Working Foreman - #2168087

JOB TITLE:

Working Foreman (Carpentry), Bristol Together CIC

REPORTS TO:

Site Manager and Project Manager

LOCATION:

Bristol – based on our live sites across the city

REMUNERATION:

£38,000 – £44,000 p.a. depending on experience

22 days holiday entitlement plus public and bank holidays

Workplace pension

Funded supervisor training (SSSTS, First Aid, NVQ Level 3)

BACKGROUND

The idea behind the Bristol Together model is simple: we are a social enterprise which creates full-time jobs for people with lived experience of the prison system through building contract work on live building sites, providing training, skills and vital work experience to help get their foot in the door of the construction industry.

We are achieving this through a commercially sustainable business model involving:

• Commercial contracting work through established partnerships with third sector organisations, housing providers and local authorities. This work spans from light touch residential refurbishments through to large scale commercial property fit outs of cafés to nursery schools.
• Specialist Accommodation refurbishment projects working alongside Bristol City Council and care providers to provide much needed homes for residents with disabilities or additional needs.

The profits from the commercial contracting business are re-invested in the company to support the training and supervision of people with lived experience of the prison system, who will generally be working in construction, or sometimes any industry, for the first time.

Our belief is that meaningful employment is key to rehabilitation and recovery: ultimately, recognising their future potential, not their past, is paramount to helping these individuals regain control over their lives.

Our work has had significant social impact in Bristol since 2011. We've seen over 120 people with lived experience of the prison system transform their lives, and our re-offending rate throughout this time has remained below 10% which is significantly below the national average of 46%. Furthermore, we do not choose 'easy' cases - 86% of our workers have been imprisoned for serious offences.

We are now seeking a Working Foreman with a strong carpentry background to lead our team on site. With an annual turnover of £2–3 million and a growing pipeline of refurbishment and fit-out work, we are increasingly running two projects at once, and we need a hands-on leader who keeps a site moving while our Site Manager works across both.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled carpenter who enjoys leading by example. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of the prison system. We would value the opportunity for someone to offer mentorship and stewardship to our employees from a position of experience, and to act as a positive role model for those starting out on the same journey.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Working on the tools for most of the day, you will lead carpentry works and run the team on site, setting daily tasks, keeping standards high and making sure work is done safely. You will train and mentor our employees with lived experience of the prison system, and take charge of the site on the days the Site Manager is on another project.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leading and carrying out carpentry and joinery works, including first and second fix, and setting the standard for quality of finish
• Running the site team day to day: morning briefings, allocating tasks and keeping work to programme
• Training, mentoring and supervising our employees with lived experience of the prison system, helping them build practical skills, confidence and good working habits
• Supporting employees' attendance, wellbeing and progression, working with the Site Manager and our partners in probation and support services
• Making sure the team works safely, follows RAMS and site rules, and raising any health and safety concerns straight away
• Delivering toolbox talks and site inductions
• Keeping the site diary, recording deliveries and checking daily timesheets for the Site Manager
• Coordinating with subcontractors working on site, and reporting progress, delays and issues to the Site Manager
• Ordering materials and checking deliveries against requirements
• Taking site measurements for carpentry packages and variations
• Assisting with quality checks, snagging and handover

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

This is a full-time, permanent position. Normal hours are Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 4:30pm and Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm. The role is based on our sites across Bristol. The first three months of employment are a probationary period. We will support you through supervisor training, including SSSTS, First Aid at Work and the NVQ Level 3 in Occupational Work Supervision (Gold CSCS card).

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES & EXPERIENCE

This is an exciting opportunity for the right person to bring their trade skills to a high impact social enterprise at a growth stage. The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong carpentry and joinery skills, ideally with an NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Carpentry and Joinery and a valid CSCS card
• Experience on residential refurbishment or fit-out projects
• Some experience of leading a small team or supervising others, or the ambition to step up into that role
• The ability to read drawings and to plan and sequence a day's work
• Patience and a genuine interest in training and mentoring people who are new to construction, or rebuilding their lives after prison
• A strong desire to help disadvantaged people and an affinity with the social objectives of the organisation
• Desirable: SSSTS, a first aid qualification and a full UK driving licence

This role will suit skilled carpenters who want to lead by example and deliver social as well as financial returns for their local community. Lived experience of the prison system is valued here, not held against you: it can make you exactly the mentor and role model our team needs.