Visitor Services

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. The post holder will be part of a wider team of employees and volunteers, helping to support the property where necessary.

The role is 40 hours worked over 5 days per week and will include weekend and evening working to support events and property tour program.

A driver’s licence and access to vehicle is preferred due to the location and accessibility of the property.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

To carry out a wide range of collections care duties as directed by the Visitor Services Supervisor of Collections Care in line with current NTS best practice standards:

To assist with the organisation and supervision of the movement of objects under the direction of line mangers.

To be systematic and methodical in record-keeping, documentation, and any other administrative needs of the job in accordance with NTS policies.

To help identify those items at risk or requiring specialist attention/remedial conservation and bringing to the attention of the Regional Conservator for Edinburgh & East.

To undertake housekeeping tasks to ensure standards of care are maintained within the property.

To undertake necessary cleaning of non-collection areas and associated buildings, meeting the standards agreed by line managers.

To liaise, under the direction of the VSS Collections Care, with any contractors working onsite to ensure the collections physical security and those working do not contravene Health and Safety legislation.

To be vigilant at all times to the presence and condition of all historic interior surfaces, decorative elements and collection items in situ and to report accidental damage to the collections management team.

Visitor Services / Events

Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time.

To aid property staff and cluster collections care staff in creating and providing specialised public tours and events of the property.

To assist with the set-up, stewarding and breakdown of events in liaison with your line manager.

Collection’s conservation engagement through participating in public programmes such as Conservation in Action, to promote an understanding of preventive conservation and collection care works.

Work with collections care volunteers and take an active role in staff and volunteer training in liaison with your line manager.

To support staff and volunteers in the seasonal running of the property, when required, by welcoming visitors and undertaking administrative duties to ensure the delivery of a continuously high standard of visitor care.

To provide information to visitors about the site, its history and collections, events and tours.

To promote the National Trust for Scotland brand via the membership scheme, events and promoting other NTS properties.

Health and Safety

To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager.

To ensure the site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your line manager.

This job involves good manual dexterity, lifting and carrying heavy materials and collections, working at height and the use of ladders & scaffold towers.

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.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

As a Collections Care Assistant, you will be responsible for the planning and day-to-day care of collections, along with managing reactive situations and support with long term planning at (insert property name)

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 but also work with events team to develop collection based educational events for children and adults.

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 House and other buildings.

Specific duties include:

Manage Integrated Pest Management, Environmental Monitoring & Control Systems, Housekeeping Plans and collections handling and protection, collections management processes; proactively action reported recommendations for treatments and improvements.

Carry out conservation cleaning of collections including conducting a deep clean over the winter period.

Member of the properties senior operational team assisting with duty management cover.

Recruit and manage a volunteer collections team.

Develop new specific volunteering roles within the collections team such as textiles, storage, research, and visitor engagement.

Create and lead on a regular events schedule for collection themed events, showcases and workshops.

Develop educational opportunities for all ages through children’s activities, specialised workshops and interactive tours.

Work with external educational and community groups to create specialised events and grow visitor numbers.

Grow and improve current interpretation of the castle’s history and collection.

Working closely with the regional conservator to carry out remedial conservation on the collection.

Provide training to staff on safe handling of collections, information relating to collections and relevant historical information.

Lead on the use of Trust systems to monitor the condition and security of the collections and interiors across the cluster ensuring any damage, deterioration or threats to the collections are promptly reported and mitigated.

Lead on the collections care aspects of functions, events, filming, building works and general visitor experience improvements across the cluster. Work with other property team members to ensure that the care of the collections and interiors is not compromised.

Work closely with the Regional Conservator to improve and develop the collections care and preventive conservation practices across the cluster and to assist in remedial conservation as required.

Work closely with the Regional Curator to assist with the presentation, interpretation and access to collections and interiors.

Work closely with the Collections Services Team, to ensure that the Trust’s object movement and location audit procedures are maintained, updated, and adhered to so that location inventory information remains accurate. Completing room audits and ensure condition checks are carried out.

Work with the regional curator to update records, improve visitor experience through the layout and interpretation of the collection.

Work closely as required with the Trust’s Registrar (Loans & Disposals) to ensure the safe management of all long loans in and temporary loans in and out of properties in the cluster;

Liaise with the Trusts Archivist to conduct research and to maintain and care for the property archives.

Develop knowledge and understanding of the collections and be a passionate advocate for widening access and engaging visitors;

Work with the wider estate to create a holistic and richer visitor experience.

