The Vice President, Attraction is the most senior leader at Chessington World of Adventures, accountable for the end-to-end performance and development across the resort offering year-round entertainment through a unique combination of rides, entertainment, and animal experiences. 

Reporting to the Regional Managing Director (UK) and serving as part of the UK Senior Leadership Team, the VP is charged with delivering exceptional guest experiences and strong business results in line with Merlin’s strategic objectives.  With significant investment planned over the next 3 years this is an opportunity to lead the Resort through the next phase of its development, making Chessington World of Adventures the UK’s greatest place for young families to create lifelong memories.

This is a role for a dynamic, commercially savvy operational leader who can inspire large teams, delight guests, and drive growth in a complex, matrixed environment. Below is a summary of key responsibilities and expectations for the role:

• Guest Experience Excellence: Ensure Chessington delivers world-class experiences for every guest, every day. The VP drives initiatives to maximize guest satisfaction – measured through top-tier Net Promoter Scores – by focusing on the factors that matter most (e.g. ride availability, customer service, park presentation, entertainment value). Creating memorable visits and continuously elevating the guest NPS is a top priority.
  
  
• Financial & Commercial Leadership: Own the attraction’s P&L and EBITDA performance, balancing revenue growth with prudent cost management. The VP uses data-driven decision-making and strong commercial acumen to boost in-park spending and optimize operating costs. They will deliver on budgeted financial targets while innovating new revenue opportunities and ensuring long-term financial health of the resort.
  
  
• People Leadership & Culture: Serve as a people-centric leader who makes Chessington an employer of choice. The VP leads, motivates and develops a large, diverse workforce (from ride operators, zookeepers and hotel staff to managers) – fostering an environment where employees are engaged, empowered, and aligned with Merlin’s values. Champion Merlin’s “Best Place to Work” initiatives and drive improvements in employee satisfaction and engagement scores. Key tasks include mentoring the management team, promoting talent development and succession planning, and maintaining high morale, especially across the seasonal peaks.
  
  
• Safety & Compliance: Uphold Merlin’s rigorous safety standards as the non-negotiable foundation of all operations. The VP is the accountable “Responsible Person” for Health, Safety & Security on site, ensuring full compliance with group HSS policies and all regulatory requirements. They must cultivate a strong safety culture, proactively manage risks, and guarantee that every attraction, ride and venue operates to the highest safety protocols to protect guests and staff.
  
  
• Operational Excellence: Oversee all day-to-day park operations, including Zoo and Ride Operations, Entertainment, Guest Services, Food & Beverage, Retail, and Facilities/Technical Services. The goal is to deliver efficient, seamless operations and a high-quality experience all year round. The VP will optimize staffing and workflows, uphold excellent standards of park presentation and cleanliness, and ensure capacity and throughput are managed to minimize wait times. They also coordinate with Merlin’s centralized Merlin Magic Making and engineering teams on ride maintenance and uptime, so that key attractions have maximum availability.
  
  
• Strategic Growth & Capital Projects: Steer the resort’s short and long-term growth on-site. The VP manages the resort’s capital expenditure (CapEx) programs continually investing in park improvements, theming refreshes, and upgrades that keep the resort fresh. In addition, the VP partners with Merlin’s global project development teams (Merlin Magic Making) on major new rides, attractions, or accommodation projects, ensuring successful local execution of Merlin’s expansion plans. From concept to opening, the VP plays a key role in bringing new products to life at Chessington, on time and on budget.
  
  
• Matrix Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Succeeding in this role requires influencing beyond direct authority. The VP works within Merlin’s matrix structure, collaborating closely with functional leaders – Marketing, Sales & Revenue Management, Finance, HR, etc. – who support the resort. For example, they’ll partner with Marketing on promotional strategy, with Finance on budgeting/forecasting, and with HR on recruiting for the season. The VP aligns local operations with Merlin’s broader strategic initiatives (e.g. digital ticketing rollouts or new brand partnerships) by working hand-in-glove with these global function teams. Additionally, the VP serves as the public face of Chessington in the community and industry: building positive relationships with local authorities, community groups, and tourism organizations, and ensuring the resort maintains a positive brand image and goodwill with its neighbours. This includes everything from local community engagement and CSR initiatives to handling any media or public enquiries about the resort.

In summary, the VP is an entrepreneurial business leader and an ambassador of Merlin’s culture. This is a hands-on role that spans strategic planning to day-to-day park oversight. Success will mean happy guests, engaged employees, and a thriving business – making Chessington World of Adventures the UK’s greatest place for young families to create lifelong memories, and a high-performing part of Merlin’s UK portfolio. It’s a challenging, high-impact leadership opportunity at the heart of one of the world’s most exciting leisure companies.

Alongside a fun, collaborative and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects. Benefits include:

• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Life Assurance 4 x salary
• PMI - Family Cover
• Discretionary bonus
• Pension
• Car allowance
• Management Incentive Plan (share options)
• ‘Enjoy the Ride’ Merlin Annual Passes - 6 in total per year, 1 for you, plus 5 to gift to loved ones!
• Merlin Magic Pass - 20 free tickets for you, your family and friends to enjoy all of our Merlin Attractions across the world rising to 40 after a year’s service
• Company bonus
• 40% discount online off LEGO
• 25% discount in our on-site retail shops and restaurants
• Plus, many more…