Visitor Experience Assistant

Do you enjoy helping people feel welcome and creating memorable days out? Could you bring warmth, energy and confidence to a public-facing role at the National Railway Museum?

About us

The Science Museum Group encompasses the Science Museum, the National Railway Museum, the Science and Industry Museum, the National Science and Media Museum, Locomotion and the Science and Innovation Park, making us one of the world's leading groups of science museums.

The National Railway Museum is famous for its unrivalled collections and for the experiences we create for the millions of visitors who come through our doors. Our Visitor Experience team plays a vital role in bringing the museum to life, providing excellent customer service and helping visitors make meaningful connections with our stories, collections and people.

We're now looking for Visitor Experience Assistants to join us at the National Railway Museum in York. We have one permanent, full-time position working 35 hours per week and five casual positions available, paid at £13.45 per hour.

About the role

As a Visitor Experience Assistant, you'll support the day-to-day operation of the museum and help every visitor enjoy a welcoming, safe and seamless experience.

You'll work across a variety of visitor-facing areas, welcoming people, answering questions and helping them plan their day. You'll also support ticket sales, fundraising and commercial activities, which could include promoting experiences, encouraging donations and helping visitors stay connected with the museum.

You may operate experiences such as the Flying Scotsman Virtual Reality Experience, support queue management, visitor flow and car park operations, and occasionally help with activity in Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery. You'll also contribute to high standards of presentation, cleanliness, safety and visitor care across your working areas.

This is an active, hands-on role based fully on site. It may involve periods of standing and walking, working outdoors in different weather conditions, and manual tasks such as moving equipment or setting up activity spaces. We're open seven days a week, so regular weekend working is required as part of a rota, with most shifts scheduled between 9.30am and 5.00pm.

Candidates shortlisted for this role must be available to attend an in-person Assessment Centre at the National Railway Museum on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The assessment activities can only be delivered on this date and alternative dates will not be available, so please check that you can attend before applying. Applications close at 11pm on Tuesday 20 October 2026.

This is a varied role where no two days are quite the same. It offers the opportunity to build your knowledge of the museum, develop new skills and play an important part in creating positive experiences for visitors of all ages.

About you

You don't need to be a railway expert. What matters is that you enjoy working with people and are committed to providing a friendly, professional and inclusive service.

An effective and confident communicator, you'll be able to engage positively with a wide range of visitors, listen carefully and adapt your approach to meet different needs. You'll use initiative and good judgement when solving problems and responding to changing situations, while remaining calm and helpful in both busy and quieter environments.

You'll be reliable, conscientious and comfortable working collaboratively as part of a team, as well as independently when needed. You'll be willing to learn new information, processes and systems and ready to contribute to fundraising, sales and audience engagement activities.

Experience in customer service, hospitality, retail, attractions, events or another public-facing environment would be useful, but it isn't essential. You'll also be comfortable using digital systems and standard software packages and understand the importance of following health and safety procedures.

Most importantly, you'll bring a flexible, practical and visitor-focused approach, alongside a genuine commitment to helping us build an open and inclusive organisation. We're committed to making reasonable adjustments wherever possible and welcome conversations about how we can support you to carry out the role successfully.

Don't feel you meet all the criteria? We welcome you to apply even if your experience doesn't match directly. With your transferable skills, you could be the right candidate for this or another opportunity with us.

Applying

View the Vacancy Information Pack listed under 'Attachments' on the vacancy listing on our website for more details about the role and the application process or click 'Apply Online' to submit an application.

What we offer

Working with a world-leading museum group that offers access to truly unique environments and collections, you'll benefit from the perks listed below, as well as full support for life events such as parental and adoption leave, sickness, and career breaks.

• Meaningful work. We're a mission-led organisation where the work you do supports us in Inspiring Futures.
• Career growth. We offer enhanced support with personal and professional development.
• Work/life balance. We offer 27 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, along with flexible policies which support you and your home life.
• Healthcare cash plan. Digital health tools, gym discounts and cashback towards your everyday healthcare costs.
• All our colleagues can access an employee assistance programme and other wellbeing support.
• Colleague networks. Our colleague-led networks are an informal forum for colleagues to come together to discuss topics of shared interest and lived experience. They create a space for people to exchange ideas, discuss best practice, socialise and build a sense of community.
• Enhanced contributory pension. To support you in saving for the future.
• Interest-free loans. When you need a little extra cash for life events or home improvements.
• Great discounts. Free entry to exhibitions, discounts in our shops and cafes, and access to other museums in the NMDC network.

Open for All is one of the Science Museum Group's five core values and sets out our important aspiration to be a place for everyone. We are working hard to understand our organisation better and to develop a culture that recognises and values different backgrounds, mindsets, skills, experience, knowledge, and expertise. By having greater diversity, we believe that we will be a stronger and better organisation, capable to continue to Inspire Futures.