Visitor Experience Assistant

Middlesbrough Council; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Part time

Job summary

Middlesbrough Museums is seeking a friendly Visitor Experience Assistant to join our team, supporting front-of-house service across Dorman Museum and Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. The role covers welcoming visitors, handling bookings and tickets, and helping run the café and shop.

You will participate in safe, high-quality visitor experiences, assist with events, and ensure clean, welcoming spaces on a varied rota including weekends. A Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Front-facing customer service experience in a public setting.
• Willingness to work weekends and flexible hours.
• Willing to work towards Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification.

Responsibilities

• Frontline visitor experience at welcome desk, bookings, tickets, and enquiries.
• Support café and retail operations, including EPOS and stock checks.
• Maintain food hygiene, cleanliness, and safety across public areas.
• Assist with events, exhibitions, and building upkeep.
• Engage visitors and support learning activities, bringing exhibitions to life.

Skills

Customer service

Cash handling

EPOS systems

Communication

Team player

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification

GCSEs

Job description

Do you love working with people and creating welcoming, memorable experiences? Are you someone who enjoys variety, from front-of-house service to hands-on operational tasks?

Middlesbrough Museums is growing, and we are looking for Visitor Experience Assistants to join our team, working across our iconic sites including Dorman Museum and Captain Cook Birthplace Museum.

This is a varied, public-facing role at the heart of our visitor offer. You’ll be part of a friendly and supportive team, helping to create a safe, engaging, and family-friendly environment while supporting income generation through our café and retail offer.

The Role

As a Visitor Experience Assistant, no two days are the same. You will play a key role in delivering excellent service across our sites:

• Frontline Visitor Experience: You’ll be the welcoming face of the museum – working on the welcome desk, handling bookings, selling tickets, and responding to visitor enquiries to ensure a positive first impression.
• Café & Retail Operations: You’ll support our catering and retail offer, preparing and serving food, processing sales through EPOS systems, monitoring stock, and helping maximise income.
• Safety & Standards: You’ll help maintain high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness, and health and safety, including completing daily checks and ensuring all public areas are safe and presentable.
• Operational Support: From setting up events and exhibitions to supporting light maintenance and cleaning, you’ll help ensure our buildings and grounds are welcoming and well maintained.
• Engaging Our Visitors: You’ll interact with visitors of all ages, acting as an ambassador for the museum by sharing knowledge, supporting learning activities, and helping bring exhibitions to life

Who You Are

We are looking for a motivated and approachable team players with a passion for customer service and heritage:

• Customer-focused: Experience in a front-facing customer service role with the ability to engage a wide range of audiences.
• Adaptable: Comfortable switching between tasks, from gallery invigilation to café service, while maintaining excellent standards.
• Practical & Hands-on: Happy to undertake manual tasks, including cleaning, set-up, and basic maintenance.
• Commercial Awareness: Experience handling cash or using EPOS systems to support sales and performance targets.
• Great Communicator: Friendly, confident, and able to deliver a welcoming and professional service at all times.
• The Essentials: A good standard of education, flexibility to work on a rota including weekends, and a willingness to work towards a Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification.

Why Join Us?

At Middlesbrough, our values - Passion, Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, and Focus are at the heart of everything we do. You’ll be joining a team that is proud of our town’s heritage and committed to its future. We offer a supportive environment with a focus on continuous personal development.

Ready to help us deliver an ambitious future for Middlesbrough Museums? We’d love to hear from you.

Please note, this is a 30 hours a week post.

Please note Middlesbrough Council do not currently offer sponsorships.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.