Visitor Services Officer

Job summary

The Visitor Services Officer will deliver excellent customer service through providing visitor information about the forest, its facilities, and the work of Forestry England. Maintain facilities at the Forest Centre to a high and safe standard and support to users of the facilities.

Job description

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Customer Service:

· Deliver exceptional ‘front of house’ customer service to visitors at the welcome point and when out in the forest to provide a positive visitor experience.

· Provide advice and information to visitors.

· Undertake cash handling duties, including operating tills and fulfilling start/end of day cashing-up procedures.

· Operate and administer the vehicle entry system including data entry and input, production of basic reports and on the job training and mentoring of colleagues

· Support administration for social media and web-based information

Facilities Management:

· Facilities management, such as maintenance of facilities, to include: litter collection and cleaning of toilets (when necessary).

· Responding to emergency situations, such as fires, first aid response, together with other circumstances as required.

· Other activities, such as dealing with unexpected events, team meetings and administrative tasks.

· Undertake routine, recorded facility inspections of recreational facilities and buildings

Health & Safety:

· Coordinate the implementation of Emergency Procedures across the facility, providing first aid assistance and support to emergency services.

· Ensure risk assessments are completed in accordance with Forestry England’s policies and procedures.

· ​Ensure correct use of tools and wear necessary personal protective equipment.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential Professional and Technical experience

· Flexibility to respond to changing situations, re-prioritising work and recognising that ‘no two days are the same’.

· Willingness to work outdoors in all weathers.

· Excellent interpersonal skills.

· Well-developed communication skills, particularly orally but also in writing.

· The ability to react calmly and effectively to emergency situations, and to be able to coordinate interaction with the emergency services.

· Competent in the use of mobile phones.

· IT literate especially in respect of the Microsoft Office suite, but also to have the ability to understand and use bespoke in-house computer applications.

Desirable Professional and Technical experience

· Previous experience working in a customer-facing role and dealing with a wide variety of stakeholders and customers.

Qualifications

Essential

· Previous experience working in a customer-facing role and dealing with a wide variety of stakeholders and customers.

· Excellent communication skills and proven ability to remain calm and work effectively in a pressurised environment, or if faced with challenging customers.

· Competent IT user with experience of MS packages, the internet and emails

· Willing to work outdoors, whatever the weather.

Desirable

· Experience of undertaking cash handling duties

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,903, Forestry Commission contributes £8,083 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Delivery at Pace

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo an enhanced (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

FE Job Description - Visitor Services Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 228kB)