Download JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE:
Head Groom
GROUP:
Historic Properties
PAY BAND:
£16,312 per annum pro rata
RESPONSIBLE TO:
Stables Manager
SITE:
Audley End House & Gardens
HOURS:
Part Time
Between 7 and 21 hours a week available
Must be available to work weekends and public
holidays.
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To care for the resident horses at Audley End House whilst maximizing visitor
experience and ensuring the stables is a safe and enjoyable space for
members of the public.
To maintain the high standard of presentation in the 1880s stables yard by
completing general upkeep tasks and assisting the delivery of both the daily
activity timetable and the events programme.
To provide support to the other staff members in the stables and throughout
the site and to supervise the stables volunteers.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
You must care for the daily needs of the Audley End horses. The horses are
an important part of the English Heritage team at Audley End and as a Head
Groom you will help to keep them happy and relaxed.
Some examples of your horse care duties are listed below;
 Feeding the horses
 Mucking out stables and fields
 Grooming the horses
 Preparing the horses for work and exercising them
 Contributing to the training of horses
 Providing routine and emergency health care when necessary
You must provide exemplary customer service to our visitors. As a Head
Groom you are the public face of English Heritage. The quality of the
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reception you give strongly influences their visit. Through outstanding
customer service we can achieve our targets and build a profitable business.
Some examples of your customer service duties are listed below;
 Welcoming visitors and answering their questions about the property
and the horses
 Assisting with the delivery of daily horse training displays to the visitors
on site
 Providing support to any area of site during an event
 Promoting the English Heritage Brand to include our Membership
scheme, retail and catering offer and other English Heritage properties
 Responding courteously and appropriately to all visitor enquiries and
feedback
Teamwork and personal development
Delivering excellent customer service takes skills, knowledge and
commitment. As a Head Groom you’ll take responsibility, with your line
manager, for your continuing performance and development through the
Personal Development Review.
Events
English Heritage produces a large number of special events each year. They
are critical for both financial reasons and enhancing visitors’ enjoyment. As a
Head Groom your role will be to assist with the development of Events and
with their set up, stewarding and break-down.
Health and Safety
English Heritage is committed to providing safe and healthy working
conditions, equipment and practices for all staff. We are also responsible for
the welfare of others, including visitors, contractors and volunteers.
As a Team Member you’ll contribute to English Heritage’s safety management
by ensuring the property meets with our health & safety standards in liaison
with the Stables Manager and other members of the management team.
Volunteers
English Heritage is committed to involving volunteers in our work. As a Head
Groom, and with the support of the Stables Manager, you will be responsible
for supervising volunteers who work within the Stables complex.
Horse Management
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As the Head Groom you are responsible for assisting the Stables Manager in
caring for the resident horses at Audley End. Your duties will include but will
not be limited to helping to; prepare the horses for work, feed them, clean up
after them, exercise them, provide routine and emergency health care for
them. In the absence of the Stables Manager, along with another team
member, you will take responsibility for the Stables complex.
Visitor Experience
As a Head Groom you and your team are responsible for delivering exemplary
visitor experience within the stables complex. This will include maintaining
excellent standards of presentation and ensuring all activities are in keeping
with the English Heritage brand. You will be responsible for helping to deliver
a variety of activities which will include, but will not be limited to; tours, talks,
riding displays and period equestrian demonstrations.
General
To undertake any other tasks and duties reasonably required by English
Heritage whilst working within the terms of the Historic Properties Manual and
the Stables Operations document. This is an outline of the duties of the role
and may be amended to reflect both the needs of the property(s) and English
Heritage.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
VISITOR OPERATIONS TEAM MEMBER LEVEL 1
ESSENTIAL
TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
 Experience working with horses in a professional
environment
 Good communication skills
 Comfortable taking responsibility for own area of
work
 Experience of working in customer service or
other similar environment
 Has worked as part of a team and enjoys doing
so
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
 Good knowledge of routine and emergency
horse care
 Demonstrable understanding of the principles of
excellent customer care and visitor service
 General awareness of health and safety and
security issues
 Able to prioritise own work and meet deadlines
 Demonstrable enthusiasm for the role, the
property and the work of English Heritage
DESIRABLE
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Interest in history,
particularly
equestrian/Victorian history
British Horse Society
Qualification to BHSAI level
or equivalent
Events experience
Experience working with
horses in public spaces
Risk Assessment training
Awareness of child
protection issues
First Aid certificate
General knowledge of other
local amenities and
attractions
Appreciation and
understanding of the
importance of the historic
environment
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INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
 Excellent face to face communication skills
 Able and willing to work with a diverse range of
visitors and colleagues as part of a team
 Neat and tidy personal appearance
 Reliable and punctual
 Calm under pressure
 Flexible and adaptable in approach to a range of
duties and tasks
 Keen to develop new skills
 Maintains and expects high standards of honesty
and integrity
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PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES TO CONSIDER
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Available to work more hours during the summer season (April – October) and
aware that these hours will decrease in the winter season (November – March)
Must be available to work weekends and public holidays
Lives within a reasonable travelling distance of job location and sites
Able to work, on occasion, at other sites within reasonable travelling distance
Must wear English Heritage brand uniform at all times and keep it in clean and
presentable condition
This post involves working with children and therefore, under the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a
criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau before their appointment is
confirmed.
PHYSICAL /HEALTH REQUIREMENTS (site specific)
 Physically fit
 Standing for long periods will be necessary
 Working outside in varying weather conditions and temperatures will be required
 The environment will contain items that could cause allergic reactions (e.g. horses,
hay & straw)
 Must be able to access all public areas of relevant English Heritage properties, which
may include stairwells, confined spaces, heights or places with low lighting.
 Work will entail reasonable lifting of heavy/bulky objects within published health and
safety guidelines on manual handling and will include exercising and handling horses.
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