Heritage Cleaning Specialist

Background

The Palace of Westminster has been an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. The building itself and the many collections that it houses are of national and international importance and are comparable with those collections currently in the care of English Heritage, The National Trust and the Royal Collection. This new post will form part of the Department of Facilities Management Team’s intentions, to deliver an In-House specialist Heritage Cleaning Team. 
For the last two years, a small team of Department of Facilities housekeeping staff have been participating in a Heritage Cleaning Pilot training scheme. This supervised training has been delivered by Heritage specialists, following standards and techniques approved by Heritage Collections & Curator of Works of Art Team and specialist Heritage Conservators from the Royal Palaces, English Heritage and National Trust. The need for an in-house, knowledgeable and appropriately trained Heritage cleaning team is essential and has not hither to previously existed. Heritage cleaning has previously been carried out by the separate collection care teams, and usually as a reactive task to a specific repair or salvage event or very occasionally as a precursor to a State visit or event.  
The Shift pattern is 7-3pm.

Main objective

You will be a key part of the Heritage Cleaning team, providing the appropriate conservation cleaning standards. You will assist with environmental monitoring, insect pest monitoring, responding to any emergencies and reporting to the Heritage Cleaning Specialist Team Leader as they arise. You will support the heritage cleaning specialist Team Leader with the delivery of conservation cleaning schedules. You will have excellent team working skills, be comfortable with building effective relationships with colleagues and members of other external historic collection teams. Demonstrate excellent customer service skills. 

Essential Competencies

• Experience and knowledge of heritage cleaning – worked in a heritage environment
• Excellent customer service - proven experience of working in a front of house service role delivering excellent customer service
• Basic Knowledge and experience of MS – including MS Outlook and Word.
• Working knowledge of heritage collection care cleaning - techniques, issues and best practices.

Please see the Job Description for more information