Visitor Services Assistant (Collections Care)
Organisation: The National Trust for Scotland
Salary: £21,260 pro-rata, per annum
Location: The Georgian House , Edinburgh
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
To help maximize 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 provide an efficient, reliable service and high standards in collections care and general cleaning at the property.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
As directed by the Visitor Services Manager to carry out a wide range of collections care duties including:
• In line with current NTS best practice, clean and care for the collection of furniture, books, artworks, glass, ceramics, metals, textiles, other objects and historic interiors.
• Ensure all public areas are kept clean and tidy.
• Work with your line manager to allow visitors to interact directly with the objects on display whilst ensuring that their condition is monitored and maintained.
• Keep up to date and accurate conservation records.
• Help to ensure the NTS Integrated Pest Management regime is in place and monitored.
• Help to ensure Emergency Plans and related equipment is up to date
• Work with conservation volunteers and take an active role in staff and volunteer training in liaison with your line manager.
• Work with other staff to plan and deliver ‘conservation in action’ programmes and other public engagement activities and, where relevant, contribute content to social media.
• Ensure collections care, cleaning and conservation materials are available, properly maintained and stored.
• Deliver excellent customer care (internal and external) to foster a friendly and inviting atmosphere for visitors, staff and volunteers.
• Support the Trust’s obligations to minimise impact on the environment, through e.g. efficient use of water/heat/light, recycling and the disposal of waste, considered use of transport
• To actively feedback visitor comments to develop and improve conservation and visitor experience.
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in relation to collections.
• To ensure the site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your line manager.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager
• To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times, working with other Property staff, the Regional Team and contractors.
• Assist with collections care at other cluster properties, if required.
The Visitor Services Supervisor (Collections Care) based at Newhailes will have an overview of non-operational documentation, such as housekeeping plans.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Essential Qualifications and Experience
• Experience of interacting with the public and of providing excellent customer care.
• A good team player.
• A flexible approach to work, multi-tasking and working with staff across various departments.
• Good time management.
• A strong eye for detail.
• Good interpersonal and communications skills.
• Willingness to learn new techniques & activities, e.g. collections care, object handling etc.
Desirable Qualifications & Experience
• Demonstrable experience in collections care or cleaning within historic buildings.
• Good understanding of preventive conservation and environmental monitoring.
• An interest in history, conservation and the care of collections.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety and emergency procedures.
DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB
Tools / equipment / systems
• All equipment and cleaning materials are provided.
• Conservation and collections care training will be provided.
• This job involves lifting and carrying, working at height and use of ladders & scaffold towers.
Workplace context
• This role is based at the Georgian House, but may include occasional work at other cluster properties (Gladstone’s Land and Newhailes)
• The Georgian House is an 18th century townhouse in Edinburgh’s New Town, designed by Robert Adam. Access to most of the property is via stone staircases and there is no lift.
• This job does not require you to undertake a criminal records check.
The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.
Application Deadline: Friday 21/10/2022