Job Title:

Lead Mechanic

Organisation:

Outspoken Cycles Ltd

Salary:

Competitive, dependent on experience. Role includes annual budget for training

Location:

Cambridge

Hours of work:

37.5 Hours per week including alternate Saturdays and some additional evening and weekend days.

Responsible to:

General Manager

About Outspoken Cycles

Our Vision:

To create communities that are fitter and healthier by using cycles to build a better environment for people to live and work.

With strong social aims, we work across a broad range of services to help support and encourage cycling. Services include a traditional retail bike shop and repair workshop largely focusing on cargo bikes and utility cycling, cycle maintenance courses, off-site Dr Bikes and fleet servicing, pool bikes, cycle loan schemes, and finally, pedal-powered events services such as our Smoothie Bikes and Pedal Powered Cinema.

Located in the Bike Depot in north Cambridge, we share our offices with sister companies Outspoken Training and Zedify. With a shared environment geared around cycling, we are a tight-knit, busy team working off and on-site and across both individual and business customers.

Established in 2012, Outspoken Cycles has steadily grown year on year. Having recently taken on three new significant projects with local authorities and the University of Cambridge, we are expanding in the short term from 6 to 8 staff. This expansion of our mechanic support will then feed into our 3 year strategic plan for further measured growth.

It’s an exciting time for the company and the team, and while Covid-19 has been a challenge across some services, we come out in a stronger position and ready to implement our strategic vision.

Introduction to role:

We are looking for an experienced mechanic to take on the role of Lead Mechanic in the mechanic team. The role will support the Bike Maintenance Manager in the day-to-day running of the Bike Maintenance services with a focus on the running of our repairs workshop but will include off site work and Bike Maintenance Training.

We anticipate initially the role will be split between the workshop/courses and the off-site maintenance but as our workshop grows this will take greater priority.

With our focus on cargo bikes, tandems and utility cycling the post holder should have either experience of these bikes or have an interest in learning more about them.

The post holder should have experience working within the cycle trade as a mechanic and should be able to demonstrate a commitment to continual skills development. They will be expected to be a source of technical knowledge, and when new skills are inevitably required should be proactive in seeking training or identifying other team members to take on this training to help build a team knowledge.

The role holder will also ideally have an interest in sharing their skills and knowledge, both to the mechanics in the team and also via our Bike Maintenance Courses.

We are a small dynamic team, and we encourage ideas and strategic input from all members. The post holder will be encouraged to offer this input and help shape and develop the company as it grows.

Job purpose:

The purpose of the role is to:

• Co-ordinate and deliver all day-to-day operational aspects of the onsite workshop, including customer bikes, bike builds and internal fleet servicing
• Supervise mechanics within the team and assist in their skills development
• Teach Bike Maintenance Courses and help the Bike Maintenance Manager in course development
• Deliver off-site Bike Maintenance Services such as Dr Bikes and fleet servicing

Main duties and responsibilities:        

1.

Workshop

• Coordinate the running of the workshop repairs; managing bookings, coordinating mechanics workload on the day, prioritising bikes, ensuring consistent high quality repairs and customer service.
• Conduct customer repairs and new bike builds
• Provide customers with quotes for repair work
• Work with the Shop Manager to ensure specific customer parts are ordered for repairs and write up all expenses onto our finance system
• Work with the Shop Manager and Bike Maintenance Manager to book in new bike builds into the workshop
• Provide technical support to the mechanics in the workshop
• Ensure the workshop remains tidy and well stocked of tools and equipment at all times
• Follow Health & Safety standards and ensure any supervised mechanics adhere to the H&S requirements
• Provide customer feedback and reports on repairs as required
• Maintain and develop the workshop, tools, and maintenance equipment facilities.

2.

Bike Maintenance Courses

• Deliver Bike Maintenance Courses, including Velotech accredited courses to the public, businesses, community groups
• Prep for the delivery of courses with the mechanic team, including preparing bikes, tools and the space
• Work with the Bike Maintenance Manager to develop courses in line with technical trends and demand
• Undertake necessary training to teach courses

3.

Additional Bike Maintenance Services

• Deliver Dr Bike and fleet servicing off site, including travel within the region by both company van and cargo bike
• Service our off site and on site fleet of bikes, including prepping bikes for hire and cycle loans

4.

Personnel

• Supervise the mechanics day-to-day
• Provide technical support and training to the mechanics when required (particularly mechanic apprentices) in a positive and nurturing way.
• Assist the Bike Maintenance Manager in mechanic recruitment

5.

Other

• Staff the bike shop and reception on duty days, including facilitating test rides and answering customer enquiries (shared amongst all staff)
• Any other duties reasonably requested by the General Manager or Director

6.

Reporting & Support

• The jobholder will report to the Bike Maintenance Manager on a monthly basis
• The role will be supported by a team of mechanics (currently 3 permanent staff and freelancers)

Who we are looking for:

We are looking for positive, driven individual with prior experience as a professional mechanic that enjoys learning new skills and sharing their knowledge others.

Ideally you’ll have had prior experience in running a workshop or be ready to jump up to this. You’ll be able to coordinate mechanics and prioritise repairs, while sticking to customer deadlines and ensuring consistent quality. You’ll be a problem solver and calm under pressure.

You will be organised in your approach to your work and able to communicate effectively and efficiently amongst the team and with customers. While the role is very hands on, you’ll understand the importance of our systems and processes in relation to the work we do.

You’ll have a thirst for developing your skills and knowledge and be constantly looking to learn and be able to demonstrate this.

You’ll be a team player, happy to jump in and help. We’re a small team and step in to support each other across our services when needed.

Finally, you’ll share our strong social aims to support and encourage cycling at all levels and abilities and will ideally be a cyclist yourself.

Personal Specification

Description

1.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Cytech Level 2 or equivalent
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

2.

Experience

Essential:

• 2 years experience as a professional mechanic, ideally within a larger team

Desirable:

• Experience as a senior mechanic
• Experience coordinating a team (in or outside work)

3.

Communication skills

Essential:

• Ability to communicate technical skills and processes effectively and engagingly with others
• Ability to liaise with customers professionally in person, by phone and by email
• Excellent team communicator

4.

Organisational skills

Essential:

• Excellent personal organisation skills.
• Excellent time management with the ability to plan repairs and coordinate multiple mechanics on site
• Ability to problem solve quickly and calmly
• Ability to follow existing computer POS and booking systems such as Vend, Airtable and Bike Rental Manager
• Ability to work under pressure and use own initiative to ensure deadlines and routine tasks are met

5.

Other considerations

Essential:

• Full clean driving license and willingness to drive the company vans
• Proactive attitude with ability to work independently and use initiative but also a team player.
• Highly motivated to make a difference
• A natural enthusiasm to encourage more cycling!
• Some flexibility in the job role as we grow and develop