Student Casual – Visitor Services Assistant – Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences – Grade 3 – 903836

Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

Our offer to you

At the University of Birmingham Worklink is the dedicated student employment service which helps students to find flexible well paid part-time roles that fit around your studies. Each year the University invests more than 2.5 million to employ 3000 of our own students in a wide range of roles supporting our student community into part-time work. Roles available via Worklink include a range of positions including administrative roles support staff such as cleaners or baristas research roles and many more.

Jobs through Worklink help you to gain work experience develop skills relevant for your future career and improve your soft and hard skills in a professional setting. Enhance your CV and get valuable experience ready for graduate roles and feel connected to your university and local community.

Our jobs are flexible and can be scheduled around your academic commitments so you can focus on your studies first. Our team are passionate about supporting students into work. Worklink are based in a central location on campus which is easily accessible for students and can also be contacted online.

Find out more about working through Worklinkhere or via thestudent intranet.

Job context

The Lapworth Museum of Geology is one of the principal geological museums in the UK and has the largest and finest geological collection in the Midlands Region. The diverse collections consist of over 300000 objects covering most aspects of the geological sciences including palaeontology mineralogy and addition there are also important collections of scientific instruments geological models zoology archaeology and one of the most extensive and important geological archives in the UK. The collections include significant material from many influential geologists scientists and collectors of the 19th and early 20th centuries including geological pioneer Charles Lapworth from whom the museum takes its name.

The Lapworth is a fully Accredited Museum and the collections and archives are formally Designated as collections of outstanding National and International importance by Arts Council England.

The Museum has an active public engagement programme and welcomes around 65000 visitors per year.

Job summary

As a member of the Lapworth Museum of Geology Visitor Services Team you will welcome visitors and provide them with information about the Lapworth Museum and other cultural attractions on campus as necessary and to collect visitor data and feedback.

You will actively promote and sell the museums retail merchandise daily and ensure that the Museum reception and spaces are clean tidy and maintained to a high standard for our diverse visitors. You will liaise with other members of the Museum team as necessary regarding enquiries.

Main duties

Customer Care

• Be familiar with and implement agreed levels of customer care always providing excellent customer service

• Greet customers arriving for group tours including weekdays and weekends

• Check and tidy visitor areas equipment and facilities throughout the day to a high standard of cleanliness including impromptu cleaning responding to specific incidents or requirements

Monitoring/Reception of Visitors

• Provide admission facilities to visitors

• Actively promote visitor data collection and record visitor numbers using electronic counting system

• Monitor visitor flow in order to efficiently minimise queues and prevent overcrowding

• Operate electronic card transaction machines with the appropriate levels of skill and accuracy and carry out daily card transaction report

Visitor Welcome/Information Provision

• To maintain an attractive and informative recruitment/information point by ensuring adequate supply and display of printed publicity

• Promote and sell the museums gifts and refreshments

• Ensure that the various constraints on visitors which are essential to the safekeeping of the property and its exhibits are applied in a sympathetic manner

• Acquire a sound knowledge of the museum and its exhibits to ensure all visitors receive appropriate welcome and are provided with accurate information

• Direct specific enquiries to other museum staff as necessary

• Promote Museum events and activities plus take and record bookings

Administration

• Complete all necessary records and documentation legibly and correctly and carry out prompt dispatch of relevant forms and documents where necessary

• Enter visitor data on to web-based platforms

• Liaise and work in close co-operation with College staff particularly members of the Lapworth Museum Team

• Observe all Health & Safety regulations as set out by the University in accordance with its statutory obligations

Retail

• To effectively assist the museums retail operation on a daily basis and to develop the business to maximize income and profitability within agreed guidelines policies and procedures

• Ensure every opportunity is taken to increase sales through upselling and to convert visitors to customers whilst ensuring high levels of service are provided to exceed customer expectations

• Ensure that the shop is presented to best effect and that maximum use is made of the available space utilising merchandising guidelines and by making most effective use of EPOS and stock data and point of sale materials

• Carry out all appropriate procedures relating to stock control including stock addition maintain tight stock control by ensuring all products are ticketed and processed correctly

• Ensure the security of the premises stock and equipment and documentation at all times by following laid down procedures

Personal Development

• Attend training courses workshops and Lapworth team meetings as necessary and undertake one-to-one training as and when required in order to maintain agreed standards of visitor welcome/services

Required knowledge skills qualifications & experience

Essential

• Good standard of education numerate/literate

• Computer skills in MS Word Excel Outlook and PowerPoint

• Museum retail or venue environment knowledge

• Strong communication and teamwork skills

• Strong customer service experience in a retail or similar environment

• Flexible and proactive approach to working

Desirable

• Basic EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) knowledge or card transaction experience (training will be provided)

• Selling and merchandising skills

Further details

• You will be working within a team of students operating on a weekly rota basis
• Successful candidates will work full or part days dependent on availability and within their hourly restrictions
• Typical opening times are 10am - 5pm during weekdays and 12pm - 5pm on weekends

For any informal queries please contact Jon Clatworthy ()

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT PGR or PhD student) you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this please be aware if you are an International student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate Authorised Absence.

You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.

To work you will need to carry out a right to work checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.

Regarding the use of AI in applications we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective motivations and potential.Cover letters generated through or edited by AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive were unable to contact all applicants individually. You can check the progress of your application by logging into the Worklink jobs portal using the same email address you used to apply. If you havent heard back within six weeks of the closing date please assume your application has been unsuccessful.