Love fixing things? Looking for a role with real purpose?

This is not your average maintenance role. Where else could your day involve maintaining interactive science exhibits, troubleshooting technical issues and helping create unforgettable experiences for over 170,000 visitors each year?

As an Estates and Facilities Technician at Wonderseekers, you'll play a vital role behind the scenes at Winchester Science Centre, ensuring our exhibits, facilities and public spaces are safe, operational and ready to wow every visitor who walks through our doors. You'll join our dedicated team, carrying out repairs, preventative maintenance and resolving issues before they impact visitor experience.

This is a varied, hands-on role for someone who enjoys fixing things, takes pride in high standards, and loves the satisfaction of seeing the results of their work every day. No two days are the same, and every day contributes to our mission of engaging children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives.

If you're practical, proactive, and looking for a role with genuine purpose where your work helps bring science to life for children, families and schools, we'd love to hear from you.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible and supportive as possible. If you need this application pack in an alternative format, or would prefer to apply in a different way, we’re here to help. Please contact our People and Culture team on 07483 371391 or 01962 863791, or email hr@wonderseekers.charity to discuss your needs.

Job Details

Application Deadline: We are actively reviewing candidates – please apply at your earliest opportunity.
Hours: Full-Time – 37.5 hours per week. Minimum of 2 weekends in 7. (See work pattern below).
Salary: £25,694 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Line manager: Estates and Technical Manager
Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post-holder will be required to work occasional bank holidays where needed, time off in lieu will be available.
Location: Predominately based at Winchester Science Centre, Winchester, SO21 1HZ with occasional working at other sites (Eastleigh and Basingstoke).
Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Work Pattern

The team of three Estates and Facilities Technicians cover operating hours across 7 days per week. As such, most hours will be worked during daytime operating hours between 8am and 4pm, with some evenings and bank holidays required. Each Technician is expected to work 2 weekends in 7, subject to rota arrangements and business needs. We support flexible working and invite you to specify your preferred hours and availability in your application. Please note that weekend working is an essential requirement of this role and is non-negotiable.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on Earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

The Role

The Estates and Facilities Technicians are integral to the smooth day-to-day operation of the Science Centre, ensuring our exhibits and public spaces are always ready to engage and inspire visitors. Taking a hands-on approach, you will maintain exhibits, facilities and public areas to the highest standards of safety, functionality, and presentation. Through proactive maintenance, routine inspections and effective collaboration with colleagues across the organisation, you will help minimise downtime and ensure a consistently high-quality visitor experience.

Key Responsibilities

  • Open, power up and prepare all exhibition and public spaces and interactive exhibits ahead of daily public opening, ensuring full readiness.
  • Carry out routine health and safety inspections of public, staff and plant areas, identifying hazards and taking appropriate action to ensure the safety of public and staff.
  • Carry out regular floor walks throughout the shift to monitor exhibit performance and public spaces, proactively identify faults, and troubleshoot issues in real time.
  • Perform basic fault-finding, resets and minor repairs to interactive exhibits and infrastructure, escalating more complex issues to the Estates and Technical Manager.
  • Maintain high standards of presentation across all exhibits and public spaces, ensuring they are clean, safe, and fully operational, which can include the regular cleaning of exhibits and other areas of the Science Centre.
  • Carry out scheduled monthly building compliance checks, including fire safety inspections, testing and monitoring of key fire safety systems and equipment, external safety checks, occasionally carrying out weekly fire alarm tests and the recording of utility meter readings, maintaining appropriate documentation and escalating any defects or concerns.
  • Replenish consumables and materials across the centre to ensure a seamless and engaging visitor experience.
  • Support planned maintenance, repairs, and installation of new exhibits, upgrades or infrastructure.
  • Work alongside, support or liaise with external contractors to support the maintenance and repair of exhibitions and infrastructure.
  • Communicate effectively with colleagues across teams, ensuring clear handover of information on exhibit status, faults, and actions taken, so that all staff are informed and the visitor experience remains consistent throughout the day.
  • Undertake routine preventative maintenance checks to reduce downtime and extend the life of exhibits and equipment.
  • Assist with general site and facilities maintenance tasks, including basic repairs and upkeep of public spaces.
  • Ensure working spaces such as the workshop are maintained to a high standard of safety, cleanliness and tidiness.
  • Adhere to all health and safety procedures, including electrical safety and safe manual handling practices, ensuring a safe environment for visitors and staff.
  • Maintain accurate records of maintenance and facilities activities, faults, and actions taken, contributing to continuous improvement of exhibit and infrastructure reliability and quality.
  • Estates and Facilities Technicians will undertake key holder responsibilities as part of their role. This may occasionally require opening or securing the building outside of normal operating hours where business needs require, particularly when no other staff or contractors are available to do so.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

  • Basic practical maintenance skills, with the ability to carry out minor repairs and fixes
  • Understanding of electrical safety and ability to work safely around powered equipment
  • Ability to carry out manual handling tasks and work on your feet for extended periods
  • Good problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and take appropriate action
  • Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to spotting and resolving faults
  • High standards of quality control, particularly within a public-facing exhibition environment
  • Confidence using basic tools and equipment safely
  • Good communication skills, able to provide clear updates and handovers to colleagues
  • Reliable, self-motivated and able to work independently as well as part of a team

Desirable

  • Previous experience in a caretaker, facilities, maintenance or similar hands-on role
  • Basic power tool knowledge and experience using them safely
  • Experience working in a visitor attraction, museum, science centre or other public-facing environment
  • Basic understanding of electrical or mechanical systems
  • Experience supporting preventative maintenance programmes
  • Familiarity with logging or reporting systems for faults and maintenance tasks

A quick heads-up about the interview process

For this role, there’s usually just one interview, and it’ll be a friendly and welcoming chance for us to get to know each other better. We’ll send you the questions in advance so you can arrive feeling confident and fully prepared.

Ready to apply?

When you're ready, head over to our recruitment portal and apply here.

Through our recruitment portal you’ll be asked to share your contact details and answer a few short questions, this is your chance to shine, so keep your answers concise but impactful. Once that’s done, simply upload your cover letter and CV.

Want to chat to us before applying? Need information in a different format or would like to apply in an alternative way? No problem! Drop us a line at hr@wonderseekers.charity or by calling our People and Culture team on 01962 863791 / 07483 371391 and we’ll be happy to arrange an informal conversation. We’re always happy to answer any queries and give you an insight in to what it’s like working for our Charity.

No recruitment agencies, thank you.