Forestry Commission
Visitor Services Assistant

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Westonbirt, South West England, GL8 8QS
Job Summary
Work within the Recreation team to welcome visitors to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. Contribute to providing visitors with a service that exceeds their expectations. Promote a work environment that is positive, productive and practices support and respect between individuals and teams.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
- Work within the Recreation team to welcome visitors to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum.
- Contribute to providing visitors with a service that exceeds their expectations.
- Promote a work environment that is positive, productive and practices support and respect between individuals and teams.
- Operate the admissions area scanning tickets checking membership and handling cash, credit and debit card sales.
- Help give information and deal with enquiries from customers in a positive and friendly manner.
- Ensure the public areas are kept clean and presentable.
- Assist the events and learning teams in setting up and delivering events and activities.
- Work with and support volunteers.
- Welcoming all visitors including school groups, vulnerable adults and children.
- First aid.
- Follow set guidelines and processes to provide customer services, such as cash handling procedures and risk assessments.
- Liaise with delivery partners such as the Restaurant and Shop concessions to ensure a cohesive customer offer.
- Working outdoors in all-weather completing manual tasks including maintenance and manual handling.
- Provide overtime: If overtime is needed then staff will be invited to volunteer. If there are not enough volunteers, you may be required to work overtime with at least 48 hours' notice.
- Responsibility for supervision of volunteer teams as required.
- And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
Person Specification
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential professional and technical experience
- Experience of delivering excellent customer service.
- Proven ability to work as part of a team.
- Competent IT user with experience of Microsoft Office packages, the internet and email.
- A full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK.
- Willingness and ability to work outdoors in all weathers and to carry out manual maintenance tasks.
- Experience of undertaking cash handling duties.
Desirable Professional And Technical Experience
- Experience of operating electronic admissions or retail till systems.
- A working knowledge of risk assessments and safe working in an outdoor setting.
- Experience of working at a visitor attraction in the heritage and or environment sector.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £26,959, Forestry Commission contributes £7,810 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
How To Apply…
We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.
You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.
The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –
- Changing and Improving
- Making effective decisions
- Working Together
- Managing a quality service
- Delivering at Pace
You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.
Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.
If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.
If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.
Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo an enhanced (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality Requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact Point for Applicants
Job Contact
Name : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team
Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
Further Information
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills