Vacancy -- Head Custodian x3 (Caernarfon, Conwy & Harlech)

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Economy, Skills and Natural Resources
Cadw
EO - £26,900 - £30,610
£25,860
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Other location
Harlech, Conwy & Caernarfon
TBC

Purpose of Post:

Cadw’s objectives include providing a world class visitor experience at our properties in care, increasing commercial performance through maximising the use of our monuments and increasing the benefits to communities by creating more opportunities for people to enjoy, learn about and take part in heritage activities. We also have a role in increasing awareness and enjoyment of the wider historic environment, and the need to care for it, for the well-being of present and future generations.

These posts will lead a team of custodians and ensure efficient operational management of their teams and sites, They will also deliver excellent standards of customer service, while providing the highest possible levels of visitor safety, protection for their monument and wellbeing for their teams.  The role holders will also develop the business growth of their sites and grow community engagement and maximise the impact of their site on the local economy, utilising the support of other Cadw teams to help facilitate this.

Key tasks:

  • Managing a safe, presentable and accessible site for visitors while ensuring protection of their monument.
  • Coordinating their team and volunteers so that visitors to the site receive a warm and bilingual welcome and a consistently high standard of customer service.
  • Providing an efficient response to customer enquiries and ensuring complaints are investigated and lessons learned and communicated to their team.
  • Ensuring that safety of visitor and staff is a top priority, risk assessments are continually reviewed and any incidents are investigated and mitigation put in place to avoid repeat.
  • Managing the performance of their teams and instilling a commitment to delivering excellent customer service and delivering Welsh Government / Cadw policy.
  • Ensure that they provide a safe workplace for their teams and that their wellbeing is protected and any unacceptable behaviours are addressed.
  • Ensuring mandatory and job specific training is undertaken, additional training and development needs identified, and learning outcomes applied in the workplace.
  • Managing resources effectively and working within budget, while maintaining safety and visitor service standards.
  • Developing a network of local contacts with tourism and heritage bodies and local businesses. Representing Cadw at local events and providing a contact for local stakeholders.
  • Working with Lifelong Learning and Events teams to develop and deliver an effective custodian-led and 3rd party managed events programme.
  • Develop a proactive strategy for their site to recruit and retain volunteers.
  • Acting as site lead contact for site hire, media visits and attending special outreach events and shows.
  • Maintaining accurate records and ensuring financial procedures are undertaken as specified in the Welsh Government cash and accounting regulations, including completing monthly monument returns and implementing audit and governance guidance.
  • Developing retail and commercial income for their site and ensuring that the retail area is attractively presented and appropriately stocked.

Development opportunities:

The role involves working closely with Ministers and senior officials inside and outside the Welsh Government. The post holder will gain a thorough understanding of the need to deliver both the commercial and social agenda linked to the historic environment service.

Closing Date:

06/12/2021, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Desirable
Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding
Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh
Can understand parts of a basic conversation
Can write basic messages on everyday topics

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competency behaviours required for the role

Changing and Improving

Take initiative to suggest ideas for improvements, sharing this feedback with others in a constructive manner.

Leading and Communicating

Confront and deal promptly with inappropriate language or behaviours, including bullying, harassment or discrimination.

Collaborating and Partnering

Actively encourage team working, changing ways of working to facilitate collaboration for the benefit of the team’s work.

Achieving Commercial Outcomes

Recognise when deliverables and/or services derived from a commercial arrangement are not being delivered to the required level of quality or standard and take appropriate action.

Job specific criteria

Experience of leading and motivating a team in a pressurised customer-facing environment.
Experience of improving customer service and quality of delivery.
Experience of managing and improving health and safety standards in complex workplaces and public places.

Assessment Process

Applications will be sifted and candidates who are successful at sift will then be invited to a virtual interview via Microsoft Teams.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.
Please ensure you attach your location preference as an additional document to your application – this will need to be attached as a separate document and needs to contain detail of your preferred location only.
Huw Gwillim - huw.gwillim@gov.wales - 0300 062 2376

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.