Job Opportunity: Teaching Mechanic (Part-Time 2 Days/Week)

Job Opportunity: Teaching Mechanic (part-time – 2 days/week)

1. Background Information

Life Cycle UK is an independent organisation and registered charity (1077575) that has been working since 1999 to transform lives through cycling.

Why cycling

Our experience is that cycling can be a fantastic agent for positive change: cycling improves physical and mental health, enables people on low incomes to access jobs and services, helps people who are lonely or isolated to engage better with community life and helps young people on their journey to independence. It also promotes stronger communities and sustainable living, as well as delivering wider benefits to the environment. We offer practical help and support to enable people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to cycle. This includes cycle training, maintenance training, supported bike rides; access to affordable refurbished bikes and more.

Background to Life Cycle UK

We employ 10 full-time-equivalent staff, have a network of 20 freelance cycle instructors and mechanics; 8 Trustees and over 100 volunteers. We have contracts with the local authority to provide cycle training to encourage more people to cycle. In addition, we have a number of charitable projects such Bike Back our project supporting prisoners to learn mechanical skills and Bike Minded that supports people with mental health issues to improve their mental wellbeing through cycling.

Life Cycle’s impact in 2016/17

Last financial year we supported:

662 disadvantaged individuals supported to cycle through our inclusive projects.

1,336 schoolchildren taught to cycle safely
250 adults received skills training to help them start and keep cycling
546 bikes recycled.
750 individuals received free bike safety-checks
4500 Volunteer hours provided.

There is more information on our website about our work.

Bike Back Derby: our bike recycling project

Bike Back Derby is a bike refurbishment scheme for Derby.

The scheme provides affordable refurbished bikes to local people in Derby, helping them access work, employment and other facilities by bike, whilst contributing to Derby City Council's aims to reducing congestion and increasing active sustainable travel.

The scheme takes in donations of unwanted bicycles from the public that are unused and gathering dust and completely refurbishes them to a roadworthy condition. This work is undertaken by prisoners at HMP Stocken and HMP Nottingham, where they work towards and gain a qualification in cycle mechanics.

The bicycles are then returned to Bike Back Derby and sold at affordable prices to any who work, live or study within Derby City. Job seekers and low income beneficiaries benefit through schemes and events run by our Connected partners: Wheels to Work, The University of Derby, Derby Royal Hospital, Sustrans, East Midland Trains and Derby City Council.

Bike Back Derby sells many bikes direct from its premises as well as at events locally. A new growth area for the project is in bike servicing through Dr Bike events and through delivering cycle maintenance courses to the public.

Benefits to the prisoners

The project provides positive productive employment training and nationally accredited City & Guilds qualifications for prisoners..

“I knew the basics, from working on my own bike, but I didn’t realise there was so much more to learn. I have learnt masses – and not just about bikes. I have learnt general things about employment, looking after tools, keeping the workshop clean and tidy. I am feeling much more positive now. I’ve got my mind set on other things and I want to try and get a job when I leave.” - Prisoner

Benefits to the community

Many people who would like to cycle but can’t afford a new bike are able to buy one at affordable prices. Through our volunteer programme we offer local people opportunities to gain skills and contribute to a meaningful community project. In addition we offer cycle training to ensure people have the skills and confidence to cycle.

2. New Programme of Work

Bike Back Derby has recently been awarded a grant by Derby City Council to support people on low incomes to cycle, including job seekers, and students, through the provision of affordable bikes, bike maintenance training and Dr Bike surgeries.

The project will run until 31st March 2020. However, we envisage continuing the programme beyond the grant funding, subject to innovation and development to ensure it can be sustained.

Job Description: Teaching Mechanic, Derby

We are looking for a dynamic individual with both cycle mechanic and teaching experience, with drive and ambition, who can deliver our planned programme of work and contribute to the longer term development of activities to ensure our success and sustainability.

Job overview

Life Cycle UK is recruiting for the position of Teaching Mechanic for its successful Derby projects including Bike Back Derby. This is an important role and the successful candidate will be primarily responsible for delivering a range of cycle maintenance courses, Build a Bike courses and Dr Bike Surgeries to a range of adults in Derby City; and refurbishing bikes for sale.

You will be an excellent bicycle mechanic, with strong experience of working on a wide range of bikes, particularly older bikes.

You will be an excellent teacher, and be able to work well with a wide range of people from all backgrounds.

You will be able to deliver Life Cycle’s cycle maintenance courses to a variety of learners. You will have the skills to deliver Dr Bike Surgeries, carrying out checks and repairs on customers bikes in the field and you will be able to contribute to the refurbishment of bikes for sale.

