Work With Us

Careers

The success of Kielder Observatory depends on the ability, commitment and dedication of our staff and volunteers. We are therefore committed to creating an equal, diverse and inclusive organisation and to valuing the contribution that our staff and volunteers make. We welcome and respect differences in culture and background. We value the contribution that people from all backgrounds can make to the success of our organisation, irrespective of age, physical ability, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, or gender reassignment. Our commitment means that we continually seek to improve our policies, procedures and codes of practice to ensure that our staff and volunteers, and also members of the public who visit the observatory, are treated equally and fairly. 

We believe that a diverse and inclusive organisation leads to many benefits. Our purpose is to enhance our ability to demonstrate an ethical approach towards all who have contact with Kielder Observatory (KOAS). The positions listed on this page are current and are attracting applications. If you feel that you have the necessary qualities needed for a particular post or if you want information regarding our positions and or policies then please contact us in the first instance. If there are no vacancies please check back regularly as our team is constantly growing and we're always on the look out for passionate people.

Meet the Team

Current Vacancies

We’re searching for a new member of our team!  

As one of the UK’s most-loved attractions, we’re committed to delivering exceptional experiences and are looking to recruit a part time (30 hours) Experience and Communications Coordinator to support this.

About us 

Kielder Observatory is an astronomical public outreach charity located in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, under some of the darkest skies in Europe.

With inspiration drawn from our night skies and the dedication of our passionate team, we deliver a truly unique experience that has the potential to transform lives. Since opening in 2008, we have hosted thousands of events and established one of North East England’s most significant school programmes. Our outreach extends to prisons, hospitals, community centres, hotels, and other venues across the UK and globally.

More information about our mission, vision, values and plans can be found here https://kielderobservatory.org/the-observatory/vision 

Who are we looking for? 

Someone who understands the importance of delivering an exceptional experience for all our guests, visitors and customers. You’ll enjoy working in a team, be welcoming and inclusive, and enjoy problem solving and offering support to the public and your colleagues.

While an interest in astronomy will be valuable in your role, formal qualifications are not essential. We’re proud of our diverse team and are interested in hearing from people with a range of lived experiences. If you have any access requirements regarding the application process, please let us know. 

What will you be doing? 

As part of our small, service-focused team, you’ll play a key role in delivering an outstanding and ever-improving experience for our guests. Our administrative team often provides guests with their first person-to-person encounter, making you crucial in shaping their first impression of Kielder Observatory.

You’ll be the first point of contact for guest enquiries regarding events, tickets, merchandise and all our other services. Your communication skills—both verbal and written—will be excellent, allowing you to confidently and professionally respond to enquiries across various media.

You’ll assist the team with delivering events both at the Observatory and in external venues. Working alongside colleagues on varying shifts, you’ll help us achieve our ambition of making astronomy accessible to all. You will also spend some time supporting internal projects, particularly monthly reporting and marketing.

Our main events schedule runs throughout the week with events taking place each night. As such, flexibility in working hours—including some evenings and weekends—is key to this role. This is a new position, so we’ll work with you to develop a schedule that meets both our needs and yours.

You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in activities across the organisation as your schedule permits, and we encourage regular attendance at our events to deepen your connection with our mission.

You’ll receive a full astronomy training programme, developed by our Director of Astronomy, to enhance your understanding and ability to communicate who we are and what we do.

We value and encourage continuous learning and growth across our team, offering an individual annual budget for professional development and allocating up to 10% of your work schedule to these activities. 

If you’re passionate about delivering exceptional experiences and helping to inspire people from all walks of life with the wonders of the universe, we’d love to hear from you. 

Please download the Job Description for full details and apply by 5pm Thursday 28^th November 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Hannah Matterson (Operations and Marketing Director) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

To apply you can either: 

• Send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than 1 side of A4) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

• Or submit your CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and supporting statement via video (maximum 2 minutes for supporting statement video)

Job Description and Person Specification: 

Experience and Communications Coordinator (Part Time)

Internships

Internship applications are currently on hold. 

Work Experience

We offer a small number of work experience placements each year, for participants to gain experience of the work involved in running a public observatory. Work experience placements are generally for students aged 16 to 18 or university/college students at any stage of study. 

Work experience placements can be based at the Observatory itself, or at the office, which is near Newcastle Airport. Usually, our work placements are for one working week: five days at the office, or five consecutive nights at the Observatory. Please note that work placements at the Observatory are required to work very late, with events starting between 5pm and 9pm and finishing between 11pm and midnight. All placements are required to organise their own transport to and from the Observatory or office. We appreciate that not everyone will be able to do this, so are keen to adapt our way of working to look at hybrid models or remote work experience placements where they are more suitable.  

Applications are open from January and will close 1st March each year. You can apply any time in that period, please request an application form from the contact details below. We will review all applications in March and accommodate as many placements as possible, but these will be limited. Placements will usually take place between April and August each year and are very popular.

To apply, you’ll need a short statement about who you are, what you are studying, what you can contribute, what you hope to gain, and any access requirements you may have. Our application form will take you through this process – we will also require contact details and your consent to hold this data. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01912655510 (office hours)