Visitor Services

Scottish Canals is looking for Destination Assistants to join our friendly catering team at The Falkirk Wheel.  

We are looking for passionate, enthusiastic, and motivated individuals to join our team and work with us over our Spring to Autumn 2022 season.

If you’re interested in tourism, travel, events, food & drink, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you.  We have weekend casual contracts available that offer a degree of flexibility around working patterns and hours.

Our pace, personality and people make us amongst Scotland’s top visitor attractions. From welcoming thousands of international visitors, serving customers and creating memorable experiences, our Destination Assistants enjoy a wide range of fun and exciting responsibilities. 

You will assist customers with purchases, supply information, keep our attractions looking their best and help to ensure our visitors have a 5-star trip to remember. The role will involve customer service, cash handling, replenishment of the gift shop, and the preparation of food and drink.

To be successful you will have:

Excellent interpersonal skills
A real enjoyment for dealing with the public
A confident, friendly, welcoming, helpful, engaging nature
The ability to deliver a professional service to customers
The drive to work across various disciplines (gift shop, café, tourism, events etc.)
Good time management and organisational skills
The ability to work well under pressure
A sense of own initiative with the ability to work effectively as part of a team
A flexible approach to the role

We have an exciting opportunity for 2 Visitor Welcome Team members to join our team in Edinburgh.

Vacancy A: Permanent Part time 29.6 hours
Week 1 – Sun, Mon, Tues, Sat
Week 2 Sun, Mon, Thur, Sat

Vacancy B: Fixed Term Part Time 22.2 hours, from 1st Oct 2022 – 31st March 2023
Week 1 – Sun, Mon, Fri
Week 2 – Mon, Fri, Sat

RBGE are one of the world’s leading scientific botanic gardens, holding knowledge gained over centuries that the world needs today. All known life depends on plants and fungi, and it is our mission to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future. Our four Scottish gardens – Benmore, Dawyck, Logan and ‘The Botanics’ in Edinburgh – attract over a million visitors every year. Together, these gardens comprise one of the richest plant collections on earth.

The primary focus of these roles is to ensure that visitors receive a first-class visitor welcome, ensure the living collection is secured, and that visitors are provided with a safe environment. You will also have the responsibility of promoting and selling RBGE membership, Maps, Guide Books and Daily Garden Walks. The team remit also includes working with the events and exhibitions team to provide access and information to various public exhibitions and events. You will also be responsible for opening, closing and security of various Garden buildings. You will be expected to carry out all duties in line with current COVID-19 regulations and procedures to ensure a safe environment for visitors and staff.

Applicants should have previous experience working in a visitor or customer service environment. You will be proactive and take responsibility for your own workload, prioritising to meet conflicting demands, have a can-do attitude, have excellent interpersonal skills and have the ability to communicate with people at all levels, excellent customer service skills, ability to work flexibly across a range of areas and be able to use initiative and work to tight deadlines.

A full job description and person specification outlining all the essential and desirable criteria can be downloaded from our website.

Applicants should complete an application form along with the online equal opportunities questionnaire and submit to our POD Team at recruitment@rbge.org.uk by Wednesday 14th September.

Please indicate which post you are applying for on the application form.

If you have not heard from us by 26th September, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is committed to providing a fair and equitable working environment and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to these posts. We have a range of initiatives to promote diversity and inclusivity, including flexible working for staff with, for example, parenting and carer responsibilities, and proactive celebration of diversity among our staff, students and volunteers. RBGE holds an Athena SWAN Research Institute Bronze Award in acknowledgement of our commitment to the advancement of gender equality.

VISITOR ASSISTANTS,
PART-TIME, PERMANENT (BAND 8)

The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) is home to one the world’s finest collections of art, which ranges from the Middle Ages to the present day. Our spectacular buildings house the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art, and a world-renowned collection of Scottish and international photography, welcoming many visitors to our three principal sites in Edinburgh: the Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. The National Galleries of Scotland aims to preserve, display and augment the collections for the enjoyment and education of the widest possible public and to maintain NGS as a centre of excellence.

This is an exciting period of renewal for NGS, as we move forward with our engaging strategic vision that puts our audience at the heart of what we do. We’re making it our mission to broaden our impact, matching our rich collections, expertise and creativity to the needs and wants of our visitors. We’re finding new ways to connect with more people, and creating an innovative, inclusive organisation that can meet the challenges of our ever-evolving world.

‘Art for Scotland: Inspiration for the world’ is Our Vision. Inclusive, original and ambitious – we will make the national collection accessible to all and inspire curiosity across the world.

We will embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into our culture, creating a safe and welcoming environment that is inclusive and equitable for all. Our culture will celebrate and represent the diverse society in which we live and work in, ensuring everyone feels a sense of belonging and can be themselves.

NGS are working towards reducing our environmental impact and aim to have net-zero carbon emissions before 2045. Our response to the Climate Emergency and EDI are integral to our work and all our colleagues and departments play a part in achieving this. Our primary Climate Emergency focus areas are engaging our communities, improving our operations and adapting to future climate changes.

