Workshop Lead

Join our Team: Workshop Lead (Birmingham)

At The Bike Project, we know how life-changing a bike can be for refugees and people seeking asylum. Since 2013, we’ve donated over 15,000 bikes, offering freedom, independence and community with each one.

Now we’re looking for a skilled Workshop Lead to help drive this mission forward in our Birmingham workshop.

Workshop Lead

Location: The Old Print Works, Balsall Heath, Birmingham (B12 9AH)

Salary: £26,500 per year

Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday (nine-day fortnight available by agreement)

Contract: Permanent

Are you passionate about bikes and helping people? We’re looking for an experienced bike technician to lead our Birmingham workshop. You’ll refurbish donated bikes and make sure they’re road-ready for the people who need them most.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead our Birmingham team of technicians, freelancers and volunteers, including line management
• Make sure bikes are refurbished and repaired to a high standard, and give quality checks and feedback on the team’s work
• Create a welcoming environment for refugees and people seeking asylum visiting the workshop
• Service and repair an average of eight bikes a week
• Manage workshop stock, ordering and audits, and keep bike records up to date on Salesforce
• Be the key contact for the Birmingham workshop

What we’re looking for:

• Experience of taking the lead in a busy bike shop or workshop environment, including repairing and building bikes
• A Level 2 cycle maintenance qualification (such as City & Guilds or Cytech) or equivalent experience
• Experience managing and leading others, including setting targets and giving constructive feedback
• Great communication skills and the ability to explain bikes and cycling in plain language
• A problem-solver who can manage their own workload in a target-driven workshop
• A commitment to our values and mission
• The right to work in the UK

It’s a bonus if you have experience with Salesforce or another CRM, or knowledge of the refugee sector.

How to apply: please email your CV and a short covering letter to hradmin@thebikeproject.co.uk. In your letter, tell us why you’d like this role and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. We’ll only be able to consider applications that include a covering letter, so please make sure you send one with your CV.

Closing date: Monday 16 November 2026

The selection process will include an interview and a practical assessment, both on the same day. We expect these to take place on Monday 23 or Tuesday 24 November.

Job Description

Job title	Birmingham Workshop Lead
Reports to	Bike Donations Programme Manager, with technical guidance and support provided by the Workshops Manager
Line management	Birmingham Senior Technicians, Workshop Volunteers
Department	Workshops Team
Salary	£26,500
Contract	Permanent
Hours	35 hours per week (nine-day fortnight available by agreement)
Work Pattern	Monday – Friday (nine-day fortnight available by agreement)
Location	The Old Print Works, Balsall Heath (B12 9AH)

ABOUT THE BIKE PROJECT  

The Bike Project is an award-winning charity which refurbishes second hand bikes and donates them to refugees. We were founded in 2013 by, Jem Stein, after he struck up a friendship and found a bike for Adam, a Darfuri refugee who had fled his home in Sudan after war broke out. 

The Bike Project has grown into a national operation with new CEO, hundreds of volunteers, a team of 20 committed staff, roadshows in different cities, an online shop and two workshops, one in the capital and one in Birmingham.  

To date we have supported over 15,000 refugees and people seeking asylum by giving them a second-hand bike. In addition, we have supported hundreds through our programmes designed to build confidence and build friendships in the local community. 

We are now working towards our ambitious goal – that every refugee, wherever they are, can access the transformative power of a bike. Alongside this, we are strengthening our processes and procedures to ensure we are work efficiently and sustainably. To help us do this we need people that are full of ideas, who love problem solving and are not afraid to suggest new ways of doing things to achieve the best possible results for our community. You can learn more about the impact of our work on website here. 

