Visitor Services Supervisor - Barber Institute of Fine Arts - 15345 - Band 400

VISITOR SERVICES SUPERVISOR – 15345

Position Details

Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £20,488 to £21,868, with potential progression once in post to £26,603
Band 400
Full time
Permanent – Working a 4 on 4 off rotating shift pattern every 8 weeks.
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Closing Date: 14 November 2021

Additional Information:

This role will involve working weekends, close days and bank holidays
The successful candidate will be required to participate in the Emergency Call Out Scheme/Rota
Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Our offer to you 
 
People are at the heart of what we are and do. 
 
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.  We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. 
 
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.  With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University. 
 
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.  We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work. 
 
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.  In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. 
 
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.  On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens. 
 
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham   

Job Summary

The Visitor Services Supervisor leads and supervises a team of four Visitor Assistants who are responsible for delivering an excellent experience for all visitors and other building users, whilst ensuring the highest standards of security for the building and its contents.  You will enhance the visitor experience, contributing to a safe, welcoming and friendly environment, and communicate your knowledge of the Barber’s collection, exhibitions and activities with enthusiasm. 
As a Visitor Services Supervisor, you will work effectively cross-team with a second Supervisor to ensure standards and consistency maintained, promoted and developed within your team and across the Visitor Services Team. Working within the current shift pattern, working weekends, University closed days and Bank Holiday’s is a pre-requisite for the role. 

Main duties 
 
Supervisor

•    Support the Visitor Services Manager in the daily management of Front of House operations, implementing and supervising an effective daily roster of Visitor Assistants with forward planning.
•    Providing daily briefing for the team. 
•    Conduct monthly team meetings with an agreed agenda
•    Lead by example when working ‘the floor’ alongside colleagues, covering breaks, absences and any other rota gaps as workload allows.  
•    Address where appropriate behaviours of your team through coaching and guidance, reporting as may be necessary to the Visitor Services Manager.
•    Deputise for Visitor Services Manager during periods of absence, training and holiday.
•    Act as the senior member of staff on site at weekends, some evenings and during events.   
•    Assist the Visitor Services Manager in recruiting new staff (including the casual pool) and in ensuring that Visitor Assistants and all casual staff have appropriate induction and training.  
•    Lead, support and develop your team by sourcing relevant training and guidance with an inclusive approach.
•    Maintain training records of the team and share all training re-qualification / refresher needs with the Visitor Services Manager. 
•    Carry out staff one-to-one meetings as required to support guide and address concerns, recording and sharing appropriately with the Visitor Services Manager. 
•    Provide input into staff annual appraisals (PDR) 

Visitor Service 

•    Lead a team of four Visitor Assistants and casual staff in providing excellent customer care in support of the Barber’s vision and mission. 
•    Supervise all staff during shift ensuring that all areas of work, requirements within the Visitor Assistant role and tasks complete to the required standard. 
•    Facilitate a welcoming atmosphere for all visitors and building users, demonstrating an up to date knowledge of and enthusiasm for the collection, current and planned exhibitions, activities and events, campus and local information in a friendly and helpful manner.  
•    Be alert to the needs of all visitors, directing the Visitor Assistants to help visitors with additional needs.  
•    Assist with set up for special events and private views.   
•    Ensure all information are relayed appropriately and in a timely manner to your team ensuring the highest standards of visitor services are maintained. 

Reception and Retail Point 

•    Oversee daily till and cash reconciliation procedures in line with audit requirements.  
•    Ensure Visitor Assistants are competent and confident to use the till software system. 
•    Provide cover when required for Reception and Retail Point.   

Planning  

•    Monitor - record and manage annual leave, TOIL and sickness absence.  Seeking approval from the Visitor Services Manager. 
•    Produce weekly staffing details for your team including casual staff cover where required. 
•    Working effectively cross team with the second Supervisor to ensure the correct resources are available and sustainable across the Visitor Services Team.
•    Maintain a record via I.T Systems on the use of casual Visitor Assistants and staff overtime. 
•    Work closely with colleagues across the Barber to support projects, initiatives and educational programmes.
•    Attend meetings when required and share information across your team as appropriate to do so.
•    Arrange and schedule regular team meetings preparing a meeting agenda.

Security & Maintenance 

•    Carry out start of shift security and maintenance checks across the building including security and mechanical systems checks.
•    Ensure the daily security routines, including lock-up procedures and internal patrols completed to the required standard.  
•    Understand the security issues for the building and the collections and ensure that the Visitor Assistants remain vigilant when on duty.  
•    Fault reporting as required using the appropriate channels.
•    Interpret and politely enforce gallery rules.  
•    Understand and ensure the access policy is enforced and that all appropriate signing in, key control, and supervision procedures for contractors, back of house visitors and building users are upheld and documented.  
•    Monitor the Control Room and CCTV.  
•    Report any unusual activity to the Visitor Services Manager and in the absence of, taking appropriate action, including responding and interpreting alarm activations, liaising with emergency and campus services as needed. 

Health & Safety 

•    Work closely with the Visitor Services Manager to create a safe environment within the building, identifying and mitigating risks, have a thorough knowledge of emergency procedures and fire safety.   
•    Comply with Health and Safety policies.   
•    Ensure accidents and incidents are logged and reported.  
•    Oversee and maintain first aid box supplies. 
•    Maintain a full knowledge of the Gallery’s emergency and emergency action plan’s and be confident to manage and co-ordinate an evacuation if necessary.  
•    Implement the Gallery’s emergency plan and respond to maintenance emergencies through taking appropriate remedial action and calling out relevant contractors.  

Other  

•    Participate in learning opportunities provided by colleagues. 
•    At weekends during evenings and events or when providing holiday cover for the Visitor Services Manager, the Visitor Services Supervisor will be the most senior person on duty.  
•    Visitor Services Supervisors are required to be on the rota of Out of Hours emergency call out. 
•    In addition to the regular shift pattern of work, available and willing to work, Bank Holidays, University closed days and weekends with additional evenings (overtime rates payable).
•    This role requires satisfactory clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service, formally known as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience   

Essential

•    Considerable experience and evidence of a successful record of accomplishment working as a team leader/supervisor.
•    Build, maintain sustainable relationships, communicate with and respond to a diverse range of people in a diplomatic and confident manner. 
•    Self-motivated and pro-active approach to work, confident to take initiative and willing to take on a variety of task, demonstrate initiative and prioritise effectively between tasks. 
•    The ability to analyse problems, present and implement solutions. 
•    The ability to take ownership and work under own initiative.
•    Understanding the limit of knowledge and skill-set, seeking advice and guidance to support decision-making. 
•    Experience of the security issues involved in the running of public gallery with contents of the highest importance 
•    Demonstrable experience of operating PC based security systems i.e. CCTV and fire alarms.   
•    Effective time-management skills and ability to remain calm under pressure. 
•    Competence with office computer systems such as MS Word, Excel and Outlook email. 
•    An interest in and enthusiasm for art and culture and a willingness to learn and update knowledge of collection/exhibitions, taking up opportunities offered. 
•    In addition to the current shift pattern of work, available and willing to work Bank Holidays, University closed days and additional evening cover (overtime payable). 
•    First Aid at work qualification, or willing to undertake appropriate training. 

Desirable

•    Security Industry Authority door supervisor & Public Space Surveillance CCTV license
•    Experience of working within museum/heritage/cultural sector

Informal enquiries to David Lowe; [email protected] 

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment 
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.