JOB DESCRIPTION: Bike Engineer
To apply, applicants should send a cover letter and CV to heather[at]commonwheel.org.uk by 3 July 26.
https://commonwheel.org.uk/contact-us/
Background
Common Wheel is a 25 year old Registered Charity, based in Glasgow, providing meaningful activity for people recovering from or experiencing mental illness. Our Programmes of activity include; Arts, Music, Climbing, Gardening, Bike Building and our own highly varied Drop In Programme delivered from our own premises at the Gartnavel Hospital, The Nook in Glasgow and other community facilities. Our Bike Building Programme (BYOB) is delivered from our well respected and long-established Bike Workshops in Maryhill and Bridgeton.
Our Bike Workshops are staffed by our existing Bike Engineers and are supported by our team of volunteer Bike Engineers. In addition to being commercial Bike Workshops offering bike sales and repairs, our workshops are also highly supportive, training workspaces where we deliver the Build Your Own Bike Programme.
Due to volume of work, we are currently seeking to recruit a new Bike Engineer who will work across both Bike Workshops ensuring we can have longer opening hours.
Who are we looking for?
We want to find someone who has a passion for bikes and the skills and patience to match. We need someone who can do more than fix bikes. The role is also about passing on your knowledge and passion to improve the lives of people with mental illness.
Our bike repair side is more creative than in other bike workshops. We do many custom builds and seldom sell a bike the way it left the factory.
As with any job there will be training in how we do things. We do expect you to be able to re-cable a '90s bike in less than an hour, build wheels, fit mudguards and all the usual bike repair skills.
We are also seeking someone with customer service skills, preferably in a bike environment and someone with IT skills as we have admin responsibilities to our Funders. Specific bike retail experience would be advantageous.
Ideally, we are seeking someone with a non-judgemental, nurturing, motivational approach who will be able to support our participants as fully as possible, someone who understands the challenges presented by mental illness.
The Bike Engineer will have a full Common Wheel induction and will have access to mental health training including; working with forensic patients, suicide prevention, self-harm and trauma informed practice. You may be asked to take part in the bike subcommittee which is made up of staff, volunteers and board members.
Salary
We are offering a 35 hour a week position, with weekend working included on a rota basis at a salary of £29,566
Key Responsibilities
• To enable as many people as possible with mental health problems to access regular high quality bicycle rebuilding and maintenance activities.
• To ensure that the activities suit the needs of the clients.
• To deliver the sessions to the highest standards for the clients' benefit.
• To create a positive and enabling environment within the workshop.
• To generate income through bicycle sales and repairs.
• To actively contribute to the development and efficiency of Common Wheel's Bike Workshops.
Responsibilities
Participant Referrals
• Managing enquiries and participant referrals in partnership with referral agencies.
• Arranging to meet each potential new participants at the workshop with their referrer, in order to ensure that the course will be appropriate for the participant ('interest visit'). Communicating with participants to inform them about session start dates and date changes.
• Monitoring and reporting client contact numbers and outcomes.
• Generating content for social media
Workshop related activity
• Providing therapeutic activity to participants through bicycle rebuilding and maintenance sessions.
• Maintaining a clean, tidy and appropriate workshop environment.
• Assisting with procurement of used bicycles and disposal of unsuitable ones. (This may involve co-operating with other bicycle recycling organisations).
• Undertaking bicycle servicing, repairs and rebuilding for sale to the general public.
• Managing volunteers in the workshop.
• Providing the highest standards of customer service and advice.
Administration and marketing
• Administration of relevant income and expenses and stock control.
• Preparing images and descriptions of bicycles and parts for sale.
• Assisting with promotion and marketing, including online activities.
• Attending and participating in relevant exhibitions and events.
• Assisting with the maintenance and updating of Upshot, our monitoring, evaluation and learning tool
Other
• Participating in personal and team development activities.
• Conforming to all relevant Common Wheel Policies and Procedures.
The above is a summary of the key elements of the Bike Engineer Role and by its very nature cannot be exhaustive. As a member of a small staff team, this remit is designed to be flexible and to add value to our existing staff team and participant experience. The postholder will be expected to contribute to other areas of the organisation, to maximise performance and efficiency. The postholder will report to the Charity Manager.