Painter in Portsmouth

Linking Navy to Nation with inspiring stories and experiences. Here you can come aboard the most famous ships, planes, and submarines of the Royal Navy and experience them through the stories of the people 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.

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 Historic Ships team is a small, dynamic group of specialists delivering vital work to conserve and protect the Museum’s fleet of historic vessels. Based at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, we also look after wooden and metal ships located at Hartlepool and Belfast as well as closer to home at Gosport and Southsea. The team’s work is exciting, diverse and responsive, and no two days are ever the same.

What you can bring:

We are seeking a self-motivated and highly skilled painter with a Level 2 City & Guilds qualification in Decorative Finishing and Industrial Painting (or equivalent), or demonstrable industry experience, together with experience of working on conservation projects in marine or industrial environments. Specific skills that would be advantageous include the preparation and treatment of historic metalwork and woodwork prior to redecoration, and artisan skills such as signwriting and gilding. An ability to produce and maintain records of the materials and methods being used, in order to comply with health and safety standards, is desirable. The candidate should be able to follow a programme of planned work and have the capability to undertake a variety of other tasks as they emerge. As work is carried out in public-facing areas, you will occasionally engage with visitors, sharing knowledge about conservation activities and the importance of preserving our historic ships.

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 rata 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 Luke Bonwick, Historic Ships Manager, on email luke.bonwick@royalnavymuseums.org.uk.

All applicants are asked to apply via https://jobs.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/ by midnight on Tuesday 3^rd November 2026. The selection processes 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 recruitment@nmrn.org.uk 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.