Apprentice Spectacle Maker in London

For over 40 million people in the UK, spectacles are the first thing reached for in the morning, and the last thing taken off at night. The optical industry hasn’t changed in over three centuries. Products are tired, standards are poor, and glasses wearers have got used to sub-standard experiences. The reason we exist is to change this for the better. We’re not an eyewear brand. We’re a spectacles maker. At the heart of our business are our frames - handmade from the best materials. Designed to be worn, serviced, repaired and renewed. We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer and to be B Corp Certified.

The Apprentice Spectacle Maker is where a career in spectacle making begins. Joining our workshop team in Kings Cross, you’ll learn the craft from the ground up – starting with repairs and restoration, the perfect foundation for understanding how a frame is built, fitted and finished. Spectacle Makers at Cubitts are the custodians of our craft, responsible for creating, restoring and refining spectacles with precision and care. You don’t need prior experience – just a genuine interest in making things well with your hands, and the patience to do it properly.

As your skills grow, you’ll take on more of the making itself, including exposure to workshop machinery such as our CNC equipment, progressing from adjustments and small runs towards bespoke work, all while representing Cubitts’ values and mission with pride.

Apprentice Spectacle Maker tasks will include:

• Repairs & Restoration: Restore and repair spectacle frames from stores and online customers, replacing hinges, screws and nose pads, and polishing and refinishing frames to their original condition.
• Diagnosis & Materials: Learn to diagnose common frame faults and choose the right repair method for each material – acetate, horn, metal and titanium.
• Service Standards: Maintain exceptional workmanship standards and help uphold Cubitts' five-day service return promise, keeping accurate records of service jobs.
• Craft Development: Develop your spectacle-making skills through hands-on training and mentoring, learning specialist adjustments such as frame matting, nose pad additions and fine modifications for a perfect fit.
• Workshop Machinery: Build familiarity with workshop machinery including CNC routers, tumbling barrels and bridge bumpers, working towards operating them independently and supporting the rollout of new equipment and process improvements.
• Production Progression: Progress towards supporting production work – small commercial runs, made-to-measure and, in time, bespoke frames.
• Materials Care: Learn to source and care for materials (acetate, horn, titanium, hardware and tools) and keep your bench and equipment in excellent order.
• Collaboration: Work with retail colleagues to build a shared understanding of product care and craftsmanship, and support spectacle-making classes for colleagues and the public as your confidence grows.
• Culture: Foster a positive, team-oriented environment built on trust, open communication and respect, upholding Cubitts' design philosophy of making things properly, with pride and integrity.

What is expected of an Apprentice Spectacle Maker:

• Genuinely hands-on – has a real passion for making, mending and working with your hands; no formal spectacle-making experience required.
• Detail-focused – strong attention to detail and the patience to deliver consistently high-quality, careful work.
• Craft-curious – an interest in craft and design; hands-on hobbies or experience in a related discipline (jewellery, model-making, woodwork, metalwork etc.) is a bonus but not essential.
• Eager to learn – takes feedback well and steadily builds skills, session on session.
• Organised – punctual and comfortable managing a varied workload in a busy workshop environment.
• Collaborative team player – humble and proactive, contributing positively to workshop culture.
• Personally effective – self-aware, actively seeks feedback, and committed to following through on goals.
• Innovative mindset – open to learning new tools and technology, including workshop machinery like CNC equipment, and willing to test and learn from mistakes.

Goals for this year, agreed alongside the workshop’s production operating model:

• Craft development: Complete structured training milestones for repairs & restoration within your first 6 months.
• Quality: Achieve <1>
• Service standard: Support the team in upholding Cubitts' five-day service return promise.

Our Values:

• Pioneers: We try to improve things, by doing things better or more simply celebrating both innovation and failure.
• Proud: We take pride in doing things properly, even when we’re exhausted.
• For all: We treat everyone with the same warmth and respect, and without ego.

Some nice things you’ll get:

• Complimentary spectacles and discount
• Complimentary eye examination for you, your friends and family
• Spectacle making class
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Buy and sell holiday
• Life assurance
• Community socials
• Refer a friend scheme
• Annual season ticket loan
• Paid time away for the important moments in life
• Personalised training & development
• Discounted gym membership
• Sabbatical

Contract type: 40 hours a week — flexible across 7 days

Salary band: £13.85 per hour

Job grade: Associate

Reporting to: Design Lead

Working location: Workshop based, Kings Cross, London