Hours: Full Time (40 hours per week/any 5 days out of 7, between the hours of 7am and 7pm)
Duration: Temporary
Pay: £12.60 per hour

The Royal Yacht Britannia is an award-winning, five-star visitor attraction and exclusive evening events venue in Edinburgh, which employs more than 160 staff. This former floating palace of Queen Elizabeth II, usually attracts circa 350,000 visitors a year from around the world, and would normally host circa 100 exclusive evening events per annum.

Britannia provides an exceptional experience for visitors. This dedication to excellence has led to the Royal Yacht being rated as Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction (AGAIN) 2023-2024, and the top 1% in the world in its category.

Our Visitor Experience department is dedicated to ensuring that visitors receive the highest level of customer experience possible and we are looking for a Housekeeper to join the team.

Reporting directly to the Housekeeping Team Leader, key responsibilities will include:

– Ensuring that the Britannia tour route and Visitor Centre are cleaned to a high standard and maintained throughout your shift.
– Safe use and storage of all equipment and chemicals required to maintain the cleanliness of the tour route and Visitor Centre.
– Assisting with any other duties, as required by the Housekeeping Team Leaders and Visitor Experience Managers.

The ideal candidate will enjoy a varied role and be committed to delivering high standards in Housekeeping, have a friendly, can-do attitude and a desire to help and assist staff and visitors alike.

Company benefits include:

– 10% employer pension contribution with a choice to contribute up to a further 5% yourself, which would then be matched by us as well! (So 20% potential contribution to your pension).
– 33 days pro-rata annual holiday entitlement.
– Life Assurance.
– Complimentary tickets.
– Staff discount in the Gift Shop, Royal Deck Tearoom & The Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar aboard Fingal.
– Free car parking for staff.

If you feel you have the personality, skills and experience we are looking for, then we would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV outlining why you feel you would be suitable for the role of Housekeeper to: recruitment@tryb.co.uk or postal applications to:

Sarah Thomson
Visitor Experience Manager
The Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Drive
Leith
Edinburgh
EH6 6JJ

Closing date: Sunday 18 August 2024

No agencies please.

Please note, due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to unsuccessful candidates. If you have been selected for interview you will be contacted directly.

JOB PURPOSE

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 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.

Financial responsibilities

To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies: to implement amendments to standard procedure as instructions may dictate.

Retail/Catering/Events/Cashier duties

To ensure good housekeeping of catering kitchens, serveries and back of house areas.

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 events coordinator.

To assist with Heritage Hospitality events. Staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.

KEY PURPOSE:

To ensure that the garden and wider policies of Brodie Castle and Playful Garden are managed and maintained as a nationally-recognised estate and garden of historic importance; contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters. The Assistant Head Gardener will act as a deputy for the Garden and Estate Manager in their absence.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:

Supporting the Garden and Estate Manager to ensure the conservation and practical maintenance of the garden and wider policies – whether through delegation to other staff/volunteers, or personal participation – in terms of:

Care and development of the internationally significant Brodie Daffodil Collection.

Practical horticulture (e.g. managing trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, half-hardies, annuals and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard-landscaping; path care, polytunnel care and plant propagation of vegetables, herbs, along with maintaining biosecurity.

Plantsmanship (e.g. the identification, knowledge and understanding of this high calibre plant collection, including recording and labelling using IrisBG database of individual plants and recognised collections).

Research and development (eg. research into historical precedents and practical contemporary solutions to inform proposed activities and projects; support to the design and implementation of restoration and/or development projects).

Interpretation (eg through the development and delivery of events such as introductory talks, weekly guided tours or practical demonstrations, contribution to guidebooks or leaflets).

Ensuring an appropriate management regime of the garden and policies that includes the management of:

Staff and volunteers (assisting with recruitment, induction, direction, development and performance management) such that they are fully equipped, organised and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards.

Health, safety and the environment in line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff and volunteers.

Recognition of the Trust’s policies with respect to sustainable gardening activities, including energy, water, peat and pesticide-use.

Input into daily, weekly, yearly and longer-term operational work plans and reporting in the context of the properties’ statements of significance and action plans (and contribution to these action plans) to ensure that activities are prioritised and planned to optimise the use of resources.

Customer service and care from garden staff/volunteers, and in the broader sense of facilities and “visiting experience”, to ensure that the properties’ reputation for excellence is maintained and enhanced.

Administration to enable gardening activities to be undertaken and recorded efficiently.

Participating fully in the property’s wider “management team”, deputising for the Garden and Estate Manager as required.

Supporting the Garden and Estate Manager, Operations Manager & Visitor Services Manager strategically and practically with the operation of the property, this will include being a Duty Manager on a rotational basis. Will be a key holder.

Participating in weekend duties on a rota basis for which Time Off In Lieu is applicable.