Welcome Team Assistant Zero hours

Job Title:  Welcome Team Assistant

Responsible to:  Welcome Team Supervisors

Salary:  £12.21 / hour

Hours: Zero Hours            

Contract: Permanent

Place of Work: The Bowes Museum



Interviews dates to be confirmed

• We are very happy to discuss flexible working and ways for our team to manage their home and working lives.
• 25 days holidays in addition to Bank Holidays.
• 5% employers pension contribution.
• Discount in the museum’s café and our shop.
• Free staff parking.
• Employee Assistance Programme – providing a 24/7 free helpline.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Free entry for your immediate family to the museum.
• Some mutual free entry arrangements with other partnership attractions.
• Cycle to work scheme

The Welcome Team are the first point of contact for visitors and is integral to the overall experience visitors have while at the museum. The Welcome Team Assistant will be part of the museum’s Welcome Team, creating and embedding a thriving culture of exceptional customer service, delivering a great welcome for our visitors and working closely with wider museum colleagues to help deliver exceptional experiences for visitors every day.

You will be responsible for dealing with all types of visitor admissions and enquiries, working towards agreed sales targets, as well as being present in the wider museum spaces, actively engaging with visitors, sharing your knowledge and stories and helping bring the place alive as part of a vibrant, forward-thinking museum.  Working as part of a team, your work will help put the visitor at the heart of everything we do.

Some weekend and Bank holiday working will be required, as well as some evening work for events, previews etc. 

The Person

We are seeking an enthusiastic, self-motivated person that is passionate about creating great experiences for our visitors. You will be a visible advocate for the museum, pro-actively meeting, greeting and confidently sharing our stories with visitors. A champion of great customer service, you will help ensure every visitor leaves the museum having had an amazing day out.  

As a member of one of the core visitor-facing teams, you will be noticeably demonstrating the museum’s values and behaviours in your daily work.

Duties will be split between the admissions desk / process and providing an informative and welcoming presence on the gallery floors.

Inclusion and Diversity

We believe that diversity and equality within our workforce, programmes and approaches is crucial to our mission of being inclusive and relevant to our communities. We want everyone to feel welcome. We, therefore, particularly welcome applications from candidates under-represented at The Bowes Museum and within the heritage sector, including Global Majority candidates and / or candidates with disabilities. 

• To deliver the highest standards of customer care, working within a team that ensures personal visitor interaction is at the core of what they do.
• To welcome all visitors to the museum and actively engage with our visitors throughout their time with us, providing an enjoyable experience with information on the collection, exhibitions and the wider museum as a whole.
• To lead tours and events, as developed and requested.
• To handle the sale of museum admission tickets, upselling Memberships, Gift Aid, and merchandise via the Spektrix ticketing system.
• To deliver income targets, both as a team and individually, in particular on membership sales, Gift Aid on Admission and guidebooks sales, and retail and commercial activities.
• To be responsible for the receipt of admission payments via credit / debit card / cash, either face-to-face or over the telephone, with accurate daily reconciliation ensuring CRM, financial and GDPR compliance at all times
• Help manage a safe exit from the building for visitors and staff as part of our fire and security management plans, and help manage any such incident as requested.
• To provide general reception duties, including handling visitor enquiries and managing complaints.
• To be able to record information accurately, specifically in relation to visitor numbers and transactions.
• To be proficient in the use of all Microsoft packages, including Outlook, Word and Excel.
• To actively work in ways that support the museum’s environmental and sustainability policies.
• Help ensure the site is fit and safe for opening each day through the undertaking and recording of daily checks – having an eye for detail, maintaining the highest standards of presentation both indoors and outdoors across the site.
• Porterage – the erection, dismantling and moving of equipment, deliveries and stores as required, and helping in the movement of objects under the guidance of museum staff or line management. To assist in the setting up and dismantling of events and room bookings.
• To undertake basic upkeep tasks in the grounds as necessary.
• Specialist cleaning of exhibits under the direction of museum staff or line management.
• To carry out some basic maintenance if requested, e.g. the replacement of light bulbs.
• To assist in administering security arrangements as requested throughout the museum and the grounds by patrolling and monitoring the visitors, ensuring that everything is in order and reporting any security concerns regarding signs of damage or suspicious behaviour.
• Be a key holder as requested, being responsible for opening and closing, utilising a good working knowledge of the security systems and emergency procedures to secure the building.
• To carry out locking and unlocking procedures and have a good working knowledge of the security system and emergency procedures.
• Supervision of contractors and visitors in non-public areas.
• To uphold Health and Safety regulations in the workplace.
• To undergo any training required to carry out any of the roles described in this job description competently and safely.
• To demonstrate and advocate the museum’s values and behaviours in all we do.
• To take ownership of your own professional and personal development, working with your line manager to identify and address gaps in skills and competencies.
• To support the Facilities and Collections Teams in the completion of suitable tasks if requested, e.g. preventative conservation checks or cleaning support as requested.
• Due to the rural location of the museum, it is important that employees are able to travel independently to work in order to fulfil contractual obligations.
• To proactively foster a positive, flexible and inclusive environment for existing and future staff and volunteers.
• To carry out other related tasks commensurate with the position as requested by line management.

Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications

Essential;

• Experience working with the public in a face-to-face customer service environment
• Good verbal communication skills
• Awareness of and the ability to deliver excellent standards of customer care
• Ability to work under pressure and to manage time effectively
• Able to work flexibly and as part of a team
• Willingness to undertake training as and when required
• The ability to work with minimal supervision, using initiative and making decisions
• Able to maintain accurate records and follow basic financial procedures
• The ability to work weekends and Bank Holidays as part of a normal rota, occasional early morning and evening work is required

Desirable;

• Experience working with the public in a face-to-face customer service environment
• Knowledge of Local Area
• Knowledge of the Bowes Museum collection