Lead Instructor - Shift Click Stockport

Overview of the role

MadLab is teaming up with Stockport Council to deliver Shift Click – a new Full Stack Web Development training programme for college leavers and care leavers in Greater Manchester, in partnership with leading digital businesses locally.

We are looking for a Lead Instructor who is passionate about coding; but also passionate about sharing their knowledge with others, bringing life-changing impact to those most in need.

The Lead Instructor will need to have a deep understanding of programming and development best practices – gathered from their educational journey, but also from recent experience working in the digital industry. Strong communication skills and patience are essential – they will need to be able to explain abstract concepts, work flexibly to meet the needs and learning styles of their students, and help inspire them in their learning journey.

Most importantly we are looking for someone who shares our vision for a genuinely inclusive digital industry which draws talent from all sectors of society. As a full-time member of the Shift Click team you will:

• Work closely with our learning team to lead programme participants through a rigorous, transformational journey towards a junior role in software development.
• Improve and adapt our learning curriculum to match the needs of our participants.
• Provide inspiration and support to our participants, to help them identify their passions and drive their own continued learning through and beyond the programme.
• Facilitate a safe, supportive, and energetic learning community.

Requirements

• You are eager to shape the skills, minds, and careers of the newest generation of software developers.
• You love teaching others to code, and can bring a good energy to your learning environment.
• You have at least two years of experience in the digital industry working as part of a software development team, or equivalent experience as a learning facilitator in an industry-facing environment.
• You have a solid grounding in computer programming principles – SOLID, DRY, modern design patterns, etc. – and can use engineering best practices to solve technical problems.
• You have working experience in both front-end and back-end development, and are fluent in:

- HTML5 and CSS3
- Full-stack Modern JavaScript (Node.js and Express, ES6)
- At least one JS MV* framework (React preferred)
- SQL databases (PostgreSQL preferred)
- At least one additional object-oriented language
- Agile collaboration tools and techniques (e.g. Kanban, Slack/Teams, pair programming)

• You are comfortable working on the command line and using Git, and have some experience with modern deployment tooling, e.g. Heroku, Docker, Vercel, or similar.

Contract and location

In the first instance we are offering a six-month, full-time contract at circa £35k p.a. pro rata, starting in Autumn 2020 (November est.) with the potential to develop the position into a longer-term role beyond that.

We are open to applications from people looking to work remotely. Our initial intention for Shift Click was to deliver in-person training from our base in Stockport (<2 hours from London, <10 minutes from Manchester). This is looking increasingly unlikely given Covid-19. However, we know first-hand the value that comes from bringing communities together physically, and should the opportunity arise, we would wish to deliver parts of the programme in-person.

MadLab is an equal opportunities employer, with a longstanding and well-recognised track record of promoting inclusivity and diversity in tech. We welcome applications from marginalised groups, and those traditionally underrepresented in the digital industry.

About MadLab

MadLab is one of the North West’s most active grassroots digital innovation organisations. Operating for over a decade, we work with technology and people to shape our world for the better – combining a deep material understanding of new and emerging technologies with the tools and methods of participatory design. 

Our work has been featured in The Guardian, BBC, Sky News, Creative Review, Nature Methods, and Leonardo Art-Science. Recent awards include “Best Tech for Good 2017” (Big Chip North West) and “Best Volunteering Team” (Spirit of Manchester).

Our mission is to involve everyone in shaping our digital future, together.

About Shift Click

Shift Click is a collaboration between Stockport Borough Council and MadLab. The programme is funded as part of the Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a joint venture between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership (LDSP).

The £3 million fund – the first of its kind in the UK – was developed to address locally identified digital skills gaps, supporting both Greater Manchester and Lancashire residents with accessible routes into digital employment, specifically targeting disadvantaged groups and those underrepresented to help them get into digital roles.