Security Officer Full-time working 4 ON / 4 OFF working days only, or days and nights Permanent £28,196 - £31,325 per annum depending on working pattern offered Apply by 12pm (midday) on Monday, 2 February 2026
About the role
The Visitor and Security Services department is looking for Security Officer’s to help provide a welcoming, safe and secure environment for our visitors, staff, and our world-famous collection.
In 2024, the British Museum in Camden received 6.5 million visitors, more than any other museum in the UK. The Museum is now undergoing an extraordinary project of transformation including re-imagining the visitor experience. As part the first and last person visitors see and a member of the Visitor and Security Services department, you will have a key part to play in this. To this end, the successful candidate will be able to deliver security awareness and customer service to a high standard.
Why join the British Museum?
The security department is a close-knit team where working together to keep everyone and the Museum’s objects safe while contributing to the visitor experience.
Our values drive everything we do, from how we handle our objects to how we work in our team to fostering a culture where everyone feels heard and empowered. These are:
- Care Deeply
- Embrace the Unknown
- Spark Curiosity
- Value Many Voices
Alongside this, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Be a part of a world-renowned institution, where history, culture, and innovation come together!
- Generous Leave:25 days annual leave (rising to 30 with service) plus 2.5 privilege days and bank holidays.
- Family Friendly Perks:enhanced maternity pay, shared parental leave and more.
- Financial Support:Interest-free travel loans and rental deposit loans.
- Wellbeing:Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for mental health and wellbeing support.
- Everyday Extras:Subsidised staff canteen, and discounts in our gift shop.
- Exceptional Pension:Secure your future with one of the UK’s most generous defined benefit schemes – guaranteed income for life.
- Cultural Perks:Free tickets to exhibitions, plus complimentary and discounted entry to leading museums and galleries worldwide.
What might a normal day look like?
No one day is ever the same, so flexibility and teamwork is essential to ensuring a safe and secure environment. You can expect to find yourself:
- Welcoming visitors on arrival.
- Conducting security bag and vehicle searches.
- Controlling all pedestrian and vehicle access to the Museum.
- Providing a high visibility presence by regular patrolling of public spaces.
- Responding to alarms, escalated security incidents and suspicious behaviour.
- Collaborating with Metropolitan Police and Emergency Services when required.
- Providing security services for evening functions and events.
About you
- Experience and knowledge of working in an operational security role.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Able to work cooperatively as a team and follow instructions and processes in routine and emergency situations.
- Good written and verbal communication skills to understand visitor needs and respond appropriately.
- High level of awareness and responsiveness to security situations.
- Able to show initiative to de-escalate situations where safe and appropriate.
- Able to effectively respond to emergency situations and undertake rapid response activities.
- Able to take responsibility for tasks, escalating where required only.
Desirable
- A valid SIA Door Supervisor licence is essential for the role. Successful applicants without a licence may receive assistance with organising and funding for the course.
To apply for this role, you must complete your application through our website.
You will need to complete a form to tell us about your skills and experience, in the Personal Statement part of the form, please ensure you answer the questions below:
- Why do you want to be a Security Officer at the British Museum? (No more than 50 words)
- Give an example of how you worked in a team when responding to a security incident (No more than 100 words)
- Give an example of how you have delivered customer service to a high standard (No more than 200 words)
Successful applicants will be invited to attend an Assessment Day between 16 – 20 February and will include a:
- Job and security screening briefing
- Timed multiple choice security knowledge assessment
- Teamwork exercise
- Incident Report writing exercise
- Short interview for candidates who have successfully completed and passed the above stages
It is anticipated that the start date for this role will be the week commencing 13 April. We will provide a week long induction which will help you settle into the team and develop your skills, this will run Monday 13 – Friday 17 April and you will need to be available for this period.
Additional details
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.
*Unfortunately, for this role we are unable to offer Sponsorship to applicants*
The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants