Post Title: Inspirer, Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium
Line Manager: Curiosity Officer
Holiday: 23 days per calendar year, plus bank holidays and option to buy up to an additional 5 days. Please note, Inspirers are expected to work some bank and public holidays.
Salary: £18,000 - £19,000 per annum depending on experience
Working times: 37.5 hours per week. Rest break of 0.5 hr per day.
Deadline: There is a rolling deadline for this position. We are actively looking to recruit as soon as possible so please apply at your earliest convenience.
- The Role
At the front line of the organisation, Inspirers directly deliver our core charitable aim of sparking curiosity. These roles are the explainers, putting the challenge into interacting with the Centres exhibits, the guides through a universe of possibilities and the enthusiastic role models who may lead to a lifetime of discovery.
Delivery is core to the role and Inspirers can expect to spend the majority of their time interacting with audiences of all ages and abilities, delivering live science shows, guiding students through challenges in workshops, running planetarium shows, constructing understanding in the Invention Studio and roaming the Centre to explain the science behind exhibits.
No two days are the same, with Inspirers donning lab coats to explosively demonstrate energy transfer one day, presenting a show to over 100 people, cleaning or organising classroom spaces or researching exciting new content for a new topic.
Situated in the STEM department, the role is line managed by one of the Curiosity Officers, while instruction and supervision will also come from the rest of the Officer team or other STEM department managers.
The main elements of this role include:
- To deliver inspiring content to school and public audiences both in-house and in schools/other venues
- To support the wider team and Centre with any school/public related events/activities
Delivery usually totals 4 - 6 hours per day, including set up/pack down, with the remainder of time spent supporting logistics of the wider team and training.
In addition to these two main tasks, the role also includes other communication activities for a variety of audiences such as presenting at festivals and general support of activities in the Science Centre as required to meet its charitable aims. This might include a variety of tasks, including but not restricted to resetting rooms, cleaning, organising or designing/building content for upcoming themes.
- Job Description
Purpose of the job:
To deliver inspiring and educational content to school and family audiences during normal opening hours throughout the year.
Delivery work to include:
· Deliver our range of exciting workshops and science shows linked to a wide range of the curriculum with a focus on problem based learning to students predominantly KS1 – KS3.
· During holiday time and weekends; delivery of live science shows and busking activities.
· Working with low level explosives, high voltage equipment, living invertebrates and other dramatic tools (full training will be provided).
· Set up/pack down and present public planetarium shows aimed at families with children aged 4yr+, and other audiences as required.
· Presenting as suggested by wider team and within the lesson plan/framework for each session, ensuring accurate scientific information is given and that language is appropriate and inclusive.
· Ensuring sessions are set up as early as possible, start and end on time, and that the space is reset promptly to allow the continuation of programmes.
· Being available to occasionally answer questions after the session, being careful to give accurate and up to date information, with confidence to say ‘I don’t know’ if unsure.
· Share skills and experience with other members of the STEM team and/or attend training, to improve general practice within the team. As well as engaging with an internal review process and refining practice in response to feedback.
· Delivering hands-on activities within the Invention Studio.
Other work to include:
· Supporting other activities that may be taking place. These will vary, but would generally involve support of interactive science activities. This may include helping external contributors, controlling lighting for shows, or monitoring areas to satisfy fire regulations if necessary. This may also include out of hours work supporting youth group and other evening events.
· Acting in an ‘Enabler’ role by moving through the Hands-on Exhibition to help visitors feel welcome and support them in any way possible, including in their use of the activities. This to include tidying / resetting activities to make them attractive and educational to new users.
· Ensuring all activities are delivered within method statements and risk assessments, to ensure safety and coherence of offer within the expectations of managers. To report any concerns about safety or scientific accuracy to the Duty Manager and follow their instruction of how to proceed.
· As the Science Centre team is small, all staff support other teams as required. This includes, but is not limited to: supporting marketing needs around the science centre; supporting customer services (café and shop); maintenance and cleaning of the exhibition/classroom facilities, admin support, and supporting STEM NOW/Widening Participation (WP) team events internally and externally.
· WSC is committed to being accessible to all, so an important part of the role is to attend internally organised SEN/WP training sessions. It will also be a requirement to work with the WP team to ensure activities are accessible to all and to actively seek the support of WP team when presenting to SEN audiences.
Work Pattern
Normal hours of work are 37.5 per week. These will normally be the hours of 09:00 – 17:00 (term time weekdays), 09:15 – 17:15 (school holidays and weekends). You will have half an hour each day for lunch. A flexible working pattern will be required, to include weekdays and weekends. Occasional out of hours work may be required, sometimes for training purposes, for which overtime will be available. Your rota will be available four weeks in advance.
You are expected to work such additional hours as are necessary for the proper and effective performance of your duties and/or to meet the needs of the business. Any overtime you work will usually be taken as TOIL and must be recorded via the online HR portal, however your line manager from time to time may agree in advance to pay for substantial additional hours. Unless agreed otherwise by your line manager, all TOIL must be taken after 15:00 on weekdays and used within one month of the accrual.
- Person Specification:
It is essential that you have:
o Charisma, enthusiasm and a desire to share your enthusiasm for science with others
o Comfortable presenting content to groups (in ranges from one to one, to large groups)
o Experience of effectively working within a fast paced, adaptable team based environment
o A professional, clear, confident and exciting style when presenting information, with the ability to vary style as appropriate to the show/audience.
o A genuine interest in science and astronomy (no formal qualifications required, only enthusiasm)
o An appreciation of the limits of your scientific knowledge and ability to quickly learn new concepts.
o Diligence and attention to detail in resetting equipment to better support the wider team.
o Willingness to reflect and refine delivery in response to both visitor and wider team feedback
The following attributes are desirable for this role but not essential:
o Educator training/experience
o Experience of presenting planetarium or science shows to groups
o Advanced science knowledge/qualifications
o Experience with working with SEN audiences.
Other skills that you may wish to highlight:
o Technical skills (especially A/V or computer programming)
o Drama/theatre experience or vocal skills
o Storytelling skills (written and/or performed)
