Tour Guide - Extend

Job Package

This role is advertised as part of our BBC Extend programme for disabled people. To apply for this role you should identify as deaf, disabled or neurodivergent and must meet either: the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010), or the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland. You’re broadly defined as disabled under both acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative or adverse effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition includes both apparent and non-apparent conditions and impairments, and medical conditions such as Cancer, HIV or Multiple Sclerosis.

We are committed to making the process of applying for this role as accessible as possible. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the application process, or have any questions about our Extend programme, please contact the BBC Extend team via the shared mailbox.

The BBC are fully committed to providing workplace adjustments to help eliminate barriers in the workplace that disabled people face. To do this, we have our own dedicated BBC Access and Disability Service that provides assessments and support throughout employment with us. If you are successful in applying for this role and require workplace adjustments, we will work with you to get your adjustments in place.

If you’d like more information on BBC Extend, please visit the BBC Extend webpage.

For an accessible format of the advert, please click here

Band : A

Contract : Permanent (Part Time - 3 hrs per week)

Salary : £21,368 - £26,710 dependent on skills and experience

Location : Office Based - Cardiff

Welsh language skills are not necessary / Nid yw sgiliau yn yr iaith Gymraeg yn angenrheidiol

Job Purpose

Are you passionate about performing, sharing and telling stories? Do you want to be the face of BBC Cymru Wales?

BBC Wales’ award-winning tours, are an opportunity for individuals, groups, schools and colleges to visit the television and radio studios, packed with cutting-edge technology - including augmented reality, virtual reality and robotic cameras.

Since opening its doors, over 16,000 people from across Wales and the world have experienced the future of broadcasting, as part of the 90-minute guided tours. As a live and working broadcast centre, no two tours are the same, and they include a sneak peek at TV galleries and other broadcast facilities.

BBC Cymru Wales has received several awards and nominations for the quality of its tours including: a coveted Visit Wales gold award, a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice award and a nomination as a finalist for the Cardiff Business Awards 2023 in the Leisure & Hospitality Business of the Year category.

Tours run throughout the year with a short break in December. More information about the tours can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tours

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The Tour Guide’s role is to be the face of BBC Wales and therefore you will offer exceptional customer care and always give our visitors the warmest of welcomes.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Deliver scripted, walking tours of Central Square.

• Host groups of up to 20 people of varying ages and backgrounds.

• Deliver at least three tours per day lasting 90-minutes each. Typically, our tours run 10:30 – 12:00, 12:30 – 14:00 and 15:00 – 16:30.

• Welcome and check-in visitors for the tours, prioritising visitors’ needs at all times.

• Assess the suitability of the tour route and adjust accordingly.

• Assist in safely evacuating our visitors in the event of an emergency evacuation. You will also receive first aid training.

• Answer questions from visitors about the tour and the BBC.

• Support workshops and events as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

We are looking for enthusiastic and energetic storytellers to present our walking tours, visiting every floor in our building. Occasionally you will be required to support workshops and events. We want individuals who can connect people with stories that matter to them and create unique and truly memorable experiences.

We want you to use your exceptional communication skills, enthusiastic personality and dramatic flair to deliver engaging tours, clearly spoken with good pitch and tone, bringing BBC Wales’ story to life and igniting our visitors’ curiosity.

The aim of the tours is to give visitors a fascinating insight into the work that goes into making exceptional BBC content. The Tours Team has a key role in transforming the BBC, making us even more open, inclusive and accessible.

Are you the right candidate?

• Excellent communication skills are essential. The successful candidate will have fantastic presentation skills and able to deliver energetic, interesting and informative tours to a range of audiences, from school children to families and groups.

• You will be reliable, flexible and punctual. The ability to keep good timekeeping are essential for this role.

• You are expected to be professional, polite and courteous to all visitors and have excellent customer service skills.

• You must be able to retain a great deal of information and facts and be able to recall it with ease, so that it flows naturally, like telling a story to a friend.

• This role involves weekday and weekend working on a rotation basis. Due to the varying shifts, flexibility is key.

• You will have a passion for the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting.

• These roles are ideal for performers, actors or candidates with experience of public speaking to large groups.

BBC Wales is building a vibrant and creative workforce. We want the Tours Team to reflect the diverse communities in Wales, creating a welcoming team where people can be themselves.

What are the hours?

• Shifts are typically Wednesday to Sunday at 09:45-16:45 or 10:15-16:45.

• You’ll be expected to work at least two shifts per month, but most Tour Guides regularly work four to eight shifts per month.

• You’ll be expected to work weekday and weekend shifts on rotation.

Please contact Abi Lawrence (abi.lawrence@bbc.co.uk) if you have any questions about the role.