Shipwright (Heritage Carpenter)

Salary (Grade 5) - £29,993 - £33,872 per annum (dependent upon experience)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week - permanent

Location: Work across the National Museum of the Royal Navy based in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with occasional travel to Gosport, Hartlepool and Belfast

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. Aswell 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

The National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard are undertaking a once-in-a-lifetime repair on HMS Victory: The Big Repair.

As we move into the next phase of the major Conservation Programme, we are growing the team and looking for Shipwrights to join a friendly, multidisciplinary team of museum professionals. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to be part of conserving the world’s oldest commissioned ship.

You will be engaged in the conservation activities on board of HMS Victory with opportunities to work both on historic structures and new timbers. The new structures are produced in our state-of-the-art workshop and then fitted on board. Shipwrights are also involved in conservation and preservation of historic timber and metal components alongside the NMRN conservators team.

Overseen by the Lead Shipwrights, 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.

You may also spend time based on our other Portsmouth ships - HMS Warrior and HMS M33 - with occasional travel to the Museum’s other locations in the UK, including Gosport, Hartlepool and Belfast. Occasional weekend working may be required.

What You Can Bring

• Specialist knowledge of construction of maritime joinery/shipwright practice, conservation and maintenance of historic ships, vessels or historic buildings.
• Experience in traditional boat or Ship building, Joinery or timber construction techniques.
• Qualified to Level 3 City & Guilds Boatbuilding (2463-03) or equivalent Woodworking qualification or experience
• Practical working knowledge of Health and Safety.
• As you will be removing planking from the hull of HMS Victory, this will be a physically demanding role which will require manual handling on a daily basis.
• A positive attitude and ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
  
  

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 Lucy Murphy, HMS Victory Lead Shipwright, at [email protected].

All applicants are asked to apply via https://jobs.nmrn.org.uk/. The role will be open to apply to until midnight on 31st January 2026, however we will look to interview throughout the period of the advert being live.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to the application process because of a disability, please contact the People team on [email protected] 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.