Chiltern Open Air Museum are looking for a Museum Assistant to join the team 30 hours a week for 34 weeks during the Museum’s open season.
This new seasonal role is an opportunity to be at the heart of a thriving Museum community, playing a key role in the weekend duty staffing team as well as helping out in many different areas across the site. You will work 3 weekends out of 4 as well as flexible hours during the week. Applicants must be over 18 years old.
Job Description
You will be part of a busy team responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Museum’s visitor operations on a daily basis throughout our open season. You will unlock and open the Museum and welcome staff and volunteers. As a part of the Museum’s conservation team you will help maintain our collections and historic interiors, carrying out daily checks and conservation cleaning. You will be a key point of call for staff and volunteers on site and work closely with the Front of House team, helping out with co-ordinating volunteers, marketing and delivering events.
- Be a core member of the Museum’s Duty Staff rota covering 3 out of 4 weekends each month
- Unlock and open the Museum’s buildings
- Maintain high presentation standards across the Museum site and report any deficiencies
- Assist with marketing, weddings and events, collections care and volunteer co-ordination and recruitment
- Cover for Visitor Service Assistants and Catering Assistants as required
- Engage with visitors informing them about current and upcoming events, activities and exhibitions enabling them to enjoy the Museum’s offer
- Maintain a thorough knowledge of the Museum’s work and objectives to actively promote membership and donations to the cause
- Understand and follow the Museum’s health and safety, cash-handling and operational procedures
- Provide support for the Museum’s volunteers and ensure their well-being whilst on site
- Carry out conservation cleaning and make sure displays and interpretation are tidy and well presented.
Essential skills/experience
- A team player with a cheerful, positive, can-do attitude
- Experience of working within a customer facing role
- Happy to work alone and unsupervised
- Able to stay calm in a busy environment and able to use your own initiative
- Comfortable working with the public including vulnerable adults and children
- An understanding and/or interest of the conservation of historic buildings and collections
- An understanding and/or interest of museum practice and theory
- Reliable and punctual
- Experience of working with volunteers
- Available to work weekends and Bank Holidays as this is essential to the role
- Willing to learn and develop.
Desirable skills/experience
- Current first aid certificate
- Experience of working with EPOS systems
- Good IT skills
- Passionate about Chiltern Open Air Museum and our cause
- Degree (or equivalent) in Museum Studies or related area
Application Process
Please email applications to Lizzie Dunford, Operations Manager on operations@coam.org.uk using the General Museum Job Application Form
Deadline for applications: 9am 18 February 2019
Interviews: 22nd February 2019
Start date: 18th March 2019