Retail Assistant - Fixed Term Contract

THE WALLACE COLLECTION

The Wallace Collection is a national museum housing unsurpassed masterpieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour, and porcelain. Built over the 18th and 19th centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, it is one of the finest and most celebrated collections in the world.

The Collection was given to the British Nation in 1897 by Lady Wallace, so that it could be kept together and enjoyed by generations of visitors. It was an astonishing bequest and one of the greatest gifts of artworks ever to be transferred into public ownership. Today, we care for the collection through research and conservation, and preserve it for future generations. Our aim is to share the collection with as broad an audience as possible.

We are a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). We are also a charity exempt from registration under the Charities Act of 2011. Our Director is Dr Xavier Bray. He is supported by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister.

SALARY

The salary for this role is £27,352. 

LOCATION

The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, W1U 3BN.  

OUR PRIORITIES

The Collection is committed to providing access to as wide a public as possible and to helping visitors engage with this diversity. Our goal is to create a place of understanding, cultural pluralism, curiosity and learning. To do this, we plan to create a world-class visitor experience for all ages which stimulates engagement with our collection through a new programme of exhibitions, major gallery refurbishments and an enhanced and expanded digital presence.

Our strategic priorities are to:

• To maintain, research and preserve the Collection for future generations;
• To broaden and deepen visitor engagement, connecting with audiences onsite and digitally;
• To build and support a strong exhibition programme;
• To lay a strong financial foundation for the future; and
• To embark upon a Masterplan programme to transform the museum.

OVERALL PURPOSE THE ROLE

We are looking for a Retail Assistant with the core mission of delivering the highest standard of customer service to all visitors. The Retail Assistant is welcoming, informative and engaged with the Collection and all it has to offer. As a brand ambassador the Retail Assistant ensures that the stories about the Collection, exhibitions and merchandise are known to all visitors. Taking a proactive dialogue with visitors, the goal is to raise revenue for the Collection through retail purchases and donations maximising all income and fundraising opportunities.

This role reports to the Retail and Merchandising Manager.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Retail Operations

• Welcome and greet all customers to the retail shop and ascertain the customer’s needs and wants.
• Maintain outstanding store condition by adhering to merchandising protocols and strategies, and keeping excellent stock replenishment and display standards.
• Adhere to all stock policies for write offs and deliveries.
• Take an adaptable and resourceful approach to all daily retail operational procedures.
• Accurately record daily sales and transactions through the point of sale systems and provide excellent cash handling skills.
• Maximise all sales opportunities and take a proactive approach at engaging with potential customers. Recommend and display items that match customer needs.
• Have excellent and up to date product knowledge to encourage engagement and storytelling to customers.

Customer Service & Museum Operations

• Welcome all visitors and inform about the Collection and all the facilities it has on offer, such as our exhibitions, events, lectures and public tours.
• Deal with all visitor enquiries and comments in a timely and efficient manner by ensuring full and up to date knowledge of the Collection’s programme and events.
• Actively engage visitors in the work of the Collection to encourage meaningful engagement and charitable giving.
• Uphold health and safety and emergency procedures ensuring visitors safety and security is always a priority.
• Work on occasional events and functions, which will require flexibility in hours worked.
• Any other tasks or duties requested by the wider museum team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Essential

• Experience in a customer or sales facing role.
• Visual merchandising and display experience.
• Working knowledge of stock control management.
• Experience of dealing with emergency procedures and following security requirements.
• Interest in and knowledge of the Collection and its activities.  

Desirable

• Strong interpersonal skills and effective relationship management.
• Reliable and committed in working as part of a team on a rota basis.
• Ability to learn and retain new information quickly.
• Flexible, resourceful and adaptable in approach.
• Self-motivated and able to use initiative when working independently.
• Ability to think creatively and work within a team to solve problems.
• Confident in engaging with diverse groups of people.  

HOW TO APPLY 

Please complete the Application Form, and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, following the links provided on our website. Please note the equal opportunities form is used for monitoring purposes only and does not form part of the selection process. Both forms should be emailed to recruitment@wallacecollection.org by midnight 09/06/2024. Please note late applications or applications via a CV will not be considered.

Interviews for the role will take place on week commencing, 10/06/2024. Candidates who have been shortlisted for interview will be contacted after the closing date. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it will not be possible to contact or give feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted for interview.

Start date: July 2024

Appointment to the role is subject to a satisfactory Basic Disclosure check. The Wallace Collection is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.