VISITOR ASSISTANT

The role

Working across the Galleries at each of the building’s entrances, and on the Switchboard, the Visitor Assistant is responsible for providing an excellent welcome and leaving experience for our visitors. The role will provide outstanding service and information, answer queries, and will actively sign-up new Friends, encourage donations, sell tickets and other products.

You will work at our three principal sites, the Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and flexibility will be required to work between our sites.

The team

You will be part of the Security and Visitor Services department as it enters an exciting new phase focusing on providing the best possible experience every time we engage with our visitors and staff, while promoting a culture of continuous improvement in everything we do.

Responsibilities

As a Visitor Assistant you will:

• Provide welcoming and engaging conversations with our visitors at the entrances, on the phone and via email giving advice and answering queries
• Actively promote our Friends scheme and convert visitors into Members.
• Drive satisfied visitors to make donations to our boxes situated at the entrance/exit to the Galleries.
• Sell tickets and other products.
• Seek out all NGS related content gaining knowledge to act as an ambassador about our galleries, our collection and exhibitions, events, our shops and cafes and other activities.
• Communicate with colleagues across departments to gather information to answer visitor enquiries.
• Share knowledge and expertise with team members to improve understanding across the department.
• Accurately collect all customer data in line with GPDR and NGS guidelines.
• Follow departmental cash handling procedures performing accurate reconciliations.
• Help Security and Visitor Services colleagues as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The following range of knowledge skills and experience are required. Please ensure these are reflected in your application. Short listing for interview will be based on meeting these requirements.

Essential
• Outstanding interpersonal skills enabling you to engage with people to provide information and deliver sales
• Previous experience of working within a front-line, retail, sales, customer services or entertainment environment
• Be a strong communicator in person, in writing and over the telephone
• Competent at using office systems such as Office 365
• Have the resilience to positively respond to challenges and prioritise operational demands
• Work well in a busy environment with strong organisational skills
• Accurate with figures and experience of cash handling and other methods of payment
• Enjoy working as part of a team and with the public
• Flexible approach to the job and be able and willing to work weekends, evenings and any required overtime.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Gaelic and/or other languages.
• Knowledge and appreciation of art

SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

HOURS: Working from a choice of either 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 5 days a week (between 13 and 32 hours per week). Please note this role involves working weekends on a regular basis.
Hours will be 09.45 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. with some days starting at
08.45 a.m. to provide switchboard cover.

PAY: £20,828 per annum pro rata

ANNUAL LEAVE: 25 days per annum pro-rata. Staff also receive 11.5 public and privilege holidays per annum pro-rata.

PENSION: Civil Service pension provisions enables the National Galleries of Scotland to offer a choice of pensions, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

The closing date for all applications is Monday 12 September 2022.

When applying please indicate your preference for how many days per week you would like to work within the supporting statement section where you can also demonstrate how you meet the skills and personal qualities required for this role.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to Basic Disclosure Scotland security clearance.

National Galleries of Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC003728)

To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure.
Specifically, to ensure the smooth and safe operations in Admissions, Tours, Retail, Catering and Events activities making the property the best possible place to visit and work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times

• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing their admission/retail or catering purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner.
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.
• Welcoming International visitors and aiding with specific needs.
• Welcoming groups in an efficient and warm manner
• Answering visitors’ queries about the site, education facilities and the local area.
• Providing information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise.
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.
To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times

• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required.
• Ensuring site is ready to open and
• Welcome visitors by the set opening time.
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all issues of damage and wear and tear, promptly to your Line Manager
• Working in harmony with other departments; housekeeping, gardening, grounds maintenance and site repair employees/contractors.
Financial Responsibilities

• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies

Retail/Catering/Events/Cashier duties

• To ensure good housekeeping of catering kitchens, serveries, back and front of house areas and including dishwashing
• To ensure that retail merchandising is in accordance with NTS policy.
• To assist in achieving site retail/catering/events targets and KPI’s.
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in liaison with the functions and events manager.
• To assist with hospitality events. This includes evening events and staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.
Health and Safety
• To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your department manager.
• To ensure that visitors vacate the site at close of business and that the site is secured at end of day.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications
• No formal educational qualification required.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Demonstrable experience in a customer-facing role: sales or ticketing/ event/ admissions and/or retail and/or catering, delivering impeccable customer care through excellent inter-personal skills and food safety standards (where applicable)
• Experience in EPOS style till operation, confidence undertaking till-work and reconciliation.
• Excellent cash handling skills.
• Excellent “front of house” persona – warm, welcoming, patient, understanding.
• Excellent selling skills – adaptable to customer type and product.
• Demonstrable excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise.
• Flexible, helpful outlook to customers and colleagues.
• An understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of the National Trust for Scotland.
• Living the values of the National Trust for Scotland and encourage colleagues to do the same

CONTEXT

Brodie Castle is set within a 75 acre “policies” estate, it is the ancestral home of the Brodies of Brodie and consists of a number of listed buildings including the main 16th century Z plan Castle, stables, walled garden, gate houses and gardener’s bothy, as well as a number of estate houses currently used as holiday lets. The Castle consists of dressed rooms used as a guided tour visitor experience and houses a collection worth over £6m. Within the Castle is the main catering outlet and retail facility as well as housing the main estate offices. There is also the Lairds wing, a luxury 7-bedroom holiday let within the Castle.

