Gallery Assistant

Job Description

The role
What you’ll do
Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills required:
How to apply
Benefits
Employment Visa:

The role

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of the largest and busiest arts venues in Wales, with facilities unrivalled throughout the UK. It offers a wide-ranging programme of arts events, performances, exhibitions, festivals, workshops and special projects and welcomes over 500,000 visitors a year.

We are looking for dynamic individuals to work in our gallery spaces who are interested in contemporary art and have a passion to engage people with it, being able to communicate effectively about sometimes complex ideas within contemporary art to a wide audience including artists, curators and the general public of all ages and backgrounds.

To make an informal enquiry, please contact Ffion Rhys at fer11@aber.ac.uk.

Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.

What you’ll do

This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• To ensure the safety of the exhibition work in Gallery 1, following opening and closing procedures and never leaving the gallery unattended.
• Opening and closing of other gallery spaces within the Arts Centre including Gallery 2, The Piazza Window, Ceramics Gallery and The Eye, turning on/off technical equipment and lighting.
• To engage with visitors and to ensure that the gallery is a friendly, welcoming and stimulating environment through:

• Having a background knowledge of all the exhibitions in the Arts Centre and being able to communicate the artists ideas and intentions in an accessible way.

- Encouraging a personal response to the exhibition through devising and promoting the learning activities provided and contributing comments to the comments board. - Being responsive to visitor queries and being able to deal with a wide variety of visitors in a friendly manner.

• To take accurate messages from enquiries in person or over the telephone.
• To undertake research tasks on forthcoming exhibitions as requested by the Exhibitions Assistant or the Visual Arts Manager-Curator.
• To deal with the sales of artwork, catalogues or other merchandise using the card machine or Collectorplan.
• To undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post.
• To be committed to the University’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post.
• To be committed to your own development and that of your staff through the effective use of the University’s Effective Contribution Scheme.
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills required:

Essential

• Previous customer service experience/working with the public
• An interest in contemporary art and a passion to engage people with it
• Good listening skills
• IT skills and basic administrative ability
• The ability to communicate effectively about sometimes complex ideas within contemporary art to a wide audience including artists, curators and the general public of all ages and backgrounds
• Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level B2.*

Desirable

• Fine Art/Design qualification
• Previous experience within a gallery environment
• Background knowledge of contemporary art; experience from a creative learning capacity
• Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level C1.*

• More information on Welsh Language Levels can be found at:

https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/policy-and-procedure/welsh-standards/

How to apply

To promote a flexible workforce, the University will consider applications from individuals seeking full time, part time, job share, or term time only working arrangements.

Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.

Benefits

• Flexible working policy
• 36.5 hour week for full-time roles
• Generous leave entitlements: 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
• Commitment to Professional Development
• Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
• Staff recognition and reward schemes
• Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
• Staff relocation bursary
• Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
• Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus.

Please keep reading

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and, those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.

We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.

Employment Visa:

Under the UK Government’s points-based system scheme, this role does not meet the criteria to be sponsored by Aberystwyth University (AU) for a Skilled Worker Route (SWR) application.