Cruise Retail Assistant Part Time Seasonal Post April to Sept 2025 Based at Cruise Welcome Hub Closing Date: 12 noon, Friday 31st January 2025. Proposed interview dates 13th/14th February. Belfast was recognised as the Best UK & British Isles Port of Call at the 2024 Cruise Critic UK Editors Picks Awards. Cruise Critic, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, is the worlds leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community. At the 15th annual awards Belfast took home the prize for Best Port Call for the 2023 cruise season, a year when the city enjoyed a record cruise season, with 159 cruise calls from 57 ships from 32 different cruise lines in 2023. That was an 8% increase on the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. To continue with this development we wish to appoint a number of Cruise Retail Assistants, working on average 25 hours per week, some weeks will demand more the 25 hours and others less, there will also be a number of zero hour casual contracts. Working on a rota basis hours In will vary with both early morning and evening shifts, these will be discussed at interview. Having read the job description for the post please submit your CV along with a short letter on how you feel you meet the essential criteria for the post along with an indication if it is the contracted or causal hours post. Job Overview This role will service our gift shop at the cruise hub, you will be required to sell gifts via our EPOS, check stock and deliveries, assist with the merchandising of stock and be informative about our various suppliers. Successful candidates will be expected to provide an efficient exceptional service to our customers and drive business targets. We are looking for someone who strives to continuously learn and develop their service skills, product knowledge and behaviours in our ever-changing retail and visitor environment. Successful candidates will take an active role in sharing ideas and identifying opportunities to enhance the shop environment and improve the visitor experience. Excellent communication, proven sales experience, interpersonal and customer care skills will be essential. Please refer to the full job description and specification for further details of the post. Remuneration The Hourly rate for this post will be £12.00 per hour from 1st April, under review. This may be different to meet the current legal requirements with regards to age. Location Post holders will be based mainly in the Cruise Welcome Hub (Airport Road West). Hours of Work This position is an average 25 hours weekly on a rota basis. Which will require you to work weekends, Bank Holidays and evenings as required. A draft rota will be discussed at interview. Annual Leave The leave year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Annual leave entitlement is 25 days per year pro rata, Bank holidays are paid at double time all other hours as normal. Payment is made in lieu of Annual Leave quarterly based on hours worked. Pensions Visit Belfast is a member of the NI Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) pension scheme, with a 20.5% employer contribution. Other Benefits Visit Belfast participates in a number of HMRC approved salary sacrifice schemes which allow employees to benefit from goods and services through monthly payroll deductions which provide tax and national insurance savings. About Visit Belfast Visit Belfast (formerly Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau) is a public/private sector partnership funded and supported by Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and the private sector. It is the official tourism marketing and destination management agency for the Belfast City Region, dedicated to promoting Belfast as a city break, conference and cruise ship destination. It is also responsible for the operation of three gateway visitor information centres, at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, Belfast International Airport and the Cruise Welcome Hub. Visit Belfast represents almost 500 tourism businesses and services across the industry including accommodation providers, attractions, conference venues and services, tour operators, transport providers, entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes, pubs and clubs and event organisers. It provides an extensive range of marketing platforms for tourism businesses to promote their products and services to travel trade and consumers. In marketing Belfast as a world class destination, we are keen to work with businesses that reflect the best of what the city has to offer potential visitors. Visit Belfasts core purpose is to create and service visitors for Belfast and Northern Ireland in order to generate economic benefit and inclusive growth, creating jobs and prosperity for the city region, enabling Belfast to become a more sustainable place to visit, meet and live in. More information about Visit Belfast can be viewed on our website! Visit Belfast Company Values People centred - Our welcome is second to none and we embrace it. Our community, stakeholders, partners, visitors and staff are at the heart of everything we do. We strive for an inclusive, warm welcome. Our staff are proud to showcase the city of Belfast and we go the extra mile for visitors and for each other. Responsible - We champion the cities strengths and protect them for future generations. Our vision is clear, future proof our city for generations to come. We encourage our visitors to make sustainable travel choices, enjoy our