THE POST OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE DIRECTOR
York Minster invites everyone to discover God’s love through our welcome, worship, learning and
work.
GENERAL
York Minster is one of the great institutions as well as one of the most famous buildings of England.
It is one of the magnets that draw people to visit York and a defining symbol of the ancient “capital
of the North”. People from all over the world come to explore the Minster, and visitor surveys find a
high level of satisfaction from their experience. It is one of the centres of York’s lively cultural life,
where many concerts and exhibitions take place. It is a very diverse place, with a large Stoneyard
which employs a sizeable skilled workforce, a fine Library run in partnership with the University of
York, a Treasury of important artefacts, a preparatory and pre-preparatory school in which the
Choristers are educated, and St William’s College which is a complex ancient building where many
activities take place.
But the heart of the Minster is the round of worship, presented in a magnificent setting with
superlative music and liturgy, befitting a holy place which is passionately loved by people near and
far. The current “York Minster Revealed” programme (“YMR”), which runs until 2016, is being
carried out with substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and administered in partnership
with the York Minster Fund. It will not only conserve and restore the stone and mediaeval glass of
the Minster, it will also give us the opportunity to develop new audiences and inform and inspire our
visitors when they come, and provide much improved facilities for them. It marks a major step in
the long history of the Minster.
The Visitor Experience Director has a key part in this evolution. She or he will bring to this role a
commitment to delivering the best possible welcome for all those using and visiting the Minster
while also nurturing its special character and its values. As we face uncertainty in the economy, we
are investing in new marketing and commercial strategies to enhance our financial opportunities,
recognising not only the significant contribution that visitor income makes to our bottom line but
also the risk of relying so heavily on this income stream. We have also developed a healthy
interaction between the Dean and Chapter and the senior staff (The Directors) of the Minster so that
we plan for our future in a collaborative way. The Visitor Experience Director will help us build on
this, delivering the vision of the Chapter to those staff working on the floor of the Minster.
The Minster’s Governance
York Minster is a cathedral (the title “Minster” is merely the familiar and time-hallowed name by
which it is known) with a permanent staff of 200 (50 p.t.) and 500 volunteers. It has also some 400
regular worshippers across a wide range of Sunday and weekday services. These groups are
represented by a Community Committee. There is a long standing and active Friends organisation.
Fundraising in general and the administration of significant capital funds, including those held
specifically for YMR, is carried out by the York Minster Fund, which is a separate Trust, working
closely with the Dean and Chapter.
The Cathedrals Measure (2001) is represented (as is the case in all cathedrals) by a legal Constitution
and Statutes, by which York Minster is defined as a corporate body, the Dean and Chapter being
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responsible for the day to day management, with the Cathedral Council (chaired by Judge Peter
Collier and representing the wider community of this part of England), and the College of Canons
(representing the diocese of York) having their due parts to play in offering advice and monitoring
progress.
The Chapter directs and oversees the administration and affairs of the cathedral, in addition to
ordering the worship and promoting the mission of the Cathedral. The Chapter controls the property
and directs the affairs of the corporation. It is the body that governs the cathedral generally and
which decides whether the cathedral (i.e the corporate body of the cathedral) should enter into a
contract or other legal agreement. It sets policy, direction and key objectives, approves strategy and
the annual budget, monitors performance and oversees all the cathedral’s activities, as well as being
responsible for all key personnel.
The Chapter is chaired by the Dean. The (currently) three Residentiary Canons are members of
Chapter, together with a number (currently two) of Lay Canons. The Chapter Steward is not a
member of Chapter but attends all meetings and contributes to discussion, contributing as the
senior lay colleague.
The Directors form part of the senior leadership team, which meets weekly to consider ongoing
operational issues and to roll-out strategy. The Chapter and Chapter Steward rely on each Director
to share their expertise as we develop strategy and policy in order to meet the Minster’s mission.
The Minster has five key purposes in support of delivering Mission.
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to play an active role, across the Diocese of York and the Northern Province of the Church of
England supporting the work of the Archbishop, sharing our skills and knowledge and
working with communities and partners to further our mission;
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to inspire people, through the story of Jesus Christ, through our worship, prayer and music
and through the heritage and history of York Minster, onto a journey of personal and
corporate transformation;
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to engage all our community in a participative and consultative way;
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to put learning and the transformation of ourselves and of others at the heart of all we do;
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to manage our business successfully, covering our costs and generating the funding
necessary to further our mission and to sustain the Minster.
