Temporary Seasonal Cultural Assistant

Roscommon County Council invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Part-Time Cultural Assistants in King House and Douglas Hyde Centre. There will be a number of temporary part-time positions available to cover the 2026 tourist season. Cultural Assistants will represent their place of work and Roscommon County Council to customers and other organisations in a courteous, professional and appropriate manner.

The successful candidate(s) will work to support the seasonal needs in the relevant venue and the position will ideally suit persons with a genuine interest in customer service, front of house duties, tourism and heritage. We are looking for candidates who are able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for delivering a top-class customer focused service.

The successful candidate will be required to work frequently weekends and at evening events.

The positions are available in the venues listed below.

King House Interpretive Gallery & Museum, Boyle

King House is a magnificently restored Georgian mansion located in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Built in 1730 as the seat of the King family, a powerful landowning dynasty, the house later became a military barracks and recruiting depot for the famous Irish regiment of the British army, the Connaught Rangers.

At the end of the Civil War in 1923, the barracks passed into the control of the newly-formed Irish Free State Army. Following many years as a merchant’s store, King House was saved from demolition in the late 1980s, restored to its former Georgian style by Roscommon County Council and opened in 1995.

The house is now open to the public as a museum bringing its history to life. Home to many collections including the Connaught Rangers Museum, the Hidden Gem Studio, the Mary McAleese Collection and the Boyle Civic Art Collection, the house also plays host to arts and cultural events.

Douglas Hyde Centre, Portahard

Douglas Hyde was the first President of Ireland and co-founder of Conradh Na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League). The interpretive exhibition and information centre is dedicated to this remarkable man.

Portahard Church, Church of Ireland, was built in 1740 and restored in 1988 by Roscommon County Council. Its original function was preserved and an Interpretative Centre telling the life story of Dr. Douglas Hyde (1860–1949) was installed.

QUALIFICATIONS1. Character

Each candidate must be of good character.

2. Health

Each candidate must be in a state of health as would enable them to render regular and efficient service. The County Council reserves the right to refer the successful candidate to its medical examiner at any stage.

3. Education / Experience

Each candidate should have:

Essential Education / Experience

• Satisfactory experience in customer service and a cash handling role.

• The ability and confidence to provide on-site orientation information to visitors, conduct guided introductions and engage with visitors.

• The capacity to interact effectively and in a friendly professional manner with people from a broad range of sectors and groups.

• Fluency in English.

• Sufficient computer/IT competency to manage an integrated PC based booking system and till operations in a busy environment.

• Good computer skills – Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• The capacity to work on own initiative and to contribute well in a team-based environment.

• Knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety matters as pertaining to the post.

Desirable Education / Experience

• Tour guiding in a visitor attraction, heritage site, museum or related environment is desirable.

• Experience working/volunteering at community events/festivals is desirable.

• Good conversational skills.

• Fluency in additional languages.

• Experience in co-ordinating receptions for up to 200 people for both in-house, public, corporate and private events.

4. Citizenship

Each candidate must, by the date of any job offer, be:

a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a Stamp 4 visa; or

e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015 or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a Stamp 4 visa; or

f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA Member State or the UK or Switzerland and has a Stamp 4 visa.

Key Job Responsibilities – King House & Douglas Hyde Centre

• Customer Services: Ensuring a warm welcome and providing onsite orientation information to all visitors and assisting groups to visit, experience and exit the site. Delivering an excellent standard of customer service is an integral part of the role.

• Customer Enquiries: Dealing with visitor enquiries about the venue, its facilities and all aspects of its history.

• Customer Supervision: Supervising and controlling visitors so as to maintain order and prevent interference with the centre and ensuring that all rules for visitors are observed.

• Reception / Ticketing / Booking: Front of house duties involving; till operations, cash handling, admissions cash receipting, dealing with bookings, dealing with customer enquiries, record taking, reporting, data collection etc.

• Cash Handling: Operating the till and cash handling, operating visa / debit card machine, counting floats, receipting, recording, ordering change in accordance with procedures and as required by management.

• Tours: Gaining a good knowledge of the history and the story of the venue and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands to pass on to visitors is a core function of this position. Welcoming visitors, introducing them to the site and its facilities, guiding visitors during their visit in a manner appropriate to their interests and in terms understandable to them.

• Sales: Targeting new and recurring customers i.e. tour operators, coach groups, special interest groups, schools, third level students, liaising with agencies and local and regional tourism trade in respect of rates, offers, events etc.

• Administration: Duties such as gathering data on visitors, issuing emails, developing databases, filing, generating reports, research and development, data input in ticketing system etc will be required.

• Front of House / Health & Safety: Keeping the venue clean and tidy and ensuring that all elements of the exhibition areas are always kept to the prescribed standard.

• Marketing: Social media and ongoing marketing efforts may be required.

• Research: Conducting visitor and trade research e.g. surveys, processing data and generating reports on the findings.

• Flexibility: The successful candidate must have a flexible approach to work and be adaptable to carry out any other duties from time to time as might be reasonably assigned by management in relation to the employment as a Cultural Assistant.

Successful candidates may be required to participate in training programmes relevant to the skills necessary for the performance of the duties attaching to the post.

The above duties outline the main functions and responsibilities of the post of Part-Time Cultural Assistant in King House & Douglas Hyde Centre and may be subject to review in the future.

PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYMENT1. General

The post is part time and pensionable. A panel will be formed from which permanent and temporary vacancies may be filled. Vacancies will be offered in order of merit as per the panel.

2. Probation

Where persons who are not already permanent employees of a local authority are appointed, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) There shall be a period after such appointments take effect during which such persons shall hold such position on probation. (b) Such period shall be one year but the Chief Executive may at their discretion extend such period. (c) Such persons shall cease to hold such position at the end of the period of probation unless during such period the Chief Executive has certified that the service of such persons is satisfactory.

3. Salary

€17.31 – €26.79 (LSI 1) per hour.

Holders of the post will be paid at the appropriate point on the salary scale in accordance with the relevant Department Circular.

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time. The holder of the post shall pay to the local authority any fees or other monies (other than their inclusive salary) payable to and received by them by virtue of their post or in respect of services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform.

In accordance with EL02/2011, persons who are not serving Local Authority employees must be placed on the minimum of the scale. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government policy.

4. Garda Vetting / Child Protection

Successful candidates may be subject to the Garda Vetting Procedures and will be required to complete Appendix V of the County Council’s Child Protection Policy.

5. Health

For the purpose of satisfying the requirements as to health it will be necessary for successful candidates, before they are appointed, to undergo at their expense a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the local authority. On taking up appointment the expense of the medical examination will be refunded to candidates.

6. Residence / Place of Work

The holder of the office shall reside in the district in which their duties are to be performed or within a reasonable distance thereof.

7. Hours of Work

Minimum number of hours per week will be as follows:

• 5 hours per week

Hours of work will be determined at the discretion of the relevant Line Manager. Rotas will be communicated in advance where possible, indicating times of work. The post will involve both evening and weekend work and some public holidays.

8. Flexibility

Applicants must be flexible with both their time and approach to work and be comfortable carrying out a variety of tasks including covering for the reception area and other staff, as required.

9. Reporting

The Temporary Part-Time Cultural Assistant will report directly to the relevant Line Manager. In the absence of the Line Manager, the Temporary Part-Time Cultural Assistant will report to the most senior member of the full-time staff on duty.

10. Holiday Entitlements

Annual leave will be granted in accordance with the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

11. Superannuation

Candidates will be informed of their superannuation position at the time an offer of appointment is being made.

12. Dress Code

Temporary Part-Time Cultural Assistants are required to wear black trousers (no jeans) and a branded jacket and shirt. Open toe shoes are not permitted.

13. Recruitment

The Selection Process may include the following:

• Short-listing of candidates on the basis of the information contained in their application;

• Any tests/exercises that are deemed appropriate;

• Preliminary interview;

• Final interview.

Please note that Roscommon County Council reserves the right to hold any part of the selection process by way of remote/video-call platform or other appropriate methodology and that interviews may be held via MS Teams.

A panel may be formed on the basis of such interviews. Candidates whose names are on a panel and who satisfy the local authority that they possess the qualifications declared for the post at the closing date of the competition and that they are otherwise suitable for employment may be appointed to this post.