Pay: £13.00 per hour
Location: Hawkshead Grammar School Museum, Main Street, Hawkshead
Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 7 months (potential to extend)
Application deadline: 31/01/2026
To request more information, and to apply for this role, please contact Hollie Barker at hgsmuseum@gmail.com with a CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in the role.
Information about the museum
The Hawkshead Grammar School Museum (www.hawksheadgrammar.org.uk) is a small museum in the centre of Hawkshead which tells the story of the 400‑year‑old school and daily life for its schoolboys. The school’s most famous pupil was William Wordsworth, and the museum is often visited by Wordsworth enthusiasts and tour groups. Many visitors come to see the old schoolroom which is mostly unchanged since the school closed in 1909. The museum also houses the historic school library, which contains 1600+ rare books and is catalogued and repaired by a team of volunteers. The museum is open seasonally from 1st April to 31st October and will be open 5 to 7 days a week, including weekends and bank holidays.
Information about the role
An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and energetic Museum Assistant to join our team. This is an entry‑level role requiring digital literacy, so previous experience working in a museum or the heritage sector is not a requirement, but candidates must possess a positive ‘can do’ attitude and be able to work independently, be organised, reliable, and able to prioritise. We are also keen to hear from candidates with museum or heritage experience. The ideal candidate will have a friendly and helpful manner and will be confident dealing with members of the public. We are a small team, so you have the opportunity to get involved in a broad range of museum operations, including but not limited to visitor experience management; marketing (digital and traditional); audience engagement; planning events; and outreach.
Ideally, you will have a passion for one or more aspects of the museum: history, heritage, conservation, Wordsworth, literature, museums, historic libraries, history of schools or education, and enjoy engaging with visitors during their visit to the museum.
The museum is open 11:00am to 4:00pm Thursday to Monday in the shoulder seasons and 7 days a week during the school holidays. The rota of museum shifts will vary and will be dependent on other staff but will include weekend days and bank holidays. The number of weekly hours required will vary dependent on the needs of the organisation but are expected to be 2 to 3 days, or 10 to 15 hours/week.
The focus of the role will be welcoming visitors to the museum, taking bookings and giving welcome talks. You also will provide longer talks to tour groups (approx. 20-30 visitors). During quiet periods, the focus of the role will be on expanding our digital presence, perhaps developing content for the website and social media platforms, or creating narratives for engagement and outreach.
As marketing and promotional activity is a key part of the role, social media literacy is essential as is the ability to draft appropriate content for a variety of channels. A good command of written and spoken English will be important. This is an exciting opportunity for a self‑motivated and creative person looking to gain experience in the cultural and heritage sector in the Lake District.
You will receive in‑house training on museum administration, giving group talks, and school history. The role is set to start when the museum reopens on March 30th and the successful candidate will be expected to come in several days’ prior for familiarisation. The role is currently intended to be fixed‑term finishing at the end of the season on 31st October. However, depending on museum development plans there may be the possibility of extending the role through winter 2026/27 and beyond.
Outline of Job Tasks
1. Visitor experience management
o Open and lock up the museum each day. Admit visitors, take payment (cash or card) for admission and any shop sales. Maintain admission and shop sales records and monies taken.
o Take bookings for groups by email, phone, and online booking system. Together with other staff, maintain a shared bookings register. Prepare and send out invoices as needed for group bookings.
o For individual visitors, conduct a short talk and then encourage visitors to explore the museum. Respond to visitor queries and discussions.
o For group tours (20‑30 visitors), give a longer talk (dependent on their level of interest and knowledge) and encourage the group to visit the exhibition.
o Develop a good working knowledge of the school history, museum artefacts and exhibition topics to respond to visitor questions and enhance the visitor experience.
2. Marketing and Promotion
o Maintain social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram) for the museum and library. Help develop content and keep the website up to date.
o Update Google business profile (e.g. open hours).
o Help plan and organise promotional events e.g. Webinar series, Open Evenings, Guest speakers, etc.
o Create posters for special events.
o Help build and develop our Bloomberg Connects Guide.
o Develop content for third‑party websites, including collaborating with local businesses.
o Track our digital analytics – through Bloomberg Connects and Google Analytics.
o Support other staff members in creating and distributing our newsletter.
3. Museum caretaking and security
o Regularly clean glass, dust and vacuum in each room of the museum, especially the areas that are open to the public.
o Cover cabinets when the museum is closed to reduce light exposure to objects.
o Ensure any maintenance needs or repairs are reported promptly.
Essential Criteria
* GCSE or equivalent grade ‘C’ (or 4) or above in Mathematics and English.
* An interest in one or more of the following: history, heritage, conservation, Wordsworth, literature, museums, historic libraries, historic schools, history of education.
* Good presentation skills.
* Digitally literate, with experience across different platforms. Able to craft content for a range of online and offline marketing channels.
* Good command of written and spoken English.
* Ability & willingness to learn museum history and give talks to visitors.
* Comfortable giving talks to groups of (20‑30) visitors.
* Enthusiastic and can‑do attitude.
* Confident, friendly and helpful with members of the public.
* Self‑starter and happy to work flexibly and independently.
* Organised and reliable.
* Flexible approach to working hours as weekend and bank holiday work will be required.
* If not on a bus route, full driving licence and use of a car.
Desirable Criteria
* Degree level or equivalent in History, English, Museum Studies, or Conservation.
* Retail experience, including taking contactless and cash payments and keeping records of sales and admissions.
* Experience using Facebook and Instagram.
* Customer service experience.
* Creative eye for design.
* Experience using Canva.
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