We are looking for Weekend Centre Assistants to join us at our idyllic Nature Discovery Park at Thorndon Park, near Brentwood.

Constructed just after the 1987 hurricane from the fallen onsite timber, our Nature Discovery Centre at Thorndon is our most popular Centre with over 130,000 visitors annually visiting the park and is also home to the well-attended Gruffalo trail.  The site offers a variety of habitats including ancient woodland, parkland, ponds, a marsh and meadow with stunning ancient trees including Giant Oak and Hornbeam pollards, parts of the site used to be heathland, now a scarce habitat in Essex, and to restore it parts of the park, both north and south, are being grazed by goats and sheep.

The Nature Discovery Centre offers an opportunity to discover the wildlife within the park whilst enjoying refreshments and a gift shop, run by a friendly team and wonderful volunteers who are passionate about providing fantastic customer service.

As a Centre Assistant, you will play a key role in enhancing visitor experiences by serving customers in both retail and food and beverage areas, operating tills, and preparing drinks using the barista machine. Responsibilities also include maintaining a clean and organised environment and restocking shelves. You will work closely with our dedicated volunteers, who are passionate about supporting the Trust’s mission. All revenue generated from our visitor centres directly funds vital conservation work across our reserves in Essex.

Working as part of a visitor centre team, the post holder will need to be a team player who can engage in a welcoming and professional way with our visitors - ensuring excellent customer service is always at the forefront. 

We are recruiting to two positions on one-year fixed term contracts. The working hours are eight hours per week over the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays within the visitor centre opening hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm). The starting salary is £4,759.04 per annum (FTE £22,308).

Please complete an application form via our website by 9:00am on Tuesday 01 October 2024. The interviews will be held on Wednesday 09 October 2024 at Thorndon Park.

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to offering an interview to anyone with a disability that meets all the essential criteria for the post. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible. 

Essex Wildlife Trust is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is welcome. As a conservation charity, we know how important diversity is, both in our natural world and amongst the people we employ. We want everyone to feel valued and empowered to contribute to our vision of “A county rich in wildlife with people connected to nature”.