Museum & Visitor Services Assistant

Seasonal Museum and Visitor Services Assistant - fixed term

Salary:Band 3- £24,796 p.a. pro rata.

Seasonal posts - Fixed term

Location:Various locations see below:

Post 1: 7 hours per week - 28 March 2026 - 31 October 2026: Saturday 9.30am -5.00pm. (days worked include 30 mins unpaid lunch break). Based at Portsmouth Natural History Museum.

Post 2: 7 hours per week - 28 March 2026 - 31 October 2026: Saturday 9.30am -5.00pm. (days worked include 30 mins unpaid lunch break). Based at Portsmouth Natural History Museum but also float across sites.

Post 3: 21 Hours per week - 31 March 2026 - 31 October 2026: Tuesday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm. (days worked include 30 mins unpaid lunch break. Based at Portsmouth Museum but also float across sites.

Post 4: 28.5 hours per week. 31 March 2026 - 31 October 2026: Tuesday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Wednesday 9.30am -5.00pm, Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm. (days worked include 30 mins unpaid lunch break). Based at Southsea Castle but also float across sites.

Post 5: 29 hours per week: 31 March 2026 - 1 November 2026: Tuesday 9.00am - 5.00pm, Wednesday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Thursday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Sunday 9.00am - 5.00pm. (days worked include 30 mins unpaid lunch break). Based at Southsea Castle but also float across sites.

PLEASE CLEARLY INDICATE ON YOUR APPLICATION WHICH POST(S)/HOURS YOU ARE APPLYING FOR.

What is the role

Portsmouth Museums & Visitor Services are responsible for the care of the city’s archives and museum collections and for making them accessible to both residents and visitors.

The service operates 6 museum sites – The D-Day Story, Southsea Castle, Charles Dickens’ Birthplace, Cumberland House Natural History Museum, Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery & Eastney Beam Engine House.In addition, the service also operates the Visitor Information Service for the destination with stand-alone points at the Hard and within The D-Day Story and Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery.

The main purpose of this post is to deliver high standards of customer care – a safe and inviting environment for all visitors, thus ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat visits.

You will provide a great welcome for visitors and have sufficient knowledge of museum sites and collections to provide information and promote current and future programmes and the city’s wider cultural offer.

You will ensure public areas, including toilets, are clean, tidy and in good order.In addition you will maintain a secure environment for collections through implementing current security procedures including security patrols, invigilation of galleries and regular inventory checks of items on display.

The Museum and Visitor Services Assistant role includes a range of other activities including: reception and welcoming visitors, general Visitor Information tasks, retail, taking messages and bookings, recording visitor numbers, assisting with events and activities, installation of exhibitions, previews and evening meetings.You may be required to work at events and functions, which will include some lifting and carrying of tables and chairs etc. and outdoor work.

The role may also include working and serving in the Portsmouth Museum café, preparing food and drinks and taking orders and serving customers.

Who is the person summary:

A team player with excellent customer care skills to welcome and engage the customer you will be able to answer customer queries whether face to face or via telephone.You will need excellent communication skills and conversational skills in a foreign language would be an advantage – French preferred and good levels of literacy, numeracy and IT. Experience of cash handling and selling services and goods would be an advantage.You will be flexible with a passion for the destination of Portsmouth as well as having an enthusiasm for museums, history, art or natural history or any other of the other subjects covered by the museums and visitor services which would be an advantage.

For the full details of this role please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Additional Information

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page:Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we have a large number of applications.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found atEquality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage:Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contactrecruit@portsmouthcc.gov.ukor call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.