Centre Manager

In Gateshead, Spear is partnering with Alive Church. Spear Gateshead is a part of Alive Church’s mission to change the culture of the city by bringing hope to unemployed young people. Whilst the North-East is an amazing place to live, there are still challenges, with large disparities between Gateshead’s wealthier and poorer areas, and 23,600 people live in areas described as having deep deprivation. With this comes all the associated issues that poverty causes, including 1 in 4 children growing up in poverty and one of the worst levels of social mobility in the country.

Alive Church is a diverse community gathered from across Gateshead, Newcastle and the North East with a vision to see individuals, the church and communities across our region Come Alive in Jesus name. Together they are playing their part in the re-evangelisation of the nation, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society.

Key Information

• Salary: £27,000, pro rata
• Hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday – Thursday, Part-time (with some flexibility and occasional evening or weekend work for events such as Spear Celebrations)
• Contract: Maternity Cover
• Location: Alive Church Gateshead
• Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Please feel free to let us know if you may require any reasonable adjustments to participate fully in our recruitment process. For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

Role Responsibilities

• Oversight of the Spear Programme: As a confident communicator, you will lead group sessions of around 10 young people each, using coaching skills to transform attitudes to their own ability and the workplace, and to raise their awareness and maximise potential in stepping into the world of work. Prepare and coach group and 1-1 sessions with the Spear Coach. Ensure the programme is delivered in line with agreed targets, and report KPIs on recruitment, retention and completion of Spear Trainees, as well as their ongoing progress and sustainment of work or education.
• Partnership Liaison and Relationship Management: Establish the primary local referral agencies and steward relationships with these, overseeing and building a strategy to ensure recruitment of young people onto the Spear programme is effective. Maintain and develop relationships with local partners to form a strong referral network.
• Line Management and Training: Manage the Spear Coach, using a coaching approach to invest in their growth and development. Work alongside the Programme Manager to analyse Spear Programme performance and ongoing operations of the centre, and report back on KPIs.
• Church Community: The Spear Centre Manager is directly employed by Alive Church, meaning you are part of a vibrant church staff team and submerged in an exciting faith community. You will be required to establish strong relationships with key people at the church to ensure the engagement and backing of church members and help the Spear Coach to establish a strong presence at the church to build a network of supporters for the Spear programme. Ensure the Spear programme is a key missional feature of the work of the church; this may involve attending church events and speaking at services.
• Site Management: Work with the Church to coordinate the training room and any infrastructure needs for the Spear Centre. Liaise with relevant staff locally on-site issues and work to resolve them as soon as possible, ensuring the office and training room are safe and tidy working spaces in line with health and safety policies.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, able to personally represent the values and beliefs of Spear and Alive Church, and a commitment to grow and learn spiritually and as a Christian leader.
• A dynamic and engaging coach with an enthusiasm for and direct experience of coaching and training techniques.
• Passion for social justice and for working as part of the church to transform communities, especially supporting young people in employment or education.
• An entrepreneurial and ambitious individual who enjoys starting new projects, works well under pressure and can translate ideas into practice with creativity.
• Self-motivated with strong leadership, management and organisational skills with the ability to exercise initiative and prioritise workload.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a confidence in group facilitation, high emotional intelligence, and a sense of fun!