Gallery Assistant (2 Posts)

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A prestigious academic institution in Oxford is seeking friendly Gallery Assistants to enhance visitor experiences at its History of Science Museum. The role includes welcoming visitors, providing information, and ensuring smooth gallery operation. Candidates should demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and be comfortable in a busy environment. This position offers flexible hours with opportunities for supervisory roles and comes with excellent benefits such as a contributory pension scheme and generous leave.

Benefits

Contributory pension scheme

38 days of annual leave

Childcare services

Family leave schemes

Cycle loan scheme

Discounted bus travel

Qualifications

• Experience in customer-facing roles preferred.
• Confident in engaging with diverse audiences.
• Able to stand and walk for prolonged periods.

Responsibilities

• Welcome visitors and provide information.
• Assist with gallery operations and security.
• Highlight key objects on display.

Skills

Customer engagement

Interpersonal skills

Reliability

Calm under pressure

Job description

The History of Science Museum, is seeking two friendly, proactive and customer-focused Gallery Assistants to help provide an exceptional experience for all visitors. The museum welcomes a wide range of audiences and you will play an important role in ensuring that every visitor feels informed, supported and warmly welcomed. You will be a visible presence in the galleries, greeting visitors, providing directions and information, handing out maps and family trails, and helping visitors with mobility requirements. You will encourage donations, operate the shop till on occasion, and support the smooth day-to-day running of the galleries. You will also highlight key objects on display, once trained and help maintain security and safety, respond appropriately to incidents, and prepare gallery spaces for opening, including light cleaning duties.

• Post 1: 20 hours per week. This position is available as a job-share opportunity.
• Post 2: 26.25 hours per week. This position includes the opportunity to take on supervisory responsibilities, with full training provided.

Please tick your preferred working hours on the first page of the Supporting Evidence Form. The working pattern includes weekends, evenings and Bank Holidays, according to operational need. This role involves interacting with visitors while moving around galleries. The ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods is required, since there is limited opportunity to sit during the shift. Due to the nature of this post, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a satisfactory Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Please refer to page 4 of the job description for further details.

You will be confident engaging with a diverse range of visitors, demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills. You will be comfortable working in a busy environment while remaining calm under pressure. You will be observant in the gallery, able to judge when to refer situations to senior colleagues, and confident using basic computer systems, as rota updates and communications are shared electronically. You will be reliable, punctual, and able to act with honesty and integrity in all aspects of your work. Experience in customer-facing roles, an interest in history or science, or previous involvement in sales or donations environments would be advantageous, but is not essential.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans