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

Casual Skipper

Hourly rate: £18.00

Casual hours available weekdays and weekends: May – September 2025

About Us
Portsmouth Historic Quarter is a charitable organisation dedicated to creating authentic, educational, and enjoyable places, experiences, and opportunities that celebrate maritime history. We are custodians of historic buildings, boats, and spaces in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and at Priddy’s Hard in Gosport.

About the role

PHQ is looking for commercially endorsed Power/motorboat skippers to drive harbour tours in our Falklands-era Landing Craft. Throughout the summer season we aim to get as many visitors out on the water in our heritage vessels as possible to showcase the amazing maintenance work of our boats team and volunteers and make the most of our iconic position in Portsmouth Harbour.
The shifts are typically 4 – 6 hours per day and we operate both midweek and weekends. Candidates should indicate potential availability as we need to schedule a roster of skippers well in advance (it’s fine if you can only work certain days, we need to know so we can recruit cover for all shifts).

The landing craft is a twin-engined, 13-meter, 12-ton boat. While it’s unlikely you’ll have experience of exactly this type you must have at least 2 years’ experience of similar vessels in your log book. Good customer skills are essential and an interest in historic craft is desirable.

Suitable qualifications are: Current RYA commercial endorsement of any of the following – RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence (or higher) / RYA Advanced Powerboat Certificate of Competence / Day Skipper (Theory and Practical). VHR (SRC) and current first aid certification are also required.

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 send your CV and a brief covering note to recruitment@portsmouthhq.org.

Find out more

Information for applicants

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs 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 equality 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).

Applicant Privacy Notice