Deputy Youth Work Manager in Cheshire, Crewe

LOCATION: Until the Dome Youth Zone in Crewe is fully operational, you will be required to work in other locations. Some hybrid working may be required.

REPORTING TO: Head of Youth Work.

DIRECT REPORTS: Youth Workers and sessional Youth Workers.

CONTRACT: Permanent Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week, will include evenings/weekends.

BENEFITS: 33 Days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays). Workplace pension. Access to our Employee Assistance Programme. Free meals on duty (once The Dome opens). Free gym access (once The Dome opens). Access to OnSides Talent Academy; bespoke training and mentoring.

THE ROLE: Are you motivated, energetic and organised with the ability to connect with both young people and colleagues/volunteers? If you’re fun, full of energy, yet know how to stay composed under pressure, then this role might be just what you’re looking for. If you’re passionate about helping young people unlock their potential, we want to hear from you!

As a key part of our delivery team, you’ll be at the heart of the action, leading the way in our projects with an educational focus. You will also have specific oversight of education partnerships and participation. Your mission? To create an exciting, high-quality programme that’s fun, engaging and truly makes a difference all while keeping young people at the centre of everything we do.

If you’re passionate about giving young people the best experiences and opportunities, this is the role for you! No two days are the same, so you’ll need to be versatile, leading the creation of educational programmes while supporting both the recruitment and development of the delivery team. You’ll also be responsible for the smooth implementation and operation of educational programmes, whilst supporting the rest of the core Youth Work offer as needed. You’ll be a crucial part of The Dome Youth Zone, welcoming up to 250 young people each session and creating a space where they can thrive!

ALL THE DOME EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO: Be a role model for young people, present a positive can-do attitude and take personal responsibility for your own work. Work within the performance framework of the charity and live the values and behaviours of The Dome and OnSide Network, contributing to a culture of high performance, continuous improvement and a young person first, team always ethos. Represent and promote the Youth Zone positively and effectively in all dealings with internal colleagues and external partners and assist with any promotional activities and visits that take place at The Dome.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• STAFFING AND MANAGEMENT: Recruit, train, support and manage youth work team members. Coordinate rotas, cover absences/holidays and address performance issues alongside the Head of Youth Work.
• THE YOUTH WORK OFFER AND PROGRAMME: Lead a safe, fun, inclusive and engaging youth work programme with an education focus, with overall responsibility for session delivery and standards. Duty manage sessions. Support planning and delivery of holiday club. Provide occasional leadership cover for other sessions. Embed Youth Voice in programme planning and champion young people's ideas across the Youth Zone, with a focus on Young Leaders and participation. Meet delivery targets, including attendance and funded project outcomes. Share programme information with the Communications Team.
• SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDING: Ensure a safe, welcoming environment for young people with clear behaviour expectations. Act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, responding to concerns in line with policy alongside the Head of Youth Work and wider safeguarding team. Act as a key holder, opening and closing duties and ensure facilities are maintained, issues logged and spaces cleaned after sessions.
• LEADERSHIP AND NETWORKING: Champion young people and youth work within the organisation, supporting all services to provide a great experience. Network with key partners, stakeholders and supporters at a senior level to maintain relationships. Provide visible, hands-on leadership to maintain high quality standards.
• EVALUATION AND REPORTING: Embed monitoring and evaluation within sessions and report on youth work impact. Manage assigned budgets and complete programme delivery reports.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the experience, skills, knowledge and aptitudes listed, throughout the recruitment process. However, if you don’t meet every single requirement but feel you have strong and relevant transferable skills or lived experience to draw from, we encourage you to apply anyway. Why? Studies have shown that women and Black, Asian, Mixed Race & other ethnically diverse people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria/competency. The Dome and the Onside Network are dedicated to driving change and to building diverse, inclusive and authentic workplaces, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, please tell us how your experience is transferable. You may be just the right candidate!

SELECTION CRITERIA

• EXPERIENCE: Proven experience in creating, developing and leading SEND/SEMH youth programmes, creating a safe environment to deliver engaging programmes for diverse youth demographics (ages 8-19, up to 25 with additional needs/disabilities). Demonstrate experience in working with external partners to develop and deliver a programme of activities that enhance the Youth Work offer. Safeguarding knowledge, ideally as a Designated Safeguarding Lead. Confident communicator, able to engage young people and work professionally with staff and partners. Experience managing behaviour and supporting conflict resolution. Staff management experience with awareness of HR processes (performance, attendance, rotaplanning). Experience in planning and coordinating programmes, including health & safety, scheduling and budgeting.
• SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ATTRIBUTES: Passionate about youth work and committed to empowering young people. Understanding of the issues facing young people and their families may face, including contextual safeguarding. A collaborative approach with the ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders to build strong relationships, creating opportunities for high quality youth work delivery. Committed to the mission and values of The Dome Youth Zone and work collaboratively. Calm under pressure and able to work in a fast-paced environment. Willing to work evenings and weekends, with flexibility to meet programme needs.
• QUALIFICATIONS: Relevant education or equivalent experience; a youth work or teaching qualification is desirable but not essential. IT skills (Office 365, Smartsheet or similar). Evidence of ongoing professional development is an advantage (e.g. safeguarding, health & safety, leadership).

GENERAL INFORMATION: The normal hours of work are 37.5 per week including evenings and weekends, this will be flexible to cover the needs of sessions. During the first months as part of the induction, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to visit and spend time in operational Youth Zones, this will involve travel. The practicalities of this can be discussed during the process.

APPLICATION PROCESS: To apply: For full details please visit our website thedomeyouthzone.org/get-involved/vacancies/. Email a CV and Cover Letter (no more than one page). Your Cover Letter should provide the following information: Why do you want to work for us? Looking at the person specification: briefly describe how your skills and experience (including lived experience) make you a good candidate for this role. (200 words max). How you demonstrate your commitment to fairness, equity and respect. Confirmation you are eligible to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required to provide documentary evidence before a job offer is confirmed). Any reasonable adjustments we can make to assist you in your application or the selection process. This role will be based in The Dome Youth Zone, Crewe, and in accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, this position requires an Enhanced DBS Check.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS: For successful applicants, the first stage of the process will be to attend an interview at The Dome temporary offices in Crewe. For candidates successful at interview, there will be a practical task held at South Cheshire ABC Boxing, Crewe. This will include leading a session with young people. Closing date for applications: 25th May 2026.