Centre Assistant

Would you like the opportunity to welcome visitors and deliver fantastic customer service at our stunning RSPB Fairburn Ings reserve? We are looking for an enthusiastic and hard-working person to work within our Retail team at our Fairburn Ings Visitor Centre.

Centre Assistant - (fixed term)
Reference: JUN20248275
Location: Fairburn Ings
Salary: £23,401.00 - £25,122.00 per annum
Hours: Full-time,37.5 hours per week
Contract: This is a Fixed-Term, 6 month secondment cover
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance and Annual Leave

RSPB Fairburn Ings has transitioned from coal face to wild place over the last 60 years. This former industrial site is rich in heritage and has become an important site for breeding and wintering wildfowl. Winding trails take you on an adventure through woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands to seek out our wildlife stars.

RSPB Fairburn Ings has a shop, a grab and go café, a full programme of events and a busy education team.

What's the role about?

This role involves supporting all elements of our visitor centre operation to deliver the highest standards of customer service. Our shop and welcome operations are a crucial part of what we do here, encouraging visitors to explore the reserve, and giving them a great visitor experience.

As part of our retail team, duties will include:

Operating the Fairburn Ings shop and leading the retail volunteer team.

• Welcoming visitors to the reserve, giving out information, and encouraging visitors to support our work.
• Working with the retail management to achieve financial targets and key performance indicators to deliver against retail store goals.
• Ensuring the retail store is commercially merchandised and stock levels are appropriate.
• Ensuring all retail admin, operating processes, security including cash handling and health and safety in the retail store are followed and adhere to RSPB procedures.
• Ensuring the retail store is delivering the highest standard of customer care.

Our work is planned via the use of rotas and as Centre Assistant your working days will vary but will include weekends and Bank Holidays. Full induction and training would be provided, with opportunities to learn about the running of a busy visitor centre and nature reserve operation.

Occasional work at our other Aire Valley site RSPB St Aidan’s may be required.

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Enthusiastic approach to work.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to manage and respond to customer needs and feedback.
• Be able to work effectively as part of a supportive and positive team.
• Ability to work on your own initiative and under pressure.
• To consistently deliver the highest standard of customer service.
• GCSE Maths and English or equivalent.
• Computer literate.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads.

Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Experience of working in a retail/sales environment or visitor attraction.
• Knowledge of health and safety in the workplace.
• Merchandising skills.
• Confident in the use of tills and payment processes.

Please note there is no public transport to RSPB Fairburn Ings.

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

Closing date: 23:59, Monday, 8th July 2024

We will be actively reviewing applications as they come in and interviews will be arranged shortly after - We reserve the right to close this advert once sufficient applications have been received.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

No agencies please.