Job Description

Salary
29,079 - 34,210 - dependent on experience
Contract type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Location
Poole, Dorset, England
Location description
All Weather Lifeboat Centre, Poole, Dorset
Interview date
w/c 2nd February
Closing Date
20-01-2026
Reference
21038
Documents (please view all documents)
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About Us
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that provides, on call, a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service and a seasonal lifeguard service. Our lifeboat crews and lifeguards need a dedicated, professional, and talented team behind them.
The All-weather Lifeboat Centre is the RNLI's in-house, boatbuilding, repair and refit facility located in Poole.
We have a full schedule of Lifeboat Refits ahead of us and are seeking experienced Laminators with some boatbuilding experience to join our teams.
Some of the benefits

• Performance related pay scheme annually reviewed
• 37- or 42-hour week contract option
• 26 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Time off in lieu available
• Half day on Fridays and flexible working opportunities.
• Outstanding pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Health and dental cash plan

About the role
As a Laminator at the ALC you will be responsible for the construction and repair/maintenance of marine composite structures for all classes of lifeboat. You would be asked to build new structures and undertake laminate repairs to existing hull structures and other components. As this workload can vary across the ALC, you may be asked to support other areas of boatbuilding such as vessel strip down or deck fitout. A multi-skilled attitude and approach is desirable.
The ALC offers a clean, organised and safe work environment, with all tools, materials and PPE provided to enable you to undertake this work.
About you
You must be able to work to Engineering drawings and standardised work, safely and efficiently. You will be working as a member of a multi-disciplined team ensuring that lifeboats are built and refitted on time and within budget, meeting the RNLI's stringent quality standards.
It is essential you have relevant City and Guilds or NVQ level 3/BTEC qualifications, time served apprenticeship or equivalent experience.
Previous experience of boat production, marine refits, and repairs, laminating and working with epoxy composite materials, is desirable.
Come and join us in the build of this centre of excellence and help save lives at sea!
Safeguarding
The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person's health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
Diversity at the RNLI
Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.

Skills Required