We Are Seeking to Recruit a Team of Temporary Casual Staff to Join Our Front of House Team

CONTEXT

We are seeking to recruit a team of temporary casual staff to join our Front of House team for a two month period, from 29November 2015 to 30January 2016.

During this period we are hosting a major retrospective of the work of theatre designer John Napier (designer of Cats, Starlight Express, Miss Saigon) in our Exhibition Halls and we need a team of enthusiastic and customer focused individuals to invigilate the space, delivering excellent standards of customer care to visitors and monitoring activities to ensure a safe and secure environment.

PRACTICALITIES

Work will be casual in nature and hours will be variablefrom week to week, but would primarily be within our normal opening times of 10am to 5pm, including weekends and Bank Holidays. We are closed on Mondays. Rota for the next month is confirmed two weeksin advance.

Please note that we are open over the Christmas period (except 24, 25and 26December and January when are closed) and being available to work shifts over the Christmas period is a key condition of this employment.

Rate of pay is £6.90 per hour with additional payment in lieu of holiday.

JOB PURPOSE:

You will be expected to deliver exceptional standards of front-line customer service in order to provide a welcoming and informativevisitor experience. You willalso ensure the safety and security of our visitors and also the works in the exhibition and maintain the general appearance of the Towner by assisting with cleaning duties.

KEY TASKS:

• Welcoming visitors to the exhibition, checking tickets at entrance and responding effectively to requests for information.
• Invigilating the space to ensure our expected high standards relating to security,presentation and safety are maintained, reporting any problems to the Duty Manager where necessary.
• Assist with the cleaning of the exhibition and foyer space.
• To positively handle visitor queries and feedback.
• Maintain a thorough and practical knowledge of evacuation and emergency procedures and play a key role as part of the duty team in any emergency situation.
• To work with and support our volunteers who will also be working in the galleries.
• Demonstrate understanding of and sensitivity to meeting the needs of all visitors in particular those with disabilities.
• Assist in setting up other rooms in the galleryfor workshops, events and hires.
• Undertake any other duty as may from time to time be required by the General Manager or Duty Supervisor.

OTHER:

• To promote equality of opportunity in service delivery in all aspects of the role in line with Towner policies and procedures.
• To participate fully in promoting a safety culture to protect the safety and health of themselves, colleagues and visitors.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Be able to work flexible hours including weekends and shifts over the Xmas period.
• GCSE at Grade C or above in English & Maths or equivalent.
• Experience of delivering excellent standards of front line customer care.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Positive ‘can do’ attitude .
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Capable of carrying our light cleaning duties and light manual handling.
• Awareness of Health and Safety issues.
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Diversity.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

•An interest in the visual arts and culture.

• Relevant work experience of a similar nature in a comparable environment - museum/gallery/arts venue.
• Experience of guiding tours and speaking to groups.
• Health and Safety training.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application Form, Job Spec and Equal Ops Form can be downloaded from our website: can be obtained from

Michele Monteith on or 01323 434667.

Completed forms should be returned to Michele no later than 5pm on Tuesday 3 November (see above)

For informal discussion prior to applying please contact Niamh Pearce, General Manager on 01323 434679 or