Shipwright (Heritage Carpenter)

The National Museum of the Royal Navy; England; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent naval heritage museum is seeking an experienced Heritage Carpenter (Shipwright) for conservation work on historic vessels based in Portsmouth. This permanent role offers a salary between £29,993 and £32,936, and includes benefits like 25 days of annual leave and a group pension plan. The successful candidate will work with a passionate team and engage with the public about the important conservation efforts. Apply by 29 October 2025.

Benefits

Group pension plan

25 days’ annual leave

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme

Free admission to national museums

Discounts at shops and cafes

Qualifications

• Specialist knowledge of conservation and maintenance of historic vessels or buildings.
• Experience in physical roles requiring manual handling.

Responsibilities

• Work on conservation of historic ships including HMS Warrior.
• Engage with visitors about conservation work.
• Occasional travel to remote museum sites.

Skills

Construction of maritime joinery / shipwright practice

Traditional boat or ship building

Joinery or timber construction techniques

Education

Level 3 City & Guilds boat building / equivalent woodworking qualification

Job description

Overview

Shipwright (Heritage Carpenter)

Salary (Grade 5) - £29,993 - £32,936 per annum (dependent upon experience)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week - permanent

Location: National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Our epic story is of the Royal Navy, and its impact on Britain and the world. Here you can come aboard the most famous ships, planes, and submarines of the Royal Navy and experience them through those who served on them. As well as being truly captivated by the thousands of unique, emotional, and sometimes quirky stories that have shaped the Royal Navy into what it proudly stands for today.

Our vision is to be the world’s most inspiring Naval Museum, linking Navy to Nation. You are pivotal in us achieving our vision, and to support this we embrace diversity and want everyone to feel valued and have a sense of belonging.

This is a great opportunity to join the team

Responsibilities

We are looking to recruit an experienced shipwright to join our conservation and collections team based in Portsmouth, with occasional travel to our remote sites. The successful candidate will be part of a friendly, multidisciplinary team of museum professionals, conservators and marine industry specialists committed to high quality professional work maintaining and conserving historic ships.

The primary role will be working on the Portsmouth based ships, including HMS Warrior, LCT 7074, and HMS M33 - with occasional travel to the Museum’s other location in the UK, including Gosport, Hartlepool and Belfast. Occasional weekend working may be required.

Overseen by the Historic Ships Manager, your work will ensure that the NMRN’s historic ships are conserved and able to operate effectively and safely. The ships are open all year round as public attractions, so you will also be able to engage with our visitors about the important conservation work that you are undertaking.

This is an exciting time to join the NMRN. The Victory project team are moving onto the next phase on HMS Victory, and working within the historic ships team will give the successful candidate an opportunity to work on that project.

Qualifications and experience

• Specialist knowledge of construction of maritime joinery / shipwright practice, conservation and maintenance of historic vessels or historic buildings.
• Experience in traditional boat or ship building, joinery, or timber construction techniques.
• Qualified to level 3 City & Guilds boat building (2463 -03), equivalent Woodworking qualification or qualified by experience.
• This is a physically demanding role which may require manual handling on a daily basis.

What we offer

• The opportunity to be part of a friendly and diverse workplace within a unique heritage environment.
• Group pension plan with Royal London (6% employer contributions, 2% employee contributions and death in service benefit).
• 25 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays), pro rata for part time employees, increasing to 30 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays) after 5 years’ service, pro-rated for part time employees, with the option to purchase additional annual leave.
• Enhanced maternity/adoption and paternity pay.
• Flexible working.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Free admission to other national museums and attractions within the reciprocal agreement.
• Discounts at our shops and cafes.
• Free and discounted tickets for family and friends.
• A range of other benefits including cycle to work
• Paid reservist leave

We want you to succeed and showcase your skills and experiences, so if you are invited to interview, we will share our interview questions with you ahead of time. If you would like to have an informal discussion regarding the role, or ask any questions, please contact Roy Smith, Conservation and Maintenance Manager, at [e-mail].

All applicants are asked to apply via jobs.nmrn.org.uk by midnight on 29 October 2025. A selection process will be held on site in Portsmouth shortly after.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to the application process because of a disability, please contact the People team on [e-mail] for support.

This post requires a DBS check as a requirement of working on the naval base, as well as the right to work in the UK. Please note we cannot currently sponsor work visas.