Jobs

Our Visitor Experience Assistants are key members of our team who act as the first point of contact for visitors – welcoming them to the Centre, providing information on what we do and helping people to learn more about Scotland’s amazing marine wildlife and habitats. Your aim is to ensure that our visitors have a genuinely memorable experience. The role provides an opportunity to both gain experience of, and deliver, excellent customer service across our welcome point, retail, discovery experience and boat (seasonal March-October) activities. At times, you will be asked to help the wider team with café duties, so this role is never dull!

Principal duties

We are looking for enthusiastic people who enjoy proactively engaging with customers across a range of departments. You must have a desire to provide excellent customer care and a memorable experience, often in a fast-paced environment. You should have an interest in Scotland’s marine and coastal environment and environmental sustainability, although opportunities to learn more about this will be provided in the role.

General
• Welcome everyone to the Centre and provide information to them on what they can do when visiting and our wider charitable activities.
• Support the booking systems for our experience activities (boats, discovery, and events) and process admission tickets and/or refunds.
• Promote the benefits of membership and/or our Friends and wildlife adoptions schemes to visitors.
• Support our volunteer team who assist with various activities in the Centre.
• Work safely, observing all Health & Safety policies and procedures.

Experience: You will support visitors to get the most from the exhibits, interactives, and remote live cameras within our Discovery Experience, including giving information on local wildlife sightings and presentations to groups of visitors on a range of topics (training will be given).

Retail: You will assist at our Information and Retail counter ensuring that all displays and counters are appropriately stocked and presented, assisting with stock selection and management, and supporting customer sales at the till or online. This is the key point for providing general information to our customers.

Boats: you will support customers who wish to take one of our amazing wildlife boat trips by processing bookings, providing information on what they might see and managing any cancellations and refunds to customers.

Café: At peak times you will also support our café operations which will include taking and processing orders at the till, serving meals, clearing and cleaning tables and assisting in the dishwasher area.

Essential skills and experience

• Consistent delivery of a high-quality visitor experience
• Customer-focused attitude and experience
• A confident communicator – verbal and written.
• Organised with an ability to take the initiative and prioritise your work.
• A team player – adaptable and flexible to a varied working environment.
• Attention to detail and providing accurate information.
• Ability to problem-solve.
• Basic IT and maths skills.

Desirable skills and experience
• An interest in Scotland’s marine and coastal environment
• An awareness of and alignment with environmental sustainability principles and practice.

Background:
The Scottish Seabird Centre is a conservation and education charity whose purpose is “Inspiring and educating people about the Scottish marine environment, motivating them to care for it, and supporting conservation projects”. Based in North Berwick, East Lothian we overlook the marine environment in the Firth of Forth and have over 200,000 visits each year.

We have four key pillars to our work:
• Conservation we develop, practically undertake, and promote models of conservation best practice and citizen science.
• Education we deliver education programmes, science resources and events and use innovative ways to provide information on the marine environment.
• Communities we work in partnership with diverse communities including enhancing the experience for visitors to North Berwick.
• Experience we offer a 5-star, year-round visitor experience that helps people to make informed choices about the management of the marine environment.

Our charitable work is supported by our not-for-profit Trading Company Scottish Seabird Centre Limited and our 5-star visitor attraction which provides a valuable resource for members and visitors.

Our values
Our values underpin everything we do. We take pride in bringing these to life in all that we do. We are:
• PASSIONATE about Scotland’s coastal and marine environment.
• INSPIRE others to explore and care for Scotland’s coastal and marine environment.
• INNOVATE with the approaches we use to engage with people.
• COLLABORATE with local and national partners to convey the importance of Scotland’s marine environment.
• INFORMED about the current health of Scotland’s marine wildlife and habitats and the actions required to protect it.
• TRUSTWORTHY providing reliable information and acting with integrity and without bias.

Performance: To be measured against clearly defined measurable and challenging goals.

Wage: We pay above the national minimum wage rate.

Benefits
• Working for a successful conservation and education charity in a stunning location.
• Pension available.
• Training and development for everyone.
• 20% discount in the charity’s Gift Shop and Seabird Café.
• 10% discount on the Scottish Seabird Centre boat trips.
• Free entry to the Discovery Experience, for you and family members (restrictions on numbers apply).
• Free access to a range of Scottish visitor attractions with an Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions card.
• Free access/ special offers for a range of East Lothian attractions with an East Lothian Tourism Attraction Group card.

Applications: Tell us why you are keen to work with us – and when you are available – in a covering letter and attach your CV. Please send both to info@seabird.org. Applications for this role will be closed by 12 noon on the 9 May 2023 with interviews taking place before 16 May 2023.

As we are keen to recruit as soon as possible, please apply now. We look forward to hearing from you!

Application Deadline: Tuesday 09/05/2023