Heritage Assistant

We are committed to the development of our workforce.This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council.We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £22,107 per annum for a 28.8 hour working week or £19,343 per annum for a 25.2 hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring two part-time Heritage Assistants to join our fantastic Heritage team at Surrey History Centre, Woking. One post is 28.8 hours a week, the other 25.2. The successful candidates will help customers to make the most of our vast historic collections of archives, books, maps and illustrations documenting the history of Surrey and its people over nine centuries.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years’ service.
• Buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) supporting health and wellbeing
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave

About the Role

As a Heritage Assistant, you'll join our friendly team of archivists, librarian, conservator and assistants to bring Surrey’s fascinating documentary history to life. You will work with us to make the past accessible and enrich the lives of our community by sharing Surrey’s heritage in an engaging and meaningful way.

You’ll be at the heart of our welcoming frontline service, ensuring every visitor receives a warm and inclusive experience, fully aligned with SCC’s customer care values.

Through regular duty in our public searchroom, including occasional Saturdays, you’ll guide and support visitors as they explore our collections, ensuring the security and safe handling of our unique materials. You’ll play a pivotal role in delivering outstanding service, responding to enquiries, preparing helpful finding aids and taking part in outreach activities such as building tours and engaging talks. This is a rewarding opportunity to connect with people, promote local history and develop your skills in a lively and supportive setting.

Shortlisting Criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• A Vocational Qualification Level 2 or equivalent in the relevant field, or comparable experience of working with archives and local studies materials
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• A belief in the importance of local history to the promotion of community spirit and wellbeing.

To apply, alongside your CV, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

1. Please describe your experience of working in an archive and local studies environment.
2. What do you think are the important factors in ensuring good customer care, and can you give an example of when you have delivered excellent customer service?
3. What do you think are the main challenges of supervising the searchroom, and how would you handle a typically busy day of welcoming new visitors, answering questions about historical sources and invigilating the use of documents by the public?
4. What is your experience of using collections to engage, enthuse and widen audiences? Tell us about events you have helped to run and presentations you have given.
5. Tell us about a page on our Exploring Surrey’s Past website you find particularly fascinating. Why does it resonate with you and what other topics about Surrey’s past would you like to contribute to this site?

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to role requirements, flexible working requests, transferable skills or barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Julian Pooley by e-mail or MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 26/04/2026 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

Commitment Wording

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.