Exhibitions Engagement Volunteer- Top Secret Exhibition

We are creating a team of enthusiastic volunteers to be part of our upcoming Top Secret: from Ciphers to Cyber Security exhibition. Volunteers will play a key role, engaging with visitors of all ages and facilitating object handling. They will interact with the public and objects on display helping to ignite curiosity and encourage understanding of the subject matter presented in the exhibition. 

From the trenches of the First World War to the latest in cyber security, Top Secret explores over a century’s worth of communications intelligence through hand-written documents, declassified files and previously unseen artefacts from the Science Museum Group's and GCHQ’s historic collections. The exhibition will explore several stories including Alan Turing and the team of Bletchley Park’s codebreakers who broke the Enigma code in 1941, spy-craft from 1960s Cold War espionage and will also challenge our visitors to become codebreakers themselves in its interactive puzzle zone. 

Top Secret: from Ciphers to Cyber Security will open in March 2021, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of GCHQ, the UK’s Intelligence, Security and Cyber agency and will run for 5 months until 05/09/2021. We will have a variety of shifts available, including weekends. We are flexible, and we would love it if volunteers could commit to at least 1 day a week for 5 months. 

Volunteers will gain experience and knowledge of volunteering within an Exhibitions Engagement Volunteer Team as well as developing skills related to facilitating and engaging with Museum audiences. They will also get a unique opportunity to volunteer in a busy museum environment and gain understanding of the Exhibitions’ programme in a National Museum. 

What you will be doing:

• Delivering object handling sessions with a small collection of specially chosen objects  
• Engaging with the exhibition by being knowledgeable about the content and sharing this with visitors
• Engaging visitors with their specialist knowledge on the content of the exhibition, and reciprocally learning from the people they meet
• Taking care of your personal health and safety and that of others. Complying with the Science Museum Group H&S Policies, risk assessments and safe systems of work and reporting any health and safety concerns and help to ensure the safety of the objects in the exhibition.
• Undertaking any other tasks required to fulfil the duties of this volunteer role.

What you bring to the team:
You will definitely …

• Have a passion for interacting and engaging with the public, enjoying talking to a wide range of people from different backgrounds
• Be friendly and happy to approach visitors
• Have an interest in the museum, and exhibitions
• Be reliable, and a have a desire to deliver great customer service
• Be able to demonstrate initiative and enjoy being part of a team
• Enjoy learning new information and sharing this with others

It would be good if you …

• Have experience of working with the general public in a customer facing role
• Have experience of working with families and young children
• Have an enthusiastic and dedicated approach to volunteering
• Want to gain more experience of being in a learning environment
• Want to gain more skills in this area

Additional information:

• To volunteer in this role, you must be 18 or over and eligible to volunteer in the UK. Unfortunately, SMG is unable to act as a sponsor organisation if you do not have the appropriate visa.
• An enhanced criminal record check applies for this role, we will consider every applicant on a case by case basis.