Jobs

The castle caretaking team provide a vital role in the operation and maintenance of Blair Castle, a Grade A Listed Building. Awareness and recognition of the building’s historic significance is key.

The castle is open to the public for seven days of the week, seven months of the year with additional private functions and events throughout the year and sporadic opening during the winter.

The role can occasionally be physically demanding, requires a flexible approach to work, attention to detail, problem solving attitude, good customer service and effective communication skills with the wider castle teams, management and trustees.

Main Duties:

– Leading in safe working practices at all times and the provision of the castle space as a safe working environment for staff and visitors at all times, in accordance with the estate’s safety policy and all relevant risk assessment method statements plus common sense.
– Inspecting the building to monitor that all property systems, drains and rainwater goods are in good working order and are maintained at optimal levels in close liaison with the estate’s Head of Property Services (HoPS).
– Resolving daily maintenance issues, performing minor repairs to equipment and facilities finding prompt solutions to unexpected problems, communicating routinely with castle management and seeking support from the HoPS when required.
– Disposing of wastepaper, packing materials and other rubbish, aiming to optimise recycling opportunities at all times.
– Taking a leading role in ensuring that the exterior of the castle, including back of house storage areas and workshops, are tidy, clean and excellently presented at all times. – Supporting the housekeeping team in the tidiness and excellent presentation of the castle exhibition and back of house space at all times.
– Taking personal responsibility for the excellent maintenance and cleanliness of the castle personnel vehicle at all times.
– Taking personal responsibility for optimising heating energy costs, reflecting the best balance between minimising use of energy while ensuring the castle’s heat and ventilation control is within the spectrum required to preserve its contents and fabric.
– In the winter when the castle is closed to the public, duties may extend to painting rooms and passages as required, helping with the cleaning of woodwork, weaponry and any other duties required in preparation for the reopening of the Castle.
– Liaising with the HoPS over maintenance works that they prompt via the estate’s direct labour force or via third party contractors, ensuring the Operations Manager is kept informed of any planned works at all times.
– Supporting the HoPS communication with external contractors for larger projects to ensure seamless collaboration.
– Monitoring the Operations Schedule to check that any rooms booked by either internal or external personnel are ready for occupancy, moving furniture where required
– Opening and closing of the castle at the start and end of each day, ensuring doors and windows are securely closed at the end of the day and monitoring CCTV to provide optimal peace of mind.
– Monitoring exterior signage, clearing fallen trees and branches, ensuring waste bins are regularly emptied in accordance with routine practice.
– Taking ownership of fire prevention awareness across the castle and within the operating culture of all teams, taking a zero tolerance approach to any situation which poses a possible fire risk, reporting all cases to the Operations Manager immediately.
– Acting as Fire Warden in all fire response situations and leading in training caretaking team in adopting this role in your absence With the Castle Archivist, ensuring all fire response equipment and services are kept maintained and in compliance with Fire Brigade standards.
– Acting as the lead key holder for our fire and security alarm system providers, providing a 24/7 out of hours on-call response cover on rota with the castle caretaker key holder team.
– Ensuring the castle caretaker team and the wider castle fire first response team are trained to effectively and safely respond to a fire alarm notification safely.
-Taking a leading role in risk assessment of castle security both within the exhibition and around the castle estate, liaising effectively with senior management and neighbouring department managers over systems that allow suspicious activity is shared quickly and effectively across the estate.
– Being fully aware of fire evacuation procedures supporting the Operations Team in the event the building needs to be evacuated when open to visitors Able to comply, understand and undertake Risk Assessments where appropriate and participation in any inspections Exercising a duty of care towards guests including ensuring that services to provide disabled guests with all reasonably possible support are well maintained and available.
– Managing the 24/7 duty and on-call caretaker rota, ensuring all involved are communicating effectively together and are using business phones and any other technology that links with our emergency response systems are being used consistently, communicating cover to the Opertations Manager at all times
– Day to day collection of staff mornings and evenings by the caretaker team as required. Positive approach to the adoption of IT and any new systems that are introduced after consultation by management.
– Participation in Operations Meeting with other key member of staff to identify and prioritise necessary works for the upkeep of the building, and to ensure a safe working environment for all.

For full details, please visit our website and apply to Karen with your CV and Covering Letter.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 30/04/2024