Hes/22/328a - Seasonal Castle Guide

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 287773**Salary**:

- £21,052**Job grade**:

- Other- A**Contract type**:

- Temporary**Length of employment**:

- until 30/09/23**Business area**:

- HES - Operations**Type of role**:

- Other**Working pattern**:

- Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Edinburgh CastleAbout the job

**Job summary**:
Thank you for your interest in the post of Seasonal Castle Guide with Historic Environment Scotland, based at Edinburgh Castle. This is a fixed-term and pensionable appointment.

As a Guide at Edinburgh Castle, you will be responsible for providing excellent service to visitors and enhancing their experience of the castle. This post includes weekend working.

**Job description**:
Overview of the post and information about the team

Edinburgh Castle is the most popular paid visitor attraction in Scotland. The Guiding team works to provide all aspects of the visitor journey within the castle and is responsible for delivering a world-class visitor experience. This includes a diverse range of activities from passing on castle/historical information to visitors, maintaining exhibition areas and assisting in managing events of various sizes.

Key responsibilities, duties, and objectives
- You will provide information, assistance and deliver guided tours whilst also ensuring visitor safety at Edinburgh Castle. The duties are detailed below:
- Provide assistance and information in a friendly manner to maximise visitorexperience
- Develop existing knowledge of the castle’s history and share this with visitors
- Ensure the security and cleanliness of apartments and look after their contentsduring opening hours. Report any suspicious activity or behaviour to SeniorGuides/Duty Manager
- Ensure visitor safety throughout the working day and prevent any damage to thecastle
- Implement correct closedown procedures, ensuring site is clear of visitors andapartments secure
- Engage with visitors who may require use of wheelchairs, lifts or the mobility vehicle
- Manage visitor flow and report any issues to Senior Guide/Duty Manager
- Manage vehicle access inside the castle
- Assist with procedures on ceremonial occasions
- Assist with functions out with castle opening hours
- Provide information on other Historic Environment Scotland sites and servicesavailable to visitors
- Comply with any Covid guidance and our own Resumption Operating Standardsrestrictions in place at the time.

**Person specification**:
Post Competencies

We are looking for you to complete a statement of competence looking at the below essential and desirable requirements of this role.

Knowledge, skills and experience

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the requirements and qualifications below as part of the selection process.
- Essential requirements:
- Interest in and knowledge of Scottish history
- Excellent customer service skills
- Experience of working in a fast-paced, busy environment
- Desirable requirements:
- Familiarity with Edinburgh Castle’s operation and layout
- Experience of conducting guided tours
- First Aid experience

**Benefits**:
What we offer

In addition we offer a great benefits package to our employees which includes:

- flexible working hours (where appropriate)
- special leave
- maternity/paternity leave
- adoption leave
- reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
- support for further education and personal development
- study leave for work related courses
- access to a learning resource centre

Health and welfare

We offer you access to:

- our Employee Assistance Programme - for confidential advice and counselling
- an occupational sick pay scheme
- discounts at some local authority leisure facilities
- access to a free Headspace membership
- interest free loans for bicycles and annual travel passes (see ‘season ticket’ below)
- reasonable adjustments when needed, as part of our Equalities policy

Staff discounts

You will receive:

- free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
- free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties
- 20% off purchases in our retail outlets

Season tickets

You can receive an advance to help with the cost of buying an annual season ticket for travel between home and work. The advance is then repaid from your salary over the life of the season ticket. Available to all permanent and fixed-term staff.

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:
HES is committed to making reasonable adjustments and is happy to answer any questions you may have about the recruitment process in order that you can identify any adjustments that may be required.

HES is committed to not only avoiding unlawful discrimination against people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, but also to positively promoting equality and doing more than equality law requires.

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