Careers at Brian Franklin & Son Ltd

 

Brian Franklin & Son Ltd is a respected, family-run building conservation company based near Salisbury, specialising in the restoration, repair and conservation of historic and listed buildings throughout Wiltshire and the surrounding counties.

We’re looking for a hardworking, reliable and enthusiastic person to join our team on a full-time employed basis. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys practical work, wants to learn a skilled trade and is looking for a long-term career with a company that values quality craftsmanship.

About the Role

Working alongside experienced craftspeople, you’ll assist with a wide range of conservation projects while learning traditional building techniques such as lime pointing, lime plastering, lime rendering, cob repairs and the careful repair of historic buildings.

The work is varied, rewarding and always different. One week you may be helping repair a cob cottage, the next working on a listed church or period farmhouse. As your skills and confidence develop, you’ll take on greater responsibility and become an increasingly skilled member of the team.

Our projects are generally located within approximately one hour of our base near Salisbury, and no overnight working or staying away from home is required.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Assisting experienced tradespeople on heritage restoration projects.
• Preparing materials, tools and work areas.
• Mixing traditional lime mortars and assisting with conservation repairs.
• Loading, unloading and moving materials safely.
• Maintaining clean, organised and safe working areas.
• Learning specialist building techniques through hands-on experience.
• Progressing towards becoming a skilled heritage builder.

What We’re Looking For

Attitude is more important than experience. If you’re hardworking, dependable and keen to learn, we’d encourage you to apply even if you have little or no previous construction experience.

You’ll ideally be:

• Hardworking, reliable and punctual.
• Physically fit and comfortable carrying out demanding manual work in all seasons.
• Keen to learn and develop practical skills.
• Interested in traditional craftsmanship and historic buildings.
• Able to work well as part of a small, close-knit team.
• Professional, respectful and willing to listen.
• Committed to maintaining high standards of health and safety.
• In possession of a full UK driving licence.
• Able to travel to our base near Salisbury each working day.

Experience in construction, landscaping, farming, grounds maintenance or another practical trade would be an advantage, but it isn’t essential. We’re looking for someone with the right work ethic, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

What We Offer

• Excellent pay package, reflecting your attitude, commitment and development.
• 22 days’ paid annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• Company pension.
• Discretionary annual bonus (paid every year to date).
• Full-time employed position with genuine long-term career prospects.
• Full training provided and funded by the company, including specialist conservation skills.
• Company transport to and from site from our base near Salisbury.
• Interesting and varied work on historic and listed buildings.
• No overnight working or staying away from home.
• A supportive family-run business where quality workmanship is valued above speed.
• We believe in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so overtime opportunities are limited rather than expected.

Build a Career, Not Just a Job

Many of the traditional building techniques we use are becoming increasingly rare. We’re committed to passing those skills on to the right person and providing the training, support and experience needed to build a rewarding career.

We’re looking for someone who wants to become an important part of our team for years to come. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

To apply, please send your CV or a brief summary of yourself and any relevant experience. If you’d like an informal chat about the role before applying, we’d be pleased to hear from you.

 

Brian Franklin & Son Ltd is a respected, family-run building conservation company based near Salisbury, specialising in the restoration, repair and conservation of historic and listed buildings throughout Wiltshire and the surrounding counties.

Our reputation has been built on quality craftsmanship, traditional building techniques and attention to detail. We’re now looking for a skilled, enthusiastic tradesperson to join our team on a full-time employed basis, helping us continue to deliver exceptional work on some of the region’s most interesting historic buildings.

This is a genuine long-term opportunity for someone who takes pride in producing high-quality work and wants to build a rewarding career in the specialist field of building conservation.

About the Role

Our work is varied and rewarding, including traditional lime pointing, lime plastering and rendering, cob repairs, masonry restoration and sympathetic repairs to historic and listed buildings.

No two weeks are the same. One day you could be repairing a cob cottage, the next restoring a listed church or carrying out lime rendering on a period property. We believe this variety is one of the most rewarding aspects of the role.

Our work is generally located within approximately one hour of our base near Salisbury, and no overnight working or staying away from home is required.

Essential Skills & Qualities

• Experience in pointing.
• Experience in plastering and rendering.
• A high standard of workmanship with excellent attention to detail.
• Physically fit and capable of carrying out demanding manual work, including plastering, rendering and cob repairs.
• Reliable, punctual and professional.
• Positive attitude with a strong work ethic.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a close-knit team.
• Willingness to learn new skills and techniques.
• Genuine interest in traditional building methods and quality craftsmanship.
• Commitment to following safe working practices and maintaining high standards of health and safety on site.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Able to travel to our base near Salisbury each working day.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with lime mortars, lime plaster and lime rendering.
• Experience working on listed buildings or historic structures.
• Carpentry.
• Plasterboarding.
• Bricklaying.
• Flintwork or stonework.
• CSCS Card.
• An inquisitive mindset with a desire to continually develop new skills and techniques.

What We Offer

• Excellent pay package, tailored to the successful applicant’s skills, experience and attitude.
• 22 days’ paid annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• Company pension.
• Discretionary annual bonus (paid every year to date).
• Full-time employed position with genuine long-term career prospects.
• All necessary training provided and funded by the company, including specialist conservation skills.
• Company transport to and from site from our base near Salisbury.
• Interesting and varied projects, with no repetitive site work.
• Work generally located within approximately one hour of our base.
• No overnight working or staying away from home.
• A supportive family-run business where quality of workmanship is valued above speed.
• We believe in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so overtime opportunities are limited rather than expected.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone with the right attitude as much as the right experience. If you’re hardworking, dependable and eager to develop your skills, we’d encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every desirable criterion.

You’ll take pride in producing quality work, enjoy working as part of a close-knit team and have the curiosity to learn specialist conservation techniques that help preserve historic buildings for future generations.

Previous experience with lime and heritage buildings would be an advantage, but it isn’t essential. We’re happy to invest in someone with the right aptitude, enthusiasm and commitment to learning.

We’re looking to build a long-term working relationship and would particularly welcome applications from people living within a reasonable commuting distance of our base near Salisbury in South Wiltshire.

If you’re looking for more than just another building job and want to work on rewarding projects where craftsmanship, quality and traditional skills are genuinely valued, we’d love to hear from you.