HOW TO APPLY:
We are looking for candidates who can clearly demonstrate their suitability for this role. To be considered, please submit a covering letter, CV, and answer the five questions at the end of the role profile. Applications without a covering letter will not be shortlisted, so take this opportunity to show us why you are the right fit!
The Role:
The post of Security Support Officer (SSO) will provide a professional, flexible, and visible security presence across Waddesdon Manor and its grounds, and commercial premises (Dairy, Five Arrows Hotel, Bow). The SSO will protect people, property, and assets by providing a highly visible physical security presence,
conducting regular patrols, plus monitoring security systems & equipment. The role will mainly be focused on providing a safe & secure environment for all staff, visitors, guests and estate residents across our site.
Waddesdon Manor | A French Renaissance-style château is an historic French Renaissance-style château, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874 and is now managed by the Rothschild Foundation. Welcoming around 350,000 visitors annually, Waddesdon Manor houses the Rothschild Collection and hosts a diverse range of exhibitions, public vevents, and educational programs. The Rothschild Foundation has a trading
company, RWL, which runs catering and retail on-site, a private events business and a hotel, (the Five Arrows) and pub (the Bow) in Waddesdon village.
What you will do:
As an SSO, you will ensure that the company’s policies and procedures are followed at all times and all issues are resolved in an effective and timely manner. All duties are to be carried out to the highest standard, to facilitate compliance with Martyn’s Law guidelines.
The SSO will report to the Deputy Head of Security (DHOS), working closely with the Security Manager (SM) to resolve issues in an efficient manner.
Key responsibilities include but not limited to:
Physical Security:
- To protect Waddesdon staff, guests, visitors, residents, collections and properties.
- To carry out lock and unlock procedures of the Manor and all other relevant buildings as required.
- To maintain a secure environment through proactive and reactive security measures.
- To carry out internal and external foot & mobile patrols of buildings, grounds and perimeter areas as trained.
- To respond promptly to security incidents, alarms, and emergencies in accordance with site procedures.
- To deter, detect, delay, and deny unauthorised persons and /or vehicles, suspicious activity, or potential threats. To have an overt physical presence as and when required, by the DHOS and SM.
- Physical interventions and site evictions. when required.
- Conduct regular inspections of gates, fences, and access points.
- To conduct daily and routine security tasks as directed by DHOS and SM.
- To carry out any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the SM or DHOS.
- To effectively communicate all relevant information via verbal or written handover or email.
- To attend to and appropriately escalate a response to any incidents across the site, and to note these incidents in the log book and via our incident reporting system in coordination with the Control Room.
- To ensure all required documentation is completed to a professional standard.
- To report any maintenance issues to the DHOS, SM and Security Control Room.
- To conduct bag searches as and when required, with instruction from the DHOS and SM.
- To oversee functions from a Security standpoint at our commercial venues, including signing in suppliers, contractors and visitors prior to any event. Providing support to the events teams as required.
- Ensure contractor management and visitor management policies are adhered to at relevant venues.
- Assist in guest management at the Five Arrows Hotel, outside of the hotel staff’s normal working hours.
- Provide a visible and approachable presence to guests and visitors.
Customer Service and Representation:
- Deliver a professional, courteous, and helpful service to all residents, guests, visitors and staff.
- Represent the estate and security team with discretion, integrity, and professionalism.
- Provide information and assistance where appropriate.
- Always be polite and professional when engaging with colleagues or members of the public.
Security Systems and Monitoring:
- To operate & monitor CCTV, intruder alarms when required, to assist Control Room operations. This includes the responsibility of arming and disarming alarms to all buildings, video content analysis, item protection system plus duress alarm etc. and respond to all arising situations.
- To make sure all security systems and equipment operate correctly and any faults are reported as and when needed. To include walk testing alarm systems, CCTV and motion alarm activations in coordination with the Control Room.
- To immediately deal with all security & fire alarms.
Fire:
- To operate & monitor the fire detection systems across the site and coordinate an appropriate response to fire alarms
- To ensure that all required checks and inspections are conducted & logged as per location’s fire prevention plan in the relevant site fire logbook, to include fire alarm testing, emergency lighting tests, fire extinguishers checks, that fire exits are operational and any automatic release doors are working correctly
- To check the fire systems for faults daily and report accordingly to ensure faults are rectified as soon as possible
- To undertake other responsibilities related to fire prevention and response e.g fire marshall duties etc., when required.
- To partake in regular evacuation drills which may at times, be as the person in charge.
- To become a qualified fire marshall (training can be provided).
First Aid:
- To coordinate an appropriate response to first-aid incidents across the area of responsibility.
