Overview
Role Summary
Access Control Assistant
Visitor and Security Services
Full-time
Permanent
£30,364 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on Thursday, 4 September 2025
The Visitor and Security Services department (VSS) works across the Museum to ensure our visitors are able to make the most of their visit. Whether it is managing public safety, selling tickets to exhibitions, providing information on the Museum’s collection or patrolling the Museum to make sure it is safe and secure, our staff are focused on delivering an excellent experience for every visitor and to provide security for the Museum, staff, visitors and one of the most important collections in the world. We are looking for professionals with a commitment to high quality visitor and security services to join our team. The British Museum is the UK’s leading visitor attraction and welcomes over 6 million visitors a year.
What are the key responsibilities of the Access Control Assistant role?
As an Access Control Assistant you will play a key role in ensuring the safety and security of the British Museum’s visitors, staff and collection by acting as the main point of contact for access control processes. As part of a team you will process access requests, welcome contractors to the Museum and manage the Museum Electronic Access Control and Database Systems.
What might a normal day look like?
You will be part of a busy team providing a proactive and efficient access control service. This will involve issuing, renewing and revoking security passes, undertaking required checks and overseeing the issuing of keys. Your role will be the main contact for contractors and guests helping to ensure that individuals are properly checked and are safe and secure to be on site.
What skills and experience are required?
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of security principles, basic Health and Safety and Fire Regulations with the following abilities:
- strong attention to detail
- administration skills
- user of Microsoft based IT systems and databases
- a confident communicator who can understand customer needs and respond appropriately
- making decisions within procedures and knowing when to escalate issues
What is the working pattern?
This role works on a 4-days on, 4-days off working pattern across 7 days a week (12 hours per shift, 42 hours average per week). This role works day shifts only.
What benefits do we offer?
- 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:
For more information about this role, please see the job description.
The interviews are expected to take place on 18 and 19 September 2025.
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.
The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.
We specifically encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups who are underrepresented within our senior roles.
The Museum adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.
Guidance:
Supporting personal statements within the application process must demonstrate your knowledge and experience of delivering excellent customer service as well as having an understanding of applying health and safety and security procedures within the workplace. Interview questions will be based around your knowledge and understanding of delivering excellent customer service in a front of house role, the application of health and safety and security procedures within the workplace and the benefits of working within a large team.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
