial Team to support private hire and corporate bookings. Maintain supplier relationships to ensure high-quality, value-led food, beverage, and merchandise offerings. Support the creation and enforcement of SOPs, and promote continuous improvement in visitor-facing operations.
FINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT

Contribute to achievement of KPIs including ticket sales, spend per head, customer satisfaction and staff engagement. Track and report daily/weekly metrics, including visitor numbers, revenue, rota effectiveness and customer feedback data. Support promotional activity and cross-departmental sales incentives to drive commercial performance. Monitor wage costs, team performance, and operational efficiency to support resource planning.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Act as Duty Manager in the absence of the Operations Manager, with accountability for the Brand Home's performance and standards during shifts. Ensure all activities comply with health and safety, food safety, employment law, and licensing requirements. Contribute actively to McConnell's sustainability goals through ethical and responsible practices. Support strategic planning through insight sharing, trend analysis, and on-the-ground leadership.

Essential Criteria

Candidates must be able to demonstrate:

Minimum 2 years' experience in a supervisory or assistant management role in hospitality, tourism, or visitor experience. Proven ability to lead and motivate a team in a customer-facing environment. Experience in delivering high-quality service across multiple functions (e.g. tours, food & beverage, events, or retail). Track record of contributing to commercial targets such as sales, upselling, or spend-per-head growth. Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences. Strong organisational and problem-solving abilities; comfortable working in a fast-paced, operational setting. Proficiency in rota management and day-to-day operations coordination. Confidence in handling customer feedback and resolving complaints constructively. Flexible availability to work weekends, evenings, and public holidays as required. Legally entitled to work in the UK.

Desirable Criteria

The following qualifications or experience are not essential, but would be advantageous:

Experience in a visitor attraction, distillery, cultural venue, or tourism setting. Qualifications in Hospitality, Event Management, Tourism, or a related field. Previous training or experience in guiding tours or public speaking. Knowledge of licensing laws, food safety standards, and health & safety procedures. First Aid or Fire Warden certification. Experience using visitor management, POS, or rota software (e.g. Rotacloud, Shopify, Fareharbor, etc.). Demonstrable passion for Irish whiskey, tourism, or brand storytelling. Familiarity with sustainability practices in a hospitality/tourism environment.
We would ask all candidates to send a CV to Leann Duffy (General Manager) lduffy@belfastdistillery.com and Conor Brennan (Brand Home Operations Manager) cbrennan@belfastdistillery.com

Thank you.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 30,160.00 per year

Benefits:

Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Employee discount Free parking On-site parking Store discount
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 20/06/2025
Reference ID: Assistant Manager - McConnell's Brand Home