Visitor Engagement Assistant

HOUSE OF COMMONS-3

House of Commons

The House of Commons a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK’s thriving democratic system.

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

Staff Benefits

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

• 30 days’ annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year).
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• Access to training and development.
• Flexible working.
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

Introduction

The Participation Team works to give the public a voice and to shape Parliament in the interests of the public. We reach out to communities and audiences across the UK, promoting an understanding of the role and relevance of both Houses, inspiring people to get involved and empowering citizens to have a voice.

Our well-established public engagement activities continue to expand. Over 1 million people participate in outreach and engagement activities across the UK through workshops, events and the annual UK Parliament Week. A further 500,000 directly engage in activities at Parliament, including through tours of the Palace of Westminster and school workshops in our world-class Education Centre.

The Visitor Experience team welcome one million visitors to the Parliamentary estate every year, they facilitate access to the public galleries and manage the onsite and digital tours and talks programme. An award winning dynamic and creative team focused on developing and delivering engaging and inclusive content.

The Role

We are looking to recruit enthusiastic and dynamic Visitor Engagement Assistants (VEAs) to join the Visitor Experience Team at the Houses of Parliament. You will welcome visitors, deliver engaging tours and talks, and open up the Palace of Westminster to members of the public. You need to bring great communication and presentation skills, a genuine interest in democracy, a passion for working with people and delivering the best possible customer service. You will need to love working with people, to thrive in a fast-paced environment, to be open to learning new things, to enjoy problem solving and to be committed to continual improvement.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Welcome visitors from around the world to the iconic UK Parliament, provide information, and assist them to their destinations, managing any specific access requirements. Ensure that you are providing a world-class welcome to all visitors to Parliament, proactively working to exceed expectation.
• Deliver a programme of inspiring public engagement activities, including tours and talks on Parliament and the history and heritage of the building. The engagement programme is delivered by the Visitor Engagement Assistants in-person and online.
• Offer meaningful and rich visit experiences to all audiences, including UK citizens, overseas visitors and those who are disengaged from mainstream politics.
• Lead by example by working collaboratively and proactively.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Has the ability to deliver engaging presentations to large audiences and adapt style and content to meet audience needs.
• Shows a good understanding of what excellent customer service is, and how to deliver it, with the ability to meet the needs of different audience groups and uphold the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrates the willingness to help others and the ability to work well as part of a team in a pressured environment.
• Can prioritise and exercise sound judgement with the ability to adapt and respond to changing needs.
• Self-motivated and proactive with the ability to work independently and a willingness to continually develop in-depth subject knowledge and expertise in the role.

Next Steps and Additional Information

If you would like to apply for this role, please submit your CV and covering letter with a 500 word limit.

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.