Visitor Services Assistant – Food & Beverage

ASVA: Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training provided

Uniform provided

Job summary

The National Trust for Scotland is seeking energetic staff to welcome visitors at Holmwood House Cafe and surrounding sites. The role involves assisting admissions, retail, catering and events, with a focus on delivering excellent hospitality and helping visitors enjoy their experience.

You will work across sites on a rota basis, with training provided and opportunities to develop barista skills and knowledge of Scottish heritage. A team environment and weekend work are expected.

Qualifications

• Experience in hospitality or visitor-facing roles preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work as part of a team and on a rota.

Responsibilities

• Provide a consistently high standard of visitor care.
• Engage with visitors and explain exhibits at each site.
• Support admissions, retail, catering and events operations.
• Upsell memberships and Gift Aid where appropriate.
• Maintain café/kitchen hygiene and safety standards.
• Assist with set‑up, running and clear‑down of events.

Skills

Customer service

Hospitality

Communication skills

Teamwork

Barista skills

Attention to detail

Tools

POS system

Job description

Organisation: The National Trust for Scotland

Location: Holmwood House, 61-63 Netherlee Rd, Glasgow G44 3YU

JOB PURPOSE

This is an exciting and varied role within the Visitor Services Team at Holmwood House as part of the Tenement House, Holmwood and Weaver’s Cottage cluster. We are looking for energetic, cheerful, and talkative individuals to join our team this season.

Working at all 3 sites will be required on a rota basis, but this role will be based primarily at Holmwood House Cafe.

You’ll help welcome visitors from across the globe and ensure they have an enjoyable and memorable experience here from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. Always providing a consistently high standard of visitor care.

You’ll work flexibly and with an eye for detail, ensuring the smooth and safe operations in Admissions, Retail, Catering and Events activities whilst making the property the best possible place to visit and work.

You will help with the day-to‑day catering operations in Holmwood’s café, from taking orders and serving food, to mastering barista skills and ensuring good housekeeping and health and safety of café and kitchen areas.

By maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income, and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure you will be a vital part of furthering the valuable work of the National Trust for Scotland.

You will contribute to the team property targets and work well within a team.

You will gain an understanding of the property establishing and maintaining the Trust’s reputation as a guardian of Scotland’s heritage, and as the organisation that actively wants people to engage with and enjoy the properties it cares for. Training will be provided.

Our ideal candidate you should be passionate about hospitality and service, with a knack for making great coffee. You will have excellent presentation skills and be able to communicate the importance of Scottish heritage and its preservation and work well within a team which includes our fantastic group of volunteers.

Someone who wants to help us generate the income and recruit the members that enable us to care for all the unique and valuable properties within the Glasgow cluster. They will enjoy the variety and exciting challenges that come with working across several different sites and areas.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide a consistently high standard of visitor care
• Engage with and make our visitors feel welcome at all times, exploring the unique exhibitions and experiences each site has to offer.
• Be responsible and proactive. Ensuring all day-to-day tasks are completed as instructed.
• Provide a responsive, friendly and efficient service tailored to the needs of both individual visitors and tour groups.
• Be passionate about our sites. Develop a thorough understanding of the sites within the Glasgow Cluster, enabling you to share stories with visitors, offer ideas to help them enjoy their visit and answer common questions. Training of each property will be provided.
• Have a flexible approach to working hours and days including working weekend and Bank Holidays as appropriate.
• To work across departments when necessary, supporting the wider Tenement House and Weaver’s Cottage teams.
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.
• Focus on the details. Ensure retail or catering displays remain stocked, tidy and enticing throughout the day.
• Assist with the set‑up, running and clean‑up of functions and events.
• Work flexibly and in harmony with your colleagues across sites and departments, supporting each other to make best use of team resources, especially at busy times.
• Take the initiative and address problems or deal with tasks as they arise.
• Listen and respond open to visitor comments to ensure that visitors leave happy and looking forward to their next visit. Feedback any issues as they arise to ensure the smooth running of the site.
• Help gather photos/videos for social media to promote our activities and encourage visits.
• Be able to take responsibility for your own development and learning.
• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required;
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time;
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.