Visitor and Safety Assistant

Visitor and Safety Assistant
Visitor Services
Full-time This role works on 4 days on, 2 days off working pattern across 7 days a week, 09:30 to 17:08 (Friday 09:30 – 20:40)
Permanent
£23,704 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 28 March 2025

Holding an SIA door supervisors' licence is an essential requirement of the role. Successful candidates without this licence must be prepared to attend and pass this training, and to complete the licence application process.

Introduction to the Visitor Services Department at the British Museum:

Working in the Visitor Services department at the British Museum offers a unique opportunity to be part of a dedicated team that plays a vital role in delivering excellent customer service while ensuring the safety and security of both our visitors and the Museum's world-renowned Collection. As an ambassador for one of the most famous cultural institutions in the world, you’ll take pride in contributing to a welcoming and informative experience for a diverse and global audience, with approximately 6 million visitors annually.

The Visitor Services team is the public face of the British Museum, upholding the Museum’s brand and commitment to excellence. In this physically active role, you will work across the entire Grade 1 listed building, engaging proactively with visitors, answering questions, and managing the flow of visitors while being vigilant in maintaining security. You’ll also tackle challenges posed by the environment, including fluctuating temperatures in the historic Grade 1 setting. Your resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills will be essential as you contribute to creating a positive and secure atmosphere for all.

A full overview of the VSS department at the Museum can be found here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/jobs/vacancies-visitor-and-security-services-department  

Safety: What are the key responsibilities of the Visitor and Safety Assistant role?

A Visitor and Safety Assistant spends their days in a variety of galleries, engaging with visitors, answering questions and directing them around the Museum and its Collection. As a Visitor and Safety Assistant, you will be responsible for monitoring all public spaces to provide a reassuring presence, manage risks and control visitor flow whilst remaining vigilant at all times. We require reliable, personable, and enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about delivering a high standard of customer service.

Safety: What might a normal day look like?

This physically demanding, public-facing role as a Visitor Safety Assistant involves a variety of tasks throughout the Museum. You will engage proactively with visitors, providing information and answering questions. Your responsibilities will include regularly patrolling galleries, performing required security checks, and managing visitor flow. In emergency situations, you will direct visitors to ensure their safety and that of the Collection. This role requires working in fluctuating temperatures and conditions due to the nature of our historic Grade 1 listed building.

About the British Museum:

Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

You can view a selection of our impressive collection of prints and drawings in our virtual gallery.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans
Professional and personal development opportunities
Employee Assistance Programme
Discounts on food and gift shop purchases
Additional details:

If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of in order to support you with your application, please provide details to [email protected].

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees have the right to work in the UK. If you currently do not hold the right to work in the UK, we can only sponsor a limited number of roles that meet eligibility criteria. To offer a sponsorship, the job role you apply needs to be in the list of eligible occupations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations. Additionally (with some limited exceptions), the role will need to meet the minimum salary threshold of £38,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the highest. You can find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a Museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills and experience.

Museum Website: https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_7840.aspx