Visitor Welcome Assistant

They ensure that visitors receive an excellent experience whenever they visit so that IWM is able to achieve the financially sustainable income needed from our visitors. Recommendations from visitors who had a great time (both online and word of mouth) are essential to IWM success. There should be consistent visit quality for all visitors, whenever they arrive, across 7 days per week, but this should be able to be adapted to the requirements of each individual.

The Welcome Assistant Team should understand the organisational objectives for visitors and promote other products and services including events and tours, guidebooks, membership, shops and cafes to maximise IWM’s revenue. Working alongside a team of volunteers they should ensure that visitors receive an excellent welcome and goodbye to the site, be the point of contact for Visitor Experience queries, and assist in ensuring each visitor gets the best out of every visit.



Key duties

This role is based outside, welcoming visitors and managing the queues. Uniform will be provided.

You will be expected to work independently as well as across different teams, in particular Retail and Admissions, Volunteering, Operations and Security, in order to contribute to and deliver the priorities of IWM - using your knowledge, skills, talent and potential to the best of your ability.

You will focus at all times on delivering excellent customer service and be, professional and courteous, whilst demonstrating the behaviours and attributes expected of all IWM employees. You will also adhere to all corporate standards, and use corporate systems as directed to ensure consistency of service, brand and operational standards.

You will be expected to work across departments effectively, working with individuals, partners and where appropriate volunteers.

To identify and implement learning and development needs for both yourself and your team, including volunteers, if appropriate.


In addition, your duties will include:

Queue Management

Ensure that visitors receive a proactive, friendly and welcoming arrival, are able to get the most out of their visit and leave knowing what they might want to do next with IWM.
Work collaboratively across all FOH departments to ensure queues are well- organised, orderly and safe.
Check the times and dates on the tickets of pre-booked ticket holders to ensure they are visiting at the correct time and direct visitors to the correct queue.
Help streamline the queueing process by ensuring that pre-booked ticket holders have their tickets downloaded and ready to be scanned when they enter.
Manage visitors’ expectations about potential wait time.


Visitor Experience

Ensure that visitors are assisted in a professional, informative and courteous manner at all times, aware of special attention and individual needs where they may be required. Adapting your approach depending on the needs of each visitor, but with a consistent quality of service.
Proactively engage with visitors and groups about IWM collections, answer their queries and provide a knowledgeable service about what is on display, helping customers orientate themselves around the building and galleries (knowledge of site layout will be essential). This might include the ‘must sees’ to suit the length of the visit, recommendations for family content and activities or where to find lunch on site.
You will ensure that assistance is available for customers with disabilities including assistance with the use of audio-visual guides.
Work with Visitor Experience team colleagues to cover for absences or participate in cross site projects as needed.
You will need to ensure that you have sufficient knowledge of the IWM’s subject matter and exhibitions to be able to interact with visitors to communicate the history and relevance of the museum and its collection in a lively, engaging and informative manner.
You will ensure that income objectives for the IWM are considered when advising on a visit and actively promote the shops, cafes, tours, events, experiences and the value of membership amongst other products and services.
Support the Visitor Experience Officer in ensuring the FOH Standards where relevant.
You will act as an IWM ambassador at all times. You will ensure that both you and your volunteers are smart at all times and wearing appropriate badges.
You will ensure that we remain compliant with health and safety legislation and access and inclusion policies.


Volunteer co-ordination

You will be expected to provide support and supervision to the volunteers on the queues, ensuring they are briefed and ready for the day and providing ongoing support throughout the day. You will role model the expected standard for visitor experience.


Income Generation

You will ensure that income objectives for the IWM are considered when advising on a visit and actively promote the shops, cafes, tours, events, experiences and the value of membership amongst other products and services.
You should be trained and able to talk about memberships, its benefits for the individual and for the IWM and to be able to actively recruit members.


IWM is a 7 day a week operation and you will be required to work at weekends, evenings and public holidays as needed. Flexibility around working days will be essential. We expect this role to predominately work weekends.

For a full list of duties and the person specification (which your application will be marked against) please view the Job Description.

Please note that applications for this position will be reviewed throughout the recruitment advert, so please apply as soon as possible as we may close applications early.

Museum Website: https://imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/454-Visitor-Welcome-Assistant/en-GB