We recognise that the coming years may demand we take difficult, brave and well-informed
decisions so we have agreed that our values will be;
 Courage
 Trust
 Wisdom
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The Visitor Experience Director’s responsibilities
Job Purpose
The successful postholder will play a strategic role on the senior leadership team contributing to
delivering our mission by:
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Leading a programme of cultural change across the operations team ensuring all worshippers,
visitors and staff receive a world class welcome
Working creatively and collaboratively across the Minster to set, achieve and then exceed
income targets
Identifying, scoping and leading new income streams
Remaining sensitive to the need both to develop new revenue streams and to support the
ministry and mission of the Cathedral
Leadership
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To devise and deliver a programme of cultural change across the Operations team; to ensure all
visitors, worshippers and staff receive a world class welcome.
To work creatively, acknowledging the occasional tension between income generation and
hospitable welcome.
To report to Chapter making an effective and strategic contribution to the Minster’s senior
leadership team under the direction of the Chapter Steward.
To build and deliver strong working relationships across the Minster, promoting collaborative
working.
To liaise with external organisations, ensuring York Minster stays at the forefront of best
practice.
To lead by example, recognising and praising excellence recognising and addressing poor
performance
Financial
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To lead the commercial development strategy of the Minster, exploring new revenue income
streams and maximising existing revenue streams.
To manage and oversee the annual revenue and income budgets supporting the financial
objectives of the Minster and ensuring value for money at all times.
To constantly review and then set ticket-prices, ensuring consistent concessions, remaining
mindful of value for money and the local market.
To oversee the CRM ticketing system ensuring Gift-Aid and other transactions are handled
appropriately and the Minster is able to build useful audience data.
Management
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To ensure the floor of the Minster is appropriately staffed at all times.
To ensure that all operational equipment is maintained and functioning and that all signage is
up-to-date and meets agreed guidelines.
To ensure the security of the Minster at all times.
To lead the operations team staff; delegating roles and responsibilities as appropriate, agreeing
objectives, measuring performance and ensuring objectives are met. Carrying out regular
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appraisals and offering feedback and opportunities for personal development in accordance with
Minster policies.
To promote efficiency, effectiveness and collaborative working across the team
 To ensure that all lay staff and volunteer teams are managed, motivated and empowered
and that all departments understand the overall vision of the organisation as a whole.
 To ensure that the significant contribution made by volunteers is valued and understood.
Balance
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York Minster has increasing opportunities for income generation and growth. Balancing
competing expectations is one of our most demanding tasks; some activities do not sit
comfortably with others for example organ tuning and practice with guided tours. The
Visitor Experience Director will support the Chapter Steward and Chapter in balancing its
commitment to mission and worship with the demands of making the cathedral a place that
welcomes all people and needs to maximise income.
Person specification
Essential Experience
The successful Visitor Experience Director will have:
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Absolute integrity and values. The Minster exists to proclaim the Christian faith, so the
appointee needs either to have or to be able to develop an understanding of the Church of
England, its ethos, structures and mission, work comfortably and in sympathy with the
worship and mission of the cathedral and be willing to engage in all aspects of the
cathedral’s life.
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Substantial experience of staff leadership, management and development with proven
experience of implementing performance management and disciplinary procedures.
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Substantial experience of playing a leading role in a Senior Leadership/Management team in
a complex organisation.
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Excellent knowledge of leading and delivering world-class service in a visitor facing instution.
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A proven track record of handling profit and loss budgets and understanding ticket pricing
with occupancy targets and margins. Substantial experience of managing operational and
project budgets including the necessary procurement and monitoring requirements.
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Substantial experience of developing new income streams
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A proven track record in budgeting and cost analysis and in programming and managing
projects
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Substantial experience of the management and effective use of CRM systems. Demonstrable
experience of using the information taken from CRM systems to inform business decisions.
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IT literate – competent in MS Office, Substantial experience of playing a leading role in a
Senior Leadership/Management team in a complex organisation.
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Excellent knowledge of leading and delivering world-class service in a visitor facing instution.
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A proven track record of handling profit and loss budgets and understanding ticket pricing
with occupancy targets and margins. Substantial experience of managing operational and
project budgets including the necessary procurement and monitoring requirements.
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Substantial experience of developing new income streams
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A proven track record in budgeting and cost analysis and in programming and managing
projects
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Substantial experience of the management and effective use of CRM systems. Demonstrable
experience of using the information taken from CRM systems to inform business decisions.
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IT literate – competent in MS Office,
Qualities and Skills
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Ability to think laterally and creatively to find solutions and resolve problems, able to
maintain focus on achieving the big-picture.
Superb communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
Ability to show initiative and set vision for team.
Proven experience of leading and motivating a team.
Demonstrable experience of managing complex relationships
Excellent organisational and time management skills
Sensitivity, diplomacy and understanding of managing complex issues.
An understanding of health and safety regulations, risk assessment methods, continuity and
disaster management planning and the ability to represent Chapter to the HSE. An ability to
command the respect and confidence of Chapter members, other clergy, colleagues, staff,
volunteers, the cathedral congregation and other stakeholders
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