The Queen has entered the age of digital recruitment, advertising a Buckingham Palace planner role on LinkedIn.
Her Majesty is looking for someone to help with the £369million ‘digital’ refurbishment of her palace, posting a job vacancy at Buckingham Palace on her LinkedIn account. The salary, £38,000, (approximately $74 000 AUD).
According to Glassdoor UK, the average rates for similar roles sit around the £30,000 mark (up to £76,000 at the top end), making this role above average.
The Daily Star reports, “Her Majesty has advertised for a planner on LinkedIn to join the palace’s major refurbishment programme as it undergoes a £369million facelift. The 10-year programme is the first overhaul of the ageing palace since the 1950s, with new electric cabling, plumbing and heating being installed throughout.”
Her Majesty is looking for a new member of staff to help with the refurbishment, and is seeking someone with “excellent written communication skills and a keen eye for detail”.
According to the recruitment advertisement, the desired candidate will have previous planning experience in construction, ideally with historic buildings, and be “looking to take the next step in you [their] career”.
So far, the advertisement has attracted hundreds of application. The permanent position is advertised with the salary “dependent on experience, plus benefits”. The role involves 37.5 hours’ work a week, Monday to Friday, and travel is required.
The advertisement reads:
“Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a ten-year programme of works to overhaul its infrastructure – including electrical cabling, plumbing and heating – for the first time since the 1950s.
“A dedicated in-house Programme Management Office (PMO) oversees delivery to ensure the building is fit for purpose for the next 50 years.
“With the early planning and preparation works complete, you’ll join an established controls function at a key stage of the programme.
“Supporting the Strategic Planner, you’ll act as the key interface between the PMO and the contractors and consultants to analyse and feed their programmes into the wider Reservicing programme.
“This is a large scale programme in terms of duration and complexity, so your analysis, challenge and reports will be essential. Monitoring interfaces and interdependencies, you’ll identify conflicts and variances in order to keep the programme on track.
“Digital programming software is integral to our activities. As an experienced user of Asta, you’ll be a key member of the team, reporting on milestone movements to ensure deliverables are achieved and operational hand backs maintained.
“In a role that is truly collaborative, you’ll work closely with colleagues across the cost, control and change disciplines. And you’ll use planning workshops to identify and manage risks; aligning them with the wider programme.
“No two days will be the same and the variety and pace will challenge you. But as you support others, you’ll have exceptional opportunities to grow your own career in a great team environment.
“And knowing you’re contributing to the future of an iconic building will inspire you to deliver every day.”
The chosen candidate will also be rewarded with a winning benefits package including a 15% employer contribution pension scheme and access to a range of catering and recreational facilities.
The renovations, which are already underway, involve 200 specialist staff tackling the work, wing by wing, over ten years.
The planner’s role will be to support the team preserving the palace for years to come and keep the ten-year refurbishment programme on track.
The advertisement speaks to the prestige of the position, in “working with a shared and unique purpose”, and that “contributing to the future of an iconic building will inspire you to deliver every day,” distinguishes what makes working for the Royal Household different.
“The Queen will move out of her private rooms to elsewhere in the palace during the 10-year phased renovations, but her apartments will be tackled last so as to minimise disruption for the monarch.”
“Much of the palace, including the wiring and plumbing, has not been updated since the 1940s and 1950s, leaving it at severe risk of fire or flooding.”
The Queen has recently advertised a number of other roles, including a social media director and personal assistant.
Would an ad like this encourage you to apply? Why, why not? Tell us in the comments.
Source
Queen posts £38,000 job vacancy at Buckingham Palace on her LinkedIn account
Daily Star UK