Heritage centre managers promote historic buildings, sites or visitor centres and manage their staff, collections and property. They make sure the visitors’ experience is enjoyable while making enough money for the conservation of the site.

The Work

You could be:

• thinking of ways to attract more visitors yet reduce the impact of their visit on the building or area
• writing a business plan and planning ways to raise enough money to cover costs such as conservation, staffing and advertising
• managing all aspects of the site including property upkeep and security, health and safety and complying with company or council policies
• working with local authorities, businesses and history groups or tourist organisations
• hiring, training and supervising staff and volunteers
• managing budgets and applying for funding grants from local authorities, trusts and charities
• planning and overseeing exhibitions or developing outreach activities for the local community
• designing visitor feedback surveys and analysing the data
• raising money from membership fees, donations or running a gift shop.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates vary, depending on:

• where you work
• the size of the company or organisation you work for
• the demand for the job.

Salaries for assistant managers can range from £20,000 to £25,000 a year. Managers can earn between £27,000 and £37,000 a year, rising to £45,000 with experience. Heritage managers of a number of properties or private estates can earn up to £50,000 a year or more, depending on level of responsibility.

Conditions

• Your working conditions and tasks will vary depending on the type and size of the site.
• You could be managing anything from a working farm with livestock to an old whisky distillery or a castle and estate.
• You would usually work a 35-hour week with additional evening and weekend shifts.
• In some centres you would work in a warm, well-lit environment but in others, for example outdoor heritage sites, you might be out in all weathers.
• You may need to have specialist knowledge of a type of area such as agriculture, history, art or architecture.

Getting In

• You normally need a degree in a relevant subject such as archaeology, history, art history, tourism or heritage and museum studies.
• Entry requirements for a degree are usually between 3-5 Highers with some subjects at National 5. Specific subjects may be required for particular courses.
• Many employers prefer you to have a postgraduate qualification in a heritage or related subject, such as cultural studies.
• If you do not have a suitable qualification you will need several years’ experience of working within or managing a heritage or tourist site.
• Getting work experience is essential. You could join a local heritage group or apply to organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland to get some voluntary experience.
• Alternatively if you are working as a heritage officer or assistant you might work your way up with training and experience.
• For some posts you might need a driving licence.

You can look for work with local authorities, national charitable organisations such as Historic Scotland or National Trust for Scotland, large private estates or industrial heritage sites.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

What Does it Take?

You need:

• a passion for heritage and tourism
• good organisational and business skills
• excellent written and verbal communication skills
• to be assertive and self-motivated
• enthusiasm and a 'can do' attitude
• good IT and research skills
• the ability to lead and motivate staff
• commercial awareness
• commitment to a high standard of customer service.

Training

• You would receive on the job training from senior staff or management covering for example, the site’s history and its collections, health and safety policy and security systems.
• You need to keep up to date with developments in the field of heritage management you are working in.
• You could study for a part time Masters degree in heritage management or museum studies while you are working.

Getting On

• With experience and further skills, you may be able to move around in either the public or private sector.
• If you start in a small heritage site you may be able to move on to a larger one with better promotion prospects.
• It helps if you are willing to move around the country.

More Information

The Creative and Cultural Skills website has a careers section called Creative Choices which covers careers information, jobs and opportunities in the heritage and culture sector.

The following recruitment websites may be useful when looking for employment:

• Creative Scotland Opportunities
• Myjobscotland (Scottish Local Government Jobs Portal)
• Museum Jobs
• Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA)

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Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.