Security Officer

The Royal Household; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 15% (non-contributory)

Complimentary lunch on-site

Parental pay & leave options

Volunteering days

Employee discounts at Royal Collection

Job summary

The Royal Household is seeking a Security Officer for The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. You will be a visible presence, manage access for staff, guests and contractors, and contribute to a secure environment around historic premises.

Responsibilities include monitoring security and fire systems from the control room, administering gate access, patrolling the estate, and responding to incidents with clear judgment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in security or related sectors is desirable but not essential.
• Ability to respond effectively to security or fire incidents with good judgment.
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact with employees and visitors.
• Initiative and the ability to learn new systems to deliver high standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible, welcoming security presence and manage access for staff, guests, contractors and visitors.
• Monitor security and fire equipment from the control room and issue keys as required.
• Administer access control systems at gates and checkpoints across the estate.
• Patrol the Palace grounds and buildings, respond to incidents, and conduct safety checks.

Skills

Security experience

Access control

Interpersonal skills

Decision making

Job description

12 hour shift patterns averaging 42 hours per week (based on a pattern of 2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off)

About the role

It's knowing you're protecting the community that surrounds you.

I t's feeling trusted to deliver to the very highest standards. And it's the pride in protecting an environment of unique historic importance. This is what makes working for the Royal Household exceptional.

As The King’s official residence in Scotland, The Palace of Holyroodhouse welcomes thousands of visitors from around the World, as well as hosting a calendar of Royal events. Joining our team of Security Officers, you’ll help to maintain a safe and secure environment throughout The Palace and grounds. This will include:

• As a visible and welcoming presence, you'll support access control for employees, guests, contractors and the visiting public.
• Working in the control room, you’ll monitor security and fire equipment and issue keys.
• You will administer the access control system used at the various gates.
• Responsible for perimeterand building security, you’ll conduct patrols and respond to incidents.
• Helping to maintain a safe environment, you’ll monitor automatic fire detection systems, and test/check fire safety equipment, as well as acting as first-response in the event of a fire or security alert.

The role will involve working outside during routine patrols of the estate, and occasionally at height or in confined spaces. You’ll normally work two twelve-hour day shifts between 0700-1900, and two twelve-hour night shifts between 1900-0700, followed by four days off.

About you

Essential Criteria

• Previous experience in a similar role within the military, police, or security sectors is highly desirable, but not essential, your team‑focused approach is what will truly set you apart
• You'll be confident in the event of a security or fire related incident, able to apply your knowledge and judgement to respond effectively and make decisions.
• Interpersonal skills are important too, because you’ll be working closely with a wide range of people, including employees and visitors.
• Above all, you'll have initiative and the ability to learn new systems, essential qualities that will enable you to deliver to the highest standards every day.

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

• Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.
• We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.

Find out more about the full range of benefits available to our employees here.