Details
1122154
Newcastle University
25/01/2027
6 Months
Flexible (Up to 11hours)
Smart Casual
Pay
£14.44
£1.74
Description
Role
Newcastle University is offering an exciting opportunity for 2 students, working with the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape as a Farrell Centre Gallery Assistant. This opportunity is open to all Newcastle University postgraduate students.
This role is expected to be for a total of 286 hours. You will work approximately 11 hours per week between January and July 2027. Working hours will be discussed directly with your supervisor. Work will take place on campus with more information on dates/times below.
Assistants will contribute to ensuring that the Farrell Centre is safe, welcoming and accessible space to all, working alongside the Centre's Audience Engagement Assistants and reporting to the Deputy School Manager (APL). You will need to be familiar with applicable Centre policies and procedures where relevant, including key Health & Safety policies. You will have the opportunity to assist with various Centre activities as required, such as workshops and events, as well as supporting private hire. You will play an important role in the day-to-day running of the Farrell Centre, working to ensure the safety and comfort of our visitors and that their experience of our building, exhibitions and programmes is as rich and rewarding as possible. Outside of public opening hours, you may be asked to assist with school and group visits, and other activities associated with the Centre. For more details on the Centre, please see here.
Duties and responsibilities
- Front of house support, ensuring the centre is ready for visitors and compliant with health and safety arrangements. You will either need to hold UK first aid and fire warden certification or be happy to be trained in this (this is essential to the role, but training can be provided).
- You will assist with events and activities offered by the Centre, and in appropriate situations may lead on an activity. There will be some independent/lone working at times, for event cover.
- Work in collaboration with the wider staff team to ensure that all aspects of the Farrell Centre visitor experience are consistently of the highest quality.
- Be a key point of information for visitors: welcoming visitors, answering questions, aiding visitor navigation of the building, relaying information about all aspects of the Farrell Centre’s programme.
- Take a proactive approach to visitor engagement: introducing temporary exhibitions and the Urban Rooms programme, offering further information and insights, prompting visitors to offer their views and responses, and supporting visitors with self-directed engagement activities.
- Support the delivery of workshops and events held at the Farrell Centre.
- Ensure the Farrell Centre building is always in a presentable state, reporting any cleaning requirements to management and University cleaning teams as required.
- Work to protect Farrell Centre exhibits and building from damage, including carrying out detailed daily checks of objects and displays. Report any concerns to line manager and, if necessary, University Security
- In the event of fire alarm, working with other members of the Farrell Centre team to ensure the building is evacuated and where necessary assist wheelchair users with locating refuges. In some cases, to lead on the activity depending on Centre activity.
- Deliver first aid if necessary, completing appropriate reports
- Report any health and safety concerns to line manager and take action where necessary or appropriate
- Engage with visitor feedback procedures
- Help contribute towards digital engagement
- Provide general organisation and logistical support to the Farrell Centre team as required
Skills and experience
Essential skills:
- You MUST be a Postgraduate student to be eligible for this role
- Customer service and/or front of house experience, ideally at a cultural venue or equivalent (whether working or volunteering)
- Excellent communication skills, with ability to communicate effectively to a range of audiences
- Excellent IT skills
- Excellent organisational skills with good attention to detail.
Desirable skills:
- Already be first aid and fire warden trained (UK qualifications)
- Knowledge of the museums sector and commitment to the mission and values of the Farrell Centre
Location
Farrell Centre - Main Campus
Additional information
Start Date: 25/01/2027
End Date: 30/07/2027
How to Apply: Please apply with an up-to-date CV and Cover Letter. Closing date for applications is midnight on 29/11/2026.
Working hours: You will work approximately 11 hours per week between January and July 2027. Working hours will be discussed directly with your supervisor. Work will take place on campus usually between Wednesday to Friday afternoons (covering our public opening times, 1.00-4.00pm). You must be available then, along with at least one Saturday per month. You must be available to work the following dates: Saturdays 13th February; 13th March; 10th April; 8th May; 22nd May; 12th June; 10th July. Your supervisor will organise a rota for each week.
Please note, by applying for this role your contact details will be shared with the hiring manager as part of the recruitment process.
Newcastle University is committed to being a fully inclusive Global University which actively recruits, supports and retains staff from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the community they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, as well as being open to flexible working practices.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.
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