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE 

To refurbish and repair cycles in line with targets agreed by the workshop manager, manage the Birmingham Senior Mechanics and volunteers and act as the Lead Technician in the Birmingham Workshop. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. To act as key contact for our Birmingham Workshop for the wider TBP team including liaising with the landlords.  
2. To oversee the high-quality refurbishment of bikes together with the team of  technicians, freelancers and volunteers in our Birmingham workshop.
3. To oversee the delivery of high-quality support to the refugees we support including: 
   1. Keeping track of booked repair appointments and welcoming refugees when they arrive to have their bikes fixed
   2. Completing ad-hoc donation appointments with refugees, ensuring they are welcomed with kindness and sensitivity and supported to choose an  appropriate bike
   3. Dealing with other occasional walk-in enquiries from supporters, bike donors and prospective bike recipients.
4. To work closely with the Bike Donations Manager, Workshop Manager and all the workshop team to ensure smooth and safe running of the workshop spaces  including compliance with stock checks, bike audits and the annual stock audit. 
5. To be responsible for ensuring the workshop always has adequate stock to facilitate bike refurbishment within our budgets including being responsible for stock  ordering and goods receipt.
6. To manage all on site roles in the Birmingham workshop including line management and general support with refurbishment activity. 
7. To repair and service an average of eight bikes per week to the standards agreed with the Workshops Manager and support technicians to meet the same  requirements. 
8. To complete final checks and feedback on the refurbishment quality of colleague’s work, regardless of their experience level relative to their own. 
9. To ensure the whole team are using Salesforce to ensure accurate and timely updates to stock actions and location movements for the bikes they work on.
10. To be responsible for maintaining the petty cash held at the workshop and the accurate recording and uploading of any expenses. 
11. To ensure accurate record-keeping and data protection in with GDPR and Data Protection policies.  
12. To be responsible for the Health and Safety of themselves and to co-operate under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure safe working practices are  maintained. 
13. To be aware, recognise, respond and report any concerns or incidents to our Safeguarding Lead in line with our safeguarding policies and procedures and help  with onward referrals to further support as required.  
14. To carry out other duties from time to time as requested by the Bike Donations Programme Manager and Workshops Manager.

Budget responsibility and decision-making authority 

• The role has no budget management responsibility but will have responsibility for liaising with the Workshops Manager about the budget for the workshop  and ensuring expenditure is line with budget limits.  
• To ensure we get best value for any expenditure relating to the Birmingham Workshop.  
• To make decisions about how to best drive efficiency of bike refurbishment within parameters agreed together with the Bike Donations Programme  Manager and Workshops Manager. 

Supervision of employees – complexity of leadership, number of direct reports, reporting level

Job Description: 

• To be part of the Workshops Teams, the role directly reports into the Bike Donations Programme Manager with technical supervision and guidance  provided by the Workshops Manager.  
• The role line manages the Senior Technicians, freelancers and volunteers to produce bikes. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Requirement	Essential	Desirable	Method of  Assessment
Demonstrable experience of managing a busy bike shop/workshop including repairing and  building bicycles.	X		Application,  Assessment and Interview
Expected to hold a current cycle maintenance and repair Level 2 Qualification such as City and  Guilds or Cytech or equivalent demonstrable  experience.	X		Application, and Interview
Experience of managing and leading others, including setting targets, monitoring performance and giving constructive feedback.	X		Application, and Interview
Experience of working with the general public or customers including giving information  about bikes and cycling in an easy-to understand language.	X		Interview
Some knowledge of Microsoft Office is beneficial. Experience with CRM systems such as Salesforce is highly desirable.		X	Application, and Interview
Evidence of ability to problem-solve with minimal supervision.	X		Assessment and Interview
Evidence of ability to manage own workload and meet the expectations of a target driven  workplace with excellent time keeping.	X		Interview
Excellent interpersonal awareness and communication skills with the ability to listen and understand the needs of others.	X		Interview
Commitment to The Bike Project’s values and ethos, with evidence of alignment with the  organisation’s vision.	X		Application and Interview
Knowledge of the refugee sector in the UK and experience of working or volunteering for a  charitable organisation.		X	Application and Interview
The right to work in the UK with immediate effect.	X		Application
Ability to occasionally work weekends and evenings and to travel nationally.	X		Application