Experience Host (Casual) - Smithfield x20

At the heart of London, our museum is a meeting place for stories - past, present, and future. We are here to enrich understanding and appreciation of the city and all its people, offering a home where the extraordinary and the everyday collide. From the bustling markets to hidden histories, from riotous invention to quiet reflection, we celebrate London in all its richness and complexity. The Experience Host role is vital to this mission. You’ll be part of a team that ensures every visitor feels welcome, every event runs seamlessly, and every corner of the museum hums with life. Here, Grit and Glitter guide everything we do: the depth, texture, and authenticity of the city’s stories, alongside moments of surprise, delight, and magic. In this role, you’ll help create experiences that are vibrant, inclusive, and unforgettable, shaping how thousands of people encounter London every day.

As an Experience Host, you will help shape how the Museum feels. You might welcome a family through the doors on a busy Saturday morning, or steady the energy around a packed school visit, or help someone find a quiet moment after a thought‑provoking exhibition, or spark curiosity with a conversation that changes the direction of someone’s day. There are no scripts here. We want people who can tune into the mood of a space, respond naturally and help visitors feel comfortable, confident and connected. Sometimes you’ll guide. Sometimes you’ll encourage. Sometimes you’ll simply know when to give someone space. You’ll work across exhibitions, events, retail spaces and late openings, helping the Museum stay safe, smooth and full of life. One moment might be calm and reflective. The next could be a house party with DJs, conversation, music and crowds moving through the building long after dark. The role is practical too. You’ll support ticketing, donations, visitor flow and day‑to‑day operations. But what matters most is how you do it: with warmth, awareness and good judgement.

Duties

• Welcome visitors in a way that feels open, warm and human.
• Read the pace and mood of different spaces, adjusting your approach as the energy changes throughout the day.
• Start conversations that spark curiosity, encourage participation and help visitors connect more deeply with London’s stories.
• Help visitors feel comfortable and included, whether they know exactly where they’re going or feel completely unsure.
• Support exhibitions, events, immersive experiences, school visits and late-night programming across the Museum.
• Make things easy by giving clear guidance, reducing friction and helping visitors navigate the space confidently.
• Encourage donations, ticket sales and participation in ways that feel natural, relevant and rewarding.
• Support smooth arrivals, transactions and visitor flow using ticketing and till systems.
• Stay alert to safety, wellbeing and the atmosphere on the floor, responding calmly and confidently when things change.
• Helping visitors and colleagues stay safe during incidents, emergencies and evacuations, and providing first aid when needed.
• Work flexibly across teams and spaces, stepping in where needed to keep the visitor experience running smoothly, including providing cover in the museum shop when that is needed.

Special Circumstances

Hosts are expected to wear a uniform, security pass and radio with an earpiece whenever on duty which will be provided by the museum, with the exception of trousers/skirts and shoes which are to be supplied by the postholder themselves. The museum is a 7 day a week operation with 2 late openings per week and will regularly hold events outside its regular opening hours; flexibility to work weekends, during holiday periods and before/after normal opening hours is therefore an essential requirement of this role. This is a casual worker role with no guaranteed hours or fixed shift pattern. Shifts will be offered in line with the needs of the Museum, and we're looking for people who can work flexibly when they are available and work is available. The Experience Host will be responsible for supporting the museum’s large-scale public events and live music experiences. These events may involve amplified music, dynamic lighting effects, alcohol service, and late-night operating environments.

Further Essential Criteria

• You work well with other colleagues, stepping in, helping and understanding that good visitor experiences are built together.
• You know how to bring people in, spotting when someone needs information, encouragement or simply reassurance to take part.
• You notice what is happening around you, staying alert to safety, wellbeing and potential issues before they become problems.
• You build trust through how you listen and communicate, making people feel heard, supported and comfortable to explore, ask questions or join in.

This position requires a basic disclosure check which will reveal any unspent convictions. A criminal record may not necessarily be a bar to placement, as any decision will be treated on its merits and individual circumstances subject to the museum’s overriding obligations to protect the children and adults at risk who use Museum facilities or take part in Museum activities, members of the public, the safety of the museum’s staff and the collection.

Desirable criteria

Not specified

Additional information

Variable hours - Casual Working. Please see the Special Circumstances section in this Job Description for more information about the working arrangements for this role. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an assessment day during the weeks commencing 31 August and 7 September. Assessment days will include a mixture of individual and group activities designed to help us understand your skills, strengths and how you demonstrate our museum behaviours. London Museum is committed to being an equitable and inclusive employer, and to becoming representative of the diversity of London. We particularly welcome applications from people from Global Majority backgrounds, who are currently under‑represented in our organisation. We also welcome applications from disabled people, as we’re a Disability Confident Leader and are committed to recruiting, retaining and developing disabled people.