Visitor Experience Officer – Rathlin Island

We’re looking for a motivated team player with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and a genuine passion for connecting people with nature. You’ll share our mission to save the natural environment and protect biodiversity – inspiring others to do the same.

Based at RSPB Rathlin Island West Lighthouse and Seabird Centre – Northern Ireland’s most spectacular visitor attraction and most successful people engagement reserve – you’ll play a key role in delivering a unique and memorable visitor experience that inspires people to support nature conservation now and in the future.

This role is central to ensuring every visitor enjoys the highest quality experience, whether they’re discovering the site for the first time or returning to see it anew.

Working closely with the Visitor Experience Manager, you’ll support and motivate our dedicated staff and volunteer team to deliver the RSPB Northern Ireland visitor offer throughout the busy spring and summer seasons.

You’ll also collaborate with our Communications Team to deliver engaging promotional activity – particularly through social media – and ensure smooth day-to-day operations, maintaining high standards in both visitor engagement and site presentation.

As part of your role, you’ll actively promote RSPB membership and help to maximise catering and retail sales, generating vital income that supports our conservation work.

You’ll work alongside the Visitor Experience Manager, Visitor Experience Assistants, volunteers, and the wider HQ team to maintain our reputation for excellence. You’ll also deputise for the Visitor Experience Manager during their two days off each week and assist with administrative duties.

This is a seasonal, on-island role, and accommodation is available to rent for the duration of the post. Living on Rathlin offers a rare opportunity to experience island life – surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, immersed in a welcoming community, and part of a truly unique conservation setting.

Essential qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience:

• 4 GCSEs at grades A-C and 2 A levels or equivalent.
• Computer literate
• Sound understanding of systems and procedures necessary to run a commercial visitor operation
• Working knowledge of visitor engagement techniques
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Proven ability to plan and prioritise workloads
• A team player who can motivate and inspire people
• Problem-solving skills and ability to work on own initiative
• Experience of managing and delivering against targets and KPI’s
• Experience of analysing and interpreting data in a visitor experience environment
• Experience of delivering a high-quality visitor offer
• Successful experience of managing or supporting a team of staff and/or volunteers
• Driving License and right to drive in the UK

Desirable qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience:

• Tourism/leisure related qualification, ideally at HND level or equivalent
• Working knowledge of Equal Opportunities & Diversity
• Health and Safety in the workplace
• Experience of delivering exceptional customer service
• Hospitality, retail or catering work experience

Additional information

This is a Full-Time (37.5 hours per week) temporary contract (26 weeks).

We will conduct interviews for this position from 5th – 9th January 2026. For further information please contact [email protected]

As part of this application process you will be asked to submit a CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

This role will require completion of RSPB Safeguarding level 2 training in addition to the standard pre-employment checks.

Accommodation is available to rent for the duration of the post.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

We reserve the right to close this advert ant any time.