You will have a have good time management skills be able to cope with a busy working environment and getting jobs done on time to a high standard. You will have a good understanding of health and safety issues. The successful candidate will also be highly motivated and passionate about Life Cycle’s long-term vision for project.You will have a proactive personality who is always looking for ways to develop and improve our business.

General duties and responsibilities

Cycle Maintenance and repair

Deliver 24 courses to members of the public in bicycle maintenance and repair.
Develop and deliver 10 Build-a-Bike courses to members of the public.
Document Build-a-Bike courses to enable others to deliver it.
Deliver 30Dr Bike surgeries to businesses and community groups.
Contribute to our target of refurbishing 180 bikes by working alongside the project mechanic.

Quality assurance and training

Carry out monitoring and evaluation as required to enable reporting on progress and to ensure targets are being met
Manage quality assurance process, checking all learning outcomes are met
Work closely with the Bike Back Derby Project Manager to ensure all work is carried out to high standards.

Health and safety

Risk assess working environments to ensure safety
Be responsible for Health & Safety for all activities ensuring staff, volunteers and participants understand H & S requirements and work to agreed protocols.

Tools and equipment

Ensure each course has sufficient parts, spares, tools and equipment to deliver effectively.
Maintain accurate systems for organising course consumables and other delivery kit.
Organise correct, secure and timely disposal of scrap and other waste.

Working with others

Ensure good customer service
Identify suitable tasks to be delegated to volunteers if necessary.
Work alongside Project Manager and Project Mechanic to ensure high standards and to meet overall project outcomes.

Other duties:

Meet regularly with the Bike Back project manager to discuss project progress
Attend occasional meetings at Life Cycle UK’s offices in Bristol if required.
Contribute to the development of the overall project and suggest ideas and support the development of activities that contribute to the long term sustainability of the project.
Contribute to management reports and reports to funders.

Training opportunities

On-going training opportunities will be available to be discussed with your line manager.

First Aid training will be completed or a requalification course attended (where applicable) every three years.

Working with volunteers

Life Cycle values its volunteers, who are a major resource and make a vital contribution to our work. You will be expected to encourage, develop and support volunteer involvement in our work.

Environmental sustainability

We expect you to carry out your job responsibilities in an environmentally aware manner, ensuring as little damage to the environment as possible. Our aim is to ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. You will be expected to apply ‘sound value for money’ principles in all your work.

Other

You will be required to work occasional evenings and weekends.

3. Person specification: ProjectMechanic

Experience

Essential

Extensive recent experience of bicycle repair on a wide range of bikes.

Experience of teaching

Experience of working with a range of client groups including disengaged or vulnerable adults

Desirable

Experience of workshop based employment.

Experience in delivering accredited and non-accredited courses

Experience in delivering Dr Bike surgeries

Qualifications

Desirable

A recognised cycle maintenance qualification such as CyTech or City and Guilds

A teaching qualification.

First aid certificate.

Full clean driving license

Skills and knowledge

Essential

Excellent communication skills and the ability to relate to people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds and make them feel at ease.

Computer literate: - Be able to use basic Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook.

Excellent time management skills and organisation.

Knowledge of teaching environments and understanding of learning outcomes.

Desirable

Knowledge of cycling issues

Knowledge of running a Dr Bike surgery

Personal attribute

Essential

Positive approach and can-do attitude
Approachable and helpful
Ability to work independently, proactively and under own initiative.

4. Terms and conditions of employment – Teaching Mechanic

Contract

This is a fixed term contract which runs until 31st March 2020. It is our intention for the project to continue past this date but no funding has been secured yet.
This is a part-time post, 2 days per week. The core working day consists of 7.5 hours (excluding lunch break)
Days are negotiable, but the postholder will need to be available on Saturdays regularly as many of the courses are likely to be at weekends.
From time to time events will require you to work bank holidays for which time of in lieu may be taken on an hour for hour basis.

Salary

£21,000 - £23,000 depending on experience per annum pro-rata. Salaries are paid monthly in arrears and reviewed annually.
Life Cycle will make a matched contribution to your personal pension up to a maximum sum equivalent to 5% of salary.
Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed.

Annual leave

You will receive 28 days annual leave pro-rata including bank holidays.

Reporting

The Project Mechanic will report to the Bike Back Project Manager.

Note: this job description is for guidance. Employees are expected to be flexible and co-operative and to undertake additional duties as required.