green spaces and attractions, and support local businesses who are working hard to make Belfast a resilient city. Collaborative - Working together is in our DNA. We share a collective ambition to see Belfast flourish. Partnership is what sets up apart. We share information and insights to ensure our city provides the best offering to our visitors and communities. Influential - We have confidence and conviction to be the best. We lead the promotion of our city. Tourism is a force for good, driving economic, environmental and social well-being. We are results-oriented and driven by our desire to do and be the best. Adaptable- We roll with the punches and punch above our weight Things change, and just like our weather, the world can be unpredictable. Were agile and fast moving, adapting to opportunities and dealing with challenges that lie ahead. No matter what comes our way, we ensure our visitors, staff and communities are front of mind. Honest- We are genuine and our passion for Belfast is real. We promote a city we love and believe in. We share authentic stories and are proud of our progress. We are honest with our communication and promotion, we do what we say and we say what we do. Job Description POSITION: Cruise Retail Assistant (seasonal) Part-time (average 25 hours per week) Seasonal (April to end of September 2024) DEPARTMENT: Visitor Servicing REPORTING TO: Retail Supervisors and Head of Visitor Services Operations. HOURLY RATE: £12.00 per hour from 1st April, under review, This may be different to meet the current legal requirements with regards to age. Reporting to the Retail Supervisor at the Cruise Welcome Hub and Head of Visitor Services Operations. Post-holders will provide an efficient and comprehensive service to our customers and work as part of a team to drive both personal and business targets. We are looking for candidates who strives to continuously learn and develop their service skills, product knowledge and behaviours in our ever-changing retail and visitor environment. Successful candidates will take an active role in sharing ideas and identifying opportunities to enhance the shop environment and improve the visitor experience. Post holders will be based mainly in the Cruise Welcome Hub (Airport Road West) or occasionally at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: To receive and process cash and card transactions, completing end of day procedures on the POS when required and reporting to the Cruise retail supervisor and Head of Visitor Services Operations daily sales. Ensure all shop deliveries are checked in, recorded, and stored. Assist in the maintenance of standards on the shop floor and for all displays and merchandise. Keep stock, clean and presentable at all times. Replenish stock levels when needed, making sure the full range of stock is on the shop floor where possible. Ensure shop standards in terms of look and feel are adhered to and the shop is prepared for the next trading day Working as part of a team to achieve daily sales targets. The daily/weekly maintenance of information files and records of retail daily activity. Support the team in the development and maintenance of effective working relationships with Visit Belfasts partners, sponsors, and the industry as appropriate. The provision of any other form of service with which the post holder may be charged in accordance with Visit Belfasts general activities. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Visit Belfast operates a system of performance appraisal set against a set of pre-determined targets and objectives. HOURS OF WORK Hours will vary according to the cruise schedule and will be on a rota basis. Evenings, weekends, bank & public holiday work will be a normal part of duties. Cruise duties will require earlier starts on some occasions, circa 7.30am and later finish times, circa 8.30pm UNIFORM Uniforms will be provided along with the Visit Belfast uniform policy. The uniform will consist of a branded polo shirt and fleece which should be worn along with plain black trousers or jeans and shoes. SMOKING POLICY Visit Belfast operates a no smoking policy! Smoking is strictly prohibited within Visit Belfast sites. Personnel Specification Essential Criteria Qualifications A minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C or above, including English and Maths OR One year's experience in a retail environment. Relevant Experience One year's customer service work experience in a retail environment. Proven and demonstrable experience in sales and selling skills within a retail environment. Cash handling/till handling experience. Special Aptitudes Excellent written and spoken English. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. Ability to work on own initiative, with energy, enthusiasm, and as a team player. Excellent customer care skills. Smart appearance. Circumstances Availability to work outside normal hours as required. Good flexibility and availability. Access to a form of transport to meet the rota needs of the post. Desirable Criteria Qualifications Third-level qualification or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g., Travel/Tourism, Leisure/Hospitality, Business, or Languages). Relevant Experience Experience in a tourist information service, visitor-focused position, travel trade, or similar. Experience in end-of-day cashing-up procedures. Special Aptitudes Excellent and demonstrable working knowledge and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook (to be specified clearly in the application).