Customer Experience & Retail Assistant
The Golden Hinde Closing date: Tue, 26 May 2026
- Part time
- £10k-£15k
Tue, 12 May 2026 "> published -
Job Summary
Job Description
We're looking for a confident and personable individual to join the team at The Golden Hinde, supporting daily visitor operations with a strong focus on customer engagement and retail performance.
This is a customer-facing role based across the ship's admissions gate and onboard shop. You will welcome visitors, manage ticket sales, and create a positive first impression. Within the ship's hold, you will take ownership of retail-ensuring products feel like discoveries and maximising sales through active engagement and upselling.
The ideal candidate will be comfortable initiating conversations, reading visitor needs, and confidently recommending products to enhance their experience. While an interest in heritage is beneficial, the key focus is the ability to connect with people and deliver excellent service that drives revenue.
This is a new role, initially offered on a fixed-term basis until December 2026, with strong potential to evolve beyond this period if successful. It is well suited to someone looking to begin a career in the museum and heritage sector, gaining hands-on experience in a unique environment. There may be opportunities to support tour delivery, though this is not a core requirement.
Shifts follow a 4-week rota:
- Week 1: Thursday & Friday
- Weeks 2-4: Saturday & Sunday
Typical hours are 10:00-18:00, with 15 hours per week guaranteed. Additional hours and overtime may be available.
Please note The Golden Hinde is a historic vessel. The role involves uneven surfaces, ladders, and confined spaces, with conditions varying depending on weather. A reasonable level of physical fitness is required.
Salary: £14.80 per hour
The Golden Hinde is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
- Strong customer service and sales experience
- Experience in retail or admissions/ticketing environments
- Confident communicator with the ability to engage a wide range of visitors
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, public-facing environment
- Ability to proactively approach and upsell to customers
- Reliable, punctual, and able to work independently
- Physically able to work onboard a historic ship (stairs, ladders, uneven surfaces)
- Available to work weekends as part of a fixed rota
DESIRABLE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
- Interest in museums, heritage, or visitor attractions
- Experience working within a small, multi-functional team
- Understanding of customer journey or visitor experience principles
Job Responsibilities
Visitor Services & Admissions
- Act as a primary point of contact for visitors in person, by phone, and via email
- Operate the admissions kiosk, including ticket sales and bookings, while delivering a welcoming and professional visitor experience and maintaining accurate records.
Retail & Sales
- Take ownership of the onboard retail space within the ship's hold.
- Maintain high presentation standards, organise stock, actively engage visitors, promote products, and maximise sales through upselling.
Visitor Experience
- Create a positive atmosphere throughout the visitor journey, support visitor flow, respond proactively to visitor needs, and assist with maintaining presentation standards across the ship and visitor areas.
- Support talks or tours where required.
Operational Support
- Work closely with the wider team to support smooth day-to-day operations, including setup and pack-down of visitor-facing areas, and undertake other reasonable duties as required.
Job Overview
- Job Title: Customer Experience & Retail Assistant
- Salary: £10k-£15k
- Hours: Part time
- Artform: Museums
- Role: Customer Service
- Contract: Contract
- Closing date: Tue, 26 May 2026
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Location:
| view on Google MapsLondon
Job: Customer Experience & Retail Assistant
Job: Customer Experience & Retail Assistant
Organisation: The Golden Hinde
Postcode: SE1 9DE
How to Apply
Please send your CV and a cover letter (no longer than one page) outlining your relevant experience and why you would be a great fit for this role to [email protected] by Tuesday 26 May at 12pm (GMT).
We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may interview candidates before the closing date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as this role is to start immediately and the advert may close early if the right candidate is found. We look forward to hearing from you!
- Contact name: Gary Lockley
- Contact email: [email protected]
About The Golden Hinde
The Golden Hinde, a full-scale reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s original ship, is a museum and educational resource in central London. Having sailed over 100,000 miles, the ship now hosts workshops, tours, and events. Designated a National Historic Ships UK Flagship of the Year 2026 (also her 30th Anniversary year in Bankside), The Golden Hinde is undergoing a multi-million-pound refit, funded entirely through her own income - making this an exciting time to join our small, dynamic team.