Job title: AV/IT Assistant (British Science Festival). 

Duration: 16 - 20 September 2026, plus training day on Monday 14 September.

Core Hours: Hours will be assigned between the core hours of 08:00-22:00 and will be confirmed on appointment. ​

​You will be allocated no less than 35 hours over the course of the festival and may be scheduled for up to 48 hours between 14 and 20 September 2026.​

​Some roles may involve minimal supervision and could require working late evenings or early mornings.

Location: Southampton

Rate: £13.45 per hour  

Download the candidate pack for this role as a pdf.

The British Science Festival is Europe’s longest standing science festival, travelling to a new location in the United Kingdom each year. We programme of free events to the public over five days, bursting with exciting opportunities to get involved in. Will you be a part of it?

About the role

Job description

Main duties

• Support speakers and event organisers with the set-up of AV(audio-visual) and IT equipment before events
• Work alongside Event Assistants to support event hosts and audiences during sessions 
• Assist with the set-up and pack-down of venues 
• Ensure equipment is handled appropriately and left in good working order 
• Support other roles as required, including assisting with audience-facing tasks and covering breaks 

About you

Person Specification​

Essential​

• Comfortable using technology, including laptops and presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint)

• Confident in picking up new tech skills via training (e.g. how to operate handheld microphones)

• Confident communicating with a range of people, including speakers, audiences and other festival assistants

• Able to work both independently and as part of a team

• An ability to stay calm under pressure, show initiative and solve problems under pressure

• Able to work flexibly across different shifts

• Good level of spoken English​

Desirable​

• Knowledge of Southampton

• Experience using basic AV equipment (e.g. microphones, projectors)

• Previous experience working or volunteering at events or in a public-facing role

• Student at University of Southampton

• Based in Southampton

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please apply via the BSA Recruitment Portal using the link below:

https://recruit.smb.co.uk/vacancy.aspx?id=aVPTW7YM7zvXWdKt 

As part of the application, you will be asked to watch a short video about the Festival and the roles available. You will then answer a few questions about the video, followed by the question: ”What do you think you’ll enjoy most about working at the British Science Festival in this role?”

Please note you will not be asked to submit a CV or cover letter.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 9 June 2026 at 10.00am.
  
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted after the closing date to arrange a short online interview before a final decision is made. Provisional interview dates are Monday 15 June to Friday 19 June 2026.

If you have further questions or would like this information in a different format, please contact: [email protected]

Disability Confident Scheme

As part of the British Science Association’s commitment to being a Disability Confident employer, all disabled* applicants who meet the ‘essential criteria’ for this vacancy will be offered an interview under our guaranteed interview scheme. ​

If you wish to apply under the guaranteed interview scheme, you will be asked to indicate this when you submit your application by selecting ‘yes’ in the relevant box when asked during the application process. Applicants do not need to state any further information or declare their disability at the application stage.

Whether you are applying under the scheme or not, if you are successful in being shortlisted, we will ask candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions to let us know if they need any adjustments during the recruitment process. If you have further questions or would like this information in a different format, please contact: [email protected] ​

*The Disability Confident scheme’s definition of disability is in line with the Equalities Act 2010: “a physical or mental condition which has a long-term and substantial effect on your daily life”. Further information about our Disability Confident commitments can be found on the Disability Confident page of our website. ​

Terms and conditions

AVIT Assistants will be working at the British Science Festival in Southampton, during the Festival between 16 - 20 September 2026, plus training day on Monday 14 September. Please note that the responsibilities of this role are provisional and are subject to change. 

The assignment is offered at a salary of £13.45 per hour. You will be allocated at least 35 hours, with the possibility of up to 48 hours between 16-20 September, including 6 hours for training on 14 September. The roles may involve minimal supervision and could require working late evenings or early mornings.

Your core hours will be scheduled between 08:00-22:00 at venues around Southampton and the University of Southampton, for the five days of the festival itself (including at least a 30-minute unpaid break for every 6 hours of work) . Festival assistants can expect to work every day during the festival, with shift times shared in advance. The roles may involve minimal supervision and could require working late evenings or early mornings.

The training day on Monday 14th September 2026 will be paid at the above rate and is compulsory. The BSA will reimburse reasonable travel costs incurred in attending the training day. The BSA will not be covering travel, accommodation, or subsistence costs for the duration of the Festival

A copy of our Privacy Notice is available on the vacancies page of our website. 

Our commitment to EDI

For the BSA’s vision to come to fruition, we need to make science relevant and welcoming for everyone. That’s why equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI) is central to our strategy and activities.  

Our target audiences are people who say they don't have an active relationship with science or say “science is not for me” - and who are underrepresented in science. This includes people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, people in faith/religious communities, disabled people, women and non-binary people, and many others.

We work directly with our target audiences and with a wide range of partners, networks and influencers to improve the diversity and inclusion of the BSA and the wider UK science/research sector.