- Complete the incident/accident reports as necessary.
- Undertake Advanced First Aid Training as required.
Health & Safety:
- To remedy and report any situation that represents a hazard. Ensure all incidents and accidents plus unsafe conditions are reported to the H&S Manager, dealt with promptly and recorded accordingly.
- Take responsibility for your own H&S and that of others by following Health & Safety policies and guidelines, keeping up to date with organisational policies and procedures on a regular basis.
The above list of duties is not conclusive and the post holder may be required to undertake other tasks & duties commensurate to the role and skill set of the applicant
Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter for this role:
- Full UK Driving licence
- A minimum of 2 years experience in a security role
- Excellent situational awareness and decision-making ability
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- High standards of personal appearance and conduct
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Flexible and adaptable to changing duties and working patterns (including nights, weekends, and events)
- Calm and effective under pressure
Desirable:
- Experience in a customer facing security role
- SIA Door Supervisor Licence (training can be provided)
- A valid advanced first aid qualification (training can be provided)
- Experience as a fire marshall or warden
- CCTV Operator qualification (training can be provided)
- Bag searching qualification and experience (training can be provided)
You will be a good fit if:
You are curious and open to learning, with a real commitment to your own development. You enjoy working with others, building positive relationships, and bringing people together through strong collaboration and interpersonal skills. Most importantly, you are ready for the challenge of working outdoors in all conditions, day and night, and bring energy, resilience, and enthusiasm to the role.
Additional requirements:
The safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults are of the utmost importance for any role at the Rothschild Foundation, Waddesdon Manor. Consequently this position may require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to uphold the safety and security of all our guests, staff and volunteers.
Rewards for working with us:
- We are proud of where we work and want to share Waddesdon Manor with family and friends by offering a number of complimentary tickets to the house and grounds.
- Waddesdon Discounts – 50% discount in the food-to-go outlets at the Manor. 20% in the Manor gift shop and restaurant, Stables Café, Five Arrows Hotel, and The Bow Pub. 20% discount on special event tickets made available to staff.
- Staff Card – A National Trust staff card entitles two adults and children under 18 years of age free admission to all National Trust properties and 20% discount in NT retail and catering outlets.
- Annual Leave – Your statutory annual leave entitlement is 33 x 8.4 hour days (25 days plus 8 public holidays), in 12 hour shifts this is equivalent to 23 x 12 hour shifts (276) This will be pro-rated based on actual hours you work.
- Pension – We will top up your pension by matching any contribution you make, up to 10% of your basic salary.
- Long Service Awards – every 5 years of service, you are invited to a celebration to recognise your contribution to the organisation. A cash sum is awarded as a thank you.
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Support – access to a wellbeing platform and fully funded 1:1 counselling service.
- Flu Jabs – free flu jabs in October.
Workplace adjustments:
We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, compressed hours, providing equipment or changes to the workplace, where possible.
EDI
At the Rothschild Foundation, we place Equality, Inclusion and Diversity at the core of our values. We strive to be an organisation that actively addresses inequality and prejudice while fostering a truly anti-racist culture. Our approach is centered on meaningful and equitable support and development for you and others throughout your time with us. We are committed to providing an environment free from discrimination, where every team member feels valued, respected and has a true sense of belonging.
Application:
The vacancy advert may be taken down from job boards earlier than the stated deadline if a high standard of applications is received.
We welcome applications from everyone and particularly encourage applications from people from an ethnic minority background, and people with a disability to help us achieve a balanced representation in our workforce, especially at senior grades.
All candidates invited to interview have the opportunity to request adjustments to the recruitment process when scheduling your interview, for example accessible parking, communication support or breaks.
To apply, please send a current CV and Covering Letter answering these 5 questions and explaining how your experience and skills match those outlined above to [email protected].
If you do not answer these questions in your covering letter, your application will not be valid.
- What attracted you to role of the Security Support Officer at Waddesdon Manor?
- Tell us about your knowledge of Security Systems and equipment i.e. CCTV, intruder alarms, fire alarms, access control, locks, and keys etc?
- How confident are you using computers and software in general i.e. MS Word excel, outlook?
- Are you able to commute to Waddesdon Manor HP18 0JH reliably?
- You are on duty covering a private event in one of our hire venues and there is a disagreement with a guest of the event. How do you go about to resolve that situation?
Closing date: Ongoing. The vacancy may be taken down from job boards when we see fit if a high standard of applications is received.
If you apply for this role and are selected to interview, here is what you can expect:
- Round 1: In-person question-and-answer interview with the Deputy Head of Security, and Head of Security