Job Detail

The National Trust For Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Wealden; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Job summary

The National Trust is seeking a Holiday Cottage Cleaner to prepare our Sussex-area cottages (Sheffield Park, Standen House, Nymans). You will keep cottages pristine and welcoming between guests and support repairs or replacements as needed.

The role requires flexibility, weekend work and travel between sites, with PPE provided. This is a fixed-term position until 26 February 2027 on a zero-hour contract, with seasonal shifts and varied hours.

Qualifications

• Focused on giving great service to everyone you meet.
• A team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative.
• Well-organised and adaptable.
• Willing to learn new skills.

Responsibilities

• On changeover days, ensure cottages are pristine, well-presented and welcoming for guests.
• Report repairs or odd jobs; replace broken items from store supplies if needed.

Skills

Customer service

Team player

Organised

Adaptable

Job description

We're looking for a Holiday Cottage Cleaner to prepare our popular holiday cottages in the Sussex area, this will be at Sheffield Park, Standen House and Nymans, ability to travel is essential. We would like someone to join the team to help cover shifts during busy periods and holidays. Often changeover days are a Mon/Fri but can be any day. Flexibility would be helpful.

Salary: £12.75 per hour

Contract: Fixed term contract until 26-Feb-2027

Hours/working pattern: Seasonal, flexible, weekends. This is a zero-hour contract, meaning we can't guarantee a set number of hours each week. While we aim to provide a consistent work pattern, flexibility is needed as schedules may change based on business needs. We'll try to give as much notice as possible. The role includes weekends and Bank Holidays but does not require evening or split shifts.

Interview dates: 21st, 22nd & 23rd October 2026.

Internally within the National Trust, you will be known as a 'Holidays Operation Assistant'.

What it's like to work here

To find out more about what it's like to work within "Holidays" at the National Trust,

What you'll be doing

On changeover days, you'll make sure that everything's pristine and ready for the next guests to arrive. This will include making sure the cottage is thoroughly cleaned, well-presented and welcoming. We'd also like you to keep an eye out for anything that's not as it should be, and report any repairs or odd jobs that need doing. If you need to, you'll also replace any broken items from the store supplies.

Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided for all teams, and extra measures are in place to protect staff.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what's possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

• focused on giving great service to everyone you meet
• a team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative
• well-organised and adaptable
• willing to learn new skills.

The package

The National Trust has the motto 'For everyone, for ever' at its heart. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It's important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we're for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places