Job Description

The Auckland Project

At the heart of our sites is Auckland Palace, the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham and the historic seat of faith and power in the North of England. The experience across our sites is deeply linked to those two themes and are repeated throughout the Palace and its gardens, the Faith Museum and the Mining Art and Spanish Galleries. The collection of our venues, spaces and places invites conversations about belonging, faith, loss, sacrifice, community, love and creativity. We would like our visitors to explore and to discover things about our town, our country and their own lives. We want to create encounters - and need your help to do so.

The role purpose

We're searching for a proactive, versatile individual to serve as a Visitor Development Coordinator at The Auckland Project (TAP). This role focusses on groups and travel trade coordination and delivery, and exploring strategies to engage new visitor audiences. Working collaboratively with other departments, this role will lead on the development of our groups and travel trade offering. This role demands flexibility and the capacity to adapt swiftly to working in different operational areas, often on short notice.

Reporting to the Head of Visitor Experience, your duties will encompass responding to group travel trade inquiries via telephone, email, and face-to-face communication, maintaining accurate records, updating the diary system, and overseeing the reception team. Your role will also entail working in unison with the wider business to guarantee clear communication and successful event delivery.

In your capacity as Visitor Development Coordinator, you'll also be involved in analysing sector trends and developing sales strategies in collaboration with our marketing team. Responsible for providing strategic oversight in the management and optimisation of ticketing systems to ensure efficient operations and enhanced user experience.

This role offers the unique opportunity to shape the visitor experience at TAP, fostering a world-class visitor attraction while driving income growth.

Key Responsibilities

The Visitor Development Coordinator is a key position within our organisation, acting as the bridge between our visitors, team members, and various operational aspects.

Group Visit Coordination

: Organise and oversee the delivery of group visits. This includes coordinating internal room hire, F&B menu choices, activities and any other requirements (e.g. AV) for the group.

Customer Liaison

: Responding to Group and Trade Travel enquiries from customers, visitors, and clients over the phone, via email, and in person, delivering exceptional customer service at all points of contact.

Oversee Reception Team

: Line management of reception team at 58 Kingsway, who oversee all business and visitor enquiries to TAP. Duties involve rota coordination, office administration and enquiry/booking management.

Operational Support

: Supporting all visitor operations, primarily events and F&B but including visitors, commercial, curation (both indoors and outdoors), marketing and communications, ensuring a smooth and engaging visitor experience.

Service Improvement

: Works diligently to enhance standards of service throughout the visitor experience for group visits and corporate customers, always aiming for exemplary performance in all areas.

Promotion and Income Generation

: Actively promote and grow the TAP portfolio in a manner that not only enhances income but also ensures its development into an outstanding visitor attraction. This will primarily focus on Groups & Trade Travel but may include other areas, such as accommodation partnerships and patron schemes.

Sales Strategy Development

: In collaboration with the Marketing and Communications department, aids in developing and implementing a sales strategy for groups and the Travel Trade.

Stakeholder Relations

: Building and maintaining excellent working relationships with Travel Organisers and wholesalers to increase corporate bookings and overnight stays is a key part of their role. This may involve attending relevant trade shows and exhibitions.

Reporting and Compliance

: The Visitor Development Coordinator is responsible for producing and maintaining reports on visitor numbers, sales, and other key performance indicators. They also maintain a comprehensive database of contacts, ensuring all data handling activities are in full compliance with GDPR regulations.

Management and optimisation of ticketing systems:

Continuously seeking ways to improve the booking and ticketing process for visitors and visitor operations team, enhancing overall visitor experience.

Internal and External Relationships

Working collaboratively with colleagues across departments to achieve TAP's organisational objectives Maintain excellent relationships with your own team and with the Visitor Experience Team, including a large team of volunteers and with our visitors

Health & Safety

Be committed to good health and safety and access practice, ensuring familiarity and compliance with TAP policies, procedures and guidelines and the health and safety of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors at all times.

This role will require a flexible approach to work including some evenings, weekends, bank holidays and occasional overnight stays away from home.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

GCSE grade 5 or above in English and Maths or equivalent

Desirable

Business Administration Qualification Level 3 or above

Experience

Essential

At least 2 years' experience in a Management or Coordination role.

Experience developing and delivering administrational procedures.

Experience in a customer facing role.

Experience of using competently a range of Microsoft Office packages including excel and word

Desirable

Experience working in the arts & heritage sector.

Prior experience administrating ticketing platforms.

Experience of working with groups and travel trade.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Strong organisational skills & ability to handle high volumes of calls and email enquiries with consistency to a professional degree

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Attention to detail and accuracy

Positive, friendly and professional attitude

Self-manager, who can use own initiative to deal with situations that arise

Hands on approach dealing with problems

The Auckland Project focus

The Auckland Project works hard to create a positive change for those living, working and visiting Bishop Auckland. We have created a visitor destination in Bishop Auckland, incorporating Auckland Castle (once home to the Prince Bishops of Durham), a Spanish Art Gallery, Faith Museum, Walled Garden, Deer Park, Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Tower visitor centre and Weardale Railway.

Our visitor destination and community development programme broadly fits into three areas:

The

social environment

: we help individuals and communities by creating a sense of curiosity, hope and faith in themselves and the world around them. We provide opportunities for skills development and partnerships, building a year-round tourist market and supporting small creative industries to thrive The

natural environment

: we protect, sustain and enhance the world around us The

built environment:

we restore and enhance the beauty and historic significance of the buildings, structures and assets in our care.
By working with us, you are helping to ensure the town's future is as magnificent and vibrant as its past.

How to Apply

Apply for this role by downloading and completing an application form from https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/ and emailing this to recruitment@aucklandproject.org

Closing date: Monday 15th September 2025 at 12 noon.

Interview date: Wednesday 24th September 2025

We are unable to accept CVs as application. We only accept a completed application form which can be found at https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/ . If we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close the application process early.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 30,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount Free parking Life insurance On-site parking
Work Location: In person