Visitor Experience Assistant

Our site at Kew is free and open to all. Our ambition is to change the way people think about archives, to encourage engagement at all levels and to increase the number of visitors to our building and outdoor spaces. In addition to meeting the needs of researchers and historians, we have a growing exhibition and events programme targeting the wider public and families.

In order to make all our visitors feel more welcome, we want to change our approach to how we interact with them on site. This new role will help ensure that visitors to The National Archives receive a friendly welcome when they arrive, assistance during their visit, and a similarly warm farewell when they leave. Visitor Experience Assistants will meet and greet visitors; they will proactively explain what might be of interest to the visitor throughout their visit and will answer any questions that the visitor might have. They will also support the visitor experience in other ways, such as giving tours of the exhibitions and displays, as we develop our offer for the public.

The main focus of this role is to proactively provide excellent service to visitors to The National Archives and ensure that they have a positive and memorable experience.

You will be energetic, enthusiastic and passionate about meeting new people of all ages and explaining how The National Archives is relevant for them.

You'll be responsible for answering queries and making sure that visitors can find everything they need for their visit. You'll help them understand what makes archives special, and why we (and our collection) play such an important role in telling the nation's stories.

You will help to promote our public programming activities to visitors, encourage them to stay in touch (by signing up to our mailing list and following us on social media), and suggest that they tell their friends and family about their visit.

You will take part in the delivery of our public programming activities, including tours of our exhibitions and the building more generally, and support our exhibitions through ticketing, some invigilation, ensuring the displays and exhibits are in good order every day and that the building is tidy and presented with pride. You will also work in our shop on occasion to support our retail team., If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.,

• UK nationals


• nationals of the Republic of Ireland


• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020


• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  Energetic, friendly, enthusiastic and passionate about meeting new people of all ages, with a genuine enthusiasm for working with people


• A can-do attitude


• Ability to adapt as situations demand, for example being proactive and fleet-of-foot during busy periods, but also taking the initiative during quieter times to think of new ways to enhance the public experience of our building


• Excellent customer service and communication skills


• Willingness to learn new skills and acquire role-specific knowledge


• Ability to work well in a team


Desirable criteria:

• Previous experience in a customer service role in a heritage or visitor attraction location, Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Alongside your salary of £24,560, The National Archives contributes £6,631 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development.

Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk;

Things you need to know