Seasonal Museum and Visitor Services Assistant - Seasonal/fixed term
Salary: Band 3 - £23,152 p.a.(approx. £13.44 per hour)
Post 1 Southsea Castle
June to 2 nd November, 22 Hours per week.
Post 2 Southsea Castle
June to 3 rd November, 28.5 Hours per week.
Post 3 Cumberland House
June to 2 nd November, 7 Hours per week
Your New Role
Portsmouth Museums & Visitor Services are responsible for the care of the city's archives and museum collections and for making them accessible to both residents and visitors.
The service operates 6 museum sites - The D-Day Story, Southsea Castle, Charles Dickens' Birthplace, Cumberland House Natural History Museum, Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery & Eastney Beam Engine House. In addition, the service also operates the Visitor Information Service for the destination with stand-alone points at the Hard and within The D-Day Story and Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery.
The main purpose of this post is to deliver high standards of customer care - a safe and inviting environment for all visitors, thus ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat visits.
You will provide a great welcome for visitors and have sufficient knowledge of museum sites and collections to provide information and promote current and future programmes and the city's wider cultural offer.
You will ensure public areas, including toilets, are clean, tidy and in good order. In addition you will maintain a secure environment for collections through implementing current security procedures including security patrols, invigilation of galleries and regular inventory checks of items on display.
The Museum and Visitor Services Assistant role includes a range of other activities including: reception and welcoming visitors, general Visitor Information tasks, retail, taking messages and bookings, recording visitor numbers, assisting with events and activities, installation of exhibitions, previews and evening meetings. You may be required to work at events and functions, which will include some lifting and carrying of tables and chairs etc. and outdoor work.
The role may also include working and serving in the Portsmouth Museum café, preparing food and drinks and taking orders and serving customers.
What you'll need to succeed
A team player with excellent customer care skills to welcome and engage the customer you will be able to answer customer queries whether face to face or via telephone. You will need excellent communication skills and conversational skills in a foreign language would be an advantage - French preferred and good levels of literacy, numeracy and IT. Experience of cash handling and selling services and goods would be an advantage. You will be flexible with a passion for the destination of Portsmouth as well as having an enthusiasm for museums, history, art or natural history or any other of the other subjects covered by the museums and visitor services which would be an advantage.
Please read the job profile for the full details of this role.
Application process:
Please read the full job profile ( click here ) for further details on the post to ensure your application matches the requirements of the role stated in the who is the person.
When completing the application form, please thoroughly tailor your application to the 'Who is the Person' points in the profile with the use of examples from your experience and attach this as a cover letter in the Supporting Documents section. This is important, or you are likely not to be shortlisted. Please read alongside the 'How to apply' information on the home page of the careers website. PLEASE DO NOT JUST SUBMIT A CV.
Please clearly indicate which post(s) you are interested in on your application.
Previous applicants need not apply.
We are a disability confident employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all areas of society.
You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.
Closing date: 6 May 2024 @ 23:59 pm
We will email applicants from time to time; please ensure you check e-mail folders as sometimes our e-mails may go into spam/junk folders.
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.