Work With Us
Our People
How We Work
Every individual working for the Trust has the opportunity to make a direct, measurable contribution to the achievement and advancement of our strategic aims. We approach our work with passion, creativity and diligence. Join our team and work in an environment rich in heritage and culture, with people who really care about what they do.
As an organisation we are ambitious and collaborative. We work with community organisations, businesses and local government partners in Portsmouth and Gosport to support economic, community and cultural development in these areas. At a national level we are an active member of the Heritage Alliance, contributing to consultations on issues that impact the heritage sector. We are also a member of the National Historic Ships Shipshape Network and recently were part of the UK Shipbuilding Skills Task Force that made recommendations to Government on skill requirements in the UK shipbuilding industry.
As an employer we are committed to:
- Paying our employees competitive salaries – we are a Real Living wage employer
- Investing in the development of our people
- Supporting flexible working
- Providing benefits that support good health and financial security in the present and the future
- Making it fun!
Current Vacancies
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000 depending on experience
Site-Based: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with travel to Priddy’s Hard, Gosport
Contract: Full-time, two year fixed term contract
About Us
Portsmouth Historic Quarter is the charity responsible for the conservation, development and interpretation of a remarkable collection of historic buildings, boats, and spaces within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, as well as at Priddy’s Hard in Gosport.
Working within one of the UK’s most significant maritime heritage sites, we conserve the historic environment and bring the site itself to life through regeneration, cultural programming, exhibitions, operational historic vessels, and partnerships that connect our heritage with the life of the city today. Together, these activities are transforming the Quarter into a vibrant cultural destination, bringing its historic places, spaces and stories to life for new audiences.
The Role
We are creating a new Exhibition Curator role to help deepen the interpretation of the Quarter’s extraordinary assets and stories. The postholder will lead research and curatorial development across our sites, shaping exhibitions and interpretation that reveal the rich history of the Dockyard and the people who worked here. A major focus will be the development of the new Dockyard Story exhibition, as well as contributing curatorial expertise to other new exhibitions, projects, and interpretation across the wider Quarter.
Working closely with colleagues and external partners, the Exhibition Curator will help research, develop and deliver engaging and accessible exhibitions that connect us with wider audiences. with opportunities to collaborate across programming, learning and outreach activities, and marketing.
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the interpretation of a historically significant estate and help develop new exhibitions that will shape how visitors experience the historic quarter for years to come.
About You
We are looking for a curator who combines strong historical research skills with practical exhibition experience and a passion for making heritage accessible to diverse audiences.
You will likely bring:
- A degree (or equivalent experience) in history, museum studies, heritage studies or a related field.
- Strong knowledge of museum and heritage sector standards for collections care and display.
- Experience researching historic sites, collections or archives to inform exhibitions or interpretation.
- Experience curating and delivering exhibitions or contributing to exhibition projects.
- A collaborative approach to working with colleagues, designers, collection owners and other stakeholders.
- An interest or background in naval, industrial or maritime heritage would be particularly welcome.
Please note, this role is not suited to remote working and therefore the post holder must be available to work at the dockyard.
As an organisation we are committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, and to implementing these through our work. We expect our colleagues to have a commitment to this too.
How to apply
Please read the full job description and person specification for the role before applying. A CV and a brief covering letter can be sent to recruitment@portsmouthhq.org with the title “Exhibition Curator” in the subject box.
Closing date: 17 April 2026
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000
Full -time: Tuesday – Saturday
Site-Based: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with travel to Priddy’s Hard, Gosport
About Us:
Portsmouth Historic Quarter is the charity responsible for the conservation, development and interpretation of a remarkable collection of historic buildings, boats, and spaces within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, as well as at Priddy’s Hard in Gosport.
We work to conserve the historic environment and bring the sites to life through regeneration, cultural programming, exhibitions, operational historic vessels, and partnerships that connect our heritage with the life of Portsmouth and Gosport today.
The Role:
We are seeking a Commercial Visitor Operations Manager to play a central role in the day-to-day operation and commercial performance of our unique maritime heritage sites. This is an exciting opportunity to combine visitor experience leadership, facilities oversight and commercial development in a setting where every improvement directly supports the achievement of our charitable objectives.
This is a key role, responsible for ensuring our exhibitions, visitor activities, retail, catering and on-site commercial operations are delivered professionally, efficiently and with strong commercial focus.
Reporting to the Operations Director, you will lead and motivate a small front-of-house team and work collaboratively across PHQ and with external providers to strengthen our visitor offer and drive revenue growth, including through retail development, ticketing and charter opportunities.
You will work with passionate colleagues, volunteers and partners and play a key role in shaping the future commercial success of our visitor offer.
About You:
We are looking for a commercially minded visitor operations professional who thrives on delivering outstanding customer experiences, running smooth facilities, and maximising income through retail, catering and visitor engagement. You will have the ability to manage people, contracts and operational priorities in a fast-paced public-facing setting.
We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who have:
- Experience managing visitor operations within a heritage, cultural, leisure, tourism or attraction setting.
- Strong commercial awareness and confidence driving income through retail, catering and visitor engagement.
- Experience working with external contractors and service providers.
- The ability to manage and motivate a team and maintain high customer service standards.
Please note, this role is not suited to remote working and therefore the post holder must be available to work at the dockyard.
As an organisation we are committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, and to implementing these through our work. We expect our colleagues to have a commitment to this too.
How to apply:
Please read the full job description and person specification for the role before applying. A CV and a brief covering note can be sent to recruitment@portsmouthhq.org with the title “Commercial Visitor Operations Manager” in the subject box. Please include where you saw the role advertised.
Closing date: 30 April 2026
Information for applicants
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet every single criterion. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So, if you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we would still like to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this or other roles.
Our working environment is one where diversity is valued and equity of opportunity is promoted.
We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of job applicant’s personal information. Our applicant privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information during the recruitment process in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
