Security Officer

The British Museum is the UK’s leading visitor attraction and welcomes over five million visitors a year. The Visitor and Security Services Department (VSS) are looking to recruit Security Officers to work across the Museum Estate. The primary purpose of the role is to provide security for the Museum, staff, visitors and one of the most important collections in the world. To this end, we are looking for people who can deliver security awareness and customer service to a high standard.

What are the key responsibilities of the Security Officer role?

You will be joining a Security Team whose primary focus is to provide a safe and secure environment for our visitors, staff, and our world-famous collection. You will be the first person that visitors and staff often meet on their arrival, and the last person they see when departing the Museum. First impressions count. Therefore, the right candidate must have a high standard of dress, motivation to work as an individual or within a team sometimes in challenging circumstances, maintaining a high standard of security awareness with good customer care, provide support for our other visitor frontline teams while treating everyone you meet with dignity and respect.

What might a normal day look like?

No one day is ever the same, so your flexibility and teamwork is essential to ensuring a safe and secure environment for visitors, staff and collection. You can expect to find yourself:

Welcoming visitors on arrival.
Conducting security bag and vehicle searches.
Controlling all pedestrian and vehicle access to the Museum.
Providing a high visibility presence by regular patrolling of public spaces.
Responding to alarms, escalated security incidents and suspicious behaviour.
Collaborating with Metropolitan Police and Emergency Services when required.
Providing security services for evening functions and events.

Skills and Experience – Requirements:

A valid SIA Door Supervisor licence is desirable but not essential, as training and support with licensing will be provided to the right candidate who can demonstrate the following skills and experiences:

Experience and Knowledge of working in an operational security role.
Excellent customer service skills.
Good written and verbal communication skills to understand visitor needs and respond appropriately.
High level of awareness and responsiveness in security situations.
Ability to effectively respond to emergency situations and undertake rapid response activities.
Able to take responsibility for tasks, only escalating these where required.
Ability to work cooperatively as a team and follow instructions and processes in routine and emergency situations.

We will help you settle into the team and develop your skills through a detailed induction training programme as well as further training opportunities.

We offer a competitive benefits package including:

Membership of the civil service pension scheme
Generous annual leave allowance
Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
Interest-free season ticket loan
Professional and personal development opportunities
Employee Assistance Programme
Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

Additional details:

Interview Timelines: The interviews will take place between 29th – 31st May 2024.

Please only apply if you will be available to interview on these dates. The interview will consist of competency-based questions as well as a short knowledge assessment.

Start date: It is anticipated that the successful candidates for this role would start in early August 2024.

This is an exciting time to join a dynamic and developing Department where you will play your part in delivering a world class service. Apply today for a chance to help shape the future of the VSS department at the UK’s number one tourist attraction.

A full overview of the VSS department at the Museum can be found here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/jobs/vacancies-visitor-and-security-services-department

The British Museum is committed to equal opportunities and to providing employees with a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

The Museum adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.

Museum Website: https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_7419.aspx