The wider estate consists of a nationally significant designed landscape with Victorian Shrubbery, tree lined avenues, commercial forestry, agricultural land, and mature mixed woodlands surrounding a manmade lake. Within the old walled garden is a Playful Garden, consisting of imaginative play area, formal gardens, and the national daffodil collection. This area is served with separate catering and retail facilities.

The VSA Collection Care Assistant is responsible for ensuring that the collection at Brodie Castle is looked after and protected.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
As a Collections Care Assistant, you will be responsible for the day-to-day care of collections at Brodie Castle , Hoovering and Dusting of the Castle and making sure the Castle is ready for opening to the Public.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that best preventive conservation and collections care practices are followed through the implementation of an effective collections care regime in line with Trust policies and procedures.
The role will include engaging with visitors about the collection care work of the National Trust for Scotland when undertaking cleaning activities in the house. The post holder will also work closely with the function and event team ensuring all functions and events are operated in such a manner as to minimise risk to the collection without compromising the event itself.
The post holder will be part of a wider team of employees and volunteers, helping to support the property where necessary.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Collections Care Assistant is responsible for a wide variety of duties in connection with the care of the property. These duties involve the correct handling and conservation-cleaning of the collections following best-practice at all times and general housekeeping duties throughout the Castle and other buildings.

Specific duties include:

• Best-practice conservation-cleaning of the collections (furniture, metals, ceramics, glass, works of art, textiles, rugs, books, and other artefacts), using property-specific cleaning plans and approved and recommended methods, materials and equipment;
• Conducting a deep conservation-clean of collections & property pre/post-season opening and setting up/putting property to bed pre/post season opening;
• Monitoring the condition of the collections, both through routine, informal checking and formal record keeping (e.g. environmental conditions, pest damage, condition reporting mechanical wear and tear, completing Accidental Damage Reports). Any concerns, damage or loss should be reported immediately to the Duty Manager and the Regional Conservator and Curator;
• Contributing to the Trust’s Integrated Pest Management strategy and facilitating required treatments under the guidance of the Regional Conservator;
• Conservation cleaning of historic fabric surfaces (e.g. window-sills, dado rails, skirting boards, doors) and the vacuuming/cleaning of all floors and staircases as appropriate;
• Informing requirements for conservation and cleaning material/ equipment supplies with assistance from the Duty Manager and Regional Conservator, to ensure adequate sufficient stocks are maintained/ordered;
• Assist/ support with the collection care to facilitate functions and events ensuring safe handling and storage of collections and implementation of appropriate preventive measures.
• Work with Collection Care Volunteers with support and assistance from the Regional Conservator, Curator and Visitor Services Supervisor.
• Adhere to the property’s quality standards including wearing of uniform dependant on the role;
• Ensure health and welfare of property staff, volunteers and visitors by adhering to the Trust’s Health, Safety and Environment policies and guidelines. This includes working within the property’s “Safe System of Work” (the system for managing Health & Safety).
• Develop conservation and collection care knowledge and skills to ensure the highest levels of conservation-cleaning and collections care are adhered to/maintained at the property through attendance at the Trust’s annual Collections Care training programme and any other relevant training courses;
• Continued documentation of the collection to ensure collections records are maintained and up-to-date in line with NTS collections management procedures.

The current duties of this job do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

Purpose of the role
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure. Specifically to work as part of the team on our winter events including Brodie Illuminated.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner;
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act;

To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time;
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to your line manager;
• Working in harmony with other departments; housekeeping, gardening, grounds maintenance and site repair employees/contractors.
• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required;

Other duties (as required)
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of our winter events
• To help organise events equipment and storage areas
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed, sometimes in the retail cube or working the catering till
• To assist with Hospitality events. Staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.

Financial responsibilities

• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operations and cash reconciliation duties.
• Help achieve sales targets and membership recruitment targets.
• Actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to improve offer, service and operation.

Health and Safety
• To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your department manager.
• To ensure that visitors vacate the site at close of business and that the site is secured at end of day.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential
• Willing to work outdoors for extended periods of time
• Willing to work evenings and weekends
• Excellent “front of house” persona – warm, welcoming, patient, understanding.
• Excellent cash handling skills.
• Excellent selling skills – adaptable to customer type and product.
• Demonstrable excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise.
• Flexible, helpful outlook to customers and colleagues.
• An understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of the National Trust for Scotland.
• Living the values of the National Trust for Scotland and encourage colleagues to do the same
o The ability and willingness to understand others’ perspectives and to consider the impact of your actions on them and to adapt your actions as necessary.
o The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone.
o An open and honest way of communicating, ready to ask others for their ideas and to be open to hear and consider different points of view.
o A pro-active approach to taking initiative and to driving forward ideas and projects designed to improve daily operations and deliver an exceptional visitor experience.