Youth Programs Instructor

Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW) is a nonprofit organization that provides educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities for Philadelphia youth in underserved neighborhoods in greater Philadelphia through bicycling. By learning bicycle mechanics and exploring the city by bike, young people at NBW build life skills and healthy habits and gain leadership experience. NBW also promotes cycling as a healthy, affordable, and environmentally friendly form of transportation. NBW uses bikes as the hook to engage youth in positive out-of-school-time activities. In addition to our youth programs, NBW provides a DIY community bicycle workshop space for adults as well as community outreach programs to promote cycling.

Position Summary

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week hourly position teaching classes in our Youth Bike Education & Empowerment Program (YBEEP) during school time, out-of-school time throughout the school year, and summer. Through YBEEP, youth engage in bike-related activities while gaining skills in positive youth development. The Programs Instructor is responsible for teaching entry-level programs including Earn-A-Bike and Summer Camp sessions, as well as graduate-level programs such as Leadership and Advanced Mechanics, Monthly Rides, Freedom Riders, and the weekly Drop-In program. The position also provides administrative support to the Youth Programs Department.

Reports to: Youth Programs Director

Start Date: January–February

Responsibilities

Teaching & Youth Engagement

• Teach bike repair and bike safety lessons according to the Earn-A-Bike curriculum for youth ages 8–18 in after-school, weekend, and summer programs.
• Lead classes on bike mechanics using NBW’s curriculum, integrating activities, games, and bike rides to encourage participation and engagement.
• Model and teach bike safety rules, including wearing a helmet and following rules of the road. o Ensure the safety of all youth in the shop and on bike rides.
• Ensure that each Earn-A-Bike bicycle is completed and safety-checked before it leaves the shop.
• Maintain a positive attitude and set the tone for a fun and engaging class experience.

Program Planning & Administration

• Manage planning and implementation for each class session.
• Support the Youth Programs Director in recruitment, enrollment, application intake, and documentation to ensure full sessions.
• Communicate with caregivers regarding schedules, program structure, student progress/behavior, and upcoming opportunities.
• Track and input class and student data.
• Complete other administrative tasks as assigned to support enrollment and retention.

Supervision of Assistant Instructors

• Supervise and engage Adult and Youth Assistant Instructors by providing tasks, support, and oversight.
• Assist with recruitment, interviews, and hiring of assistants.
• Provide ongoing training, constructive feedback, and mentorship to support professional development.

Volunteer Support

• Supervise and engage program volunteers by providing tasks, support, and oversight.
• Communicate with NBW’s Youth Program Manager regarding volunteer needs, assist with scheduling volunteers, and support training and onboarding of new YBEEP volunteers.
• Regularly communicate with volunteers to keep them engaged and involved throughout the year.

Program & Organizational Support

• Collaborate with the Youth Programs Director to assess and create new opportunities to engage youth.
• Manage and maintain program supplies, including tools, fleet bikes, and other resources needed for youth programs.
• Mantain and manage youth programs spaces to ensure a well-organized, tidy, welcoming environment for our youth.
• Manage administrative tasks for the department, including but not limited to creating and distributing flyers, maintaining the youth database program, data entry, survey administration, and managing attendance records.

Qualifications

• Preference given to skilled bike mechanics.
• Youth work or education experience required.
• Ability and cultural competency to work with diverse groups of youth.
• Upbeat, reliable, punctual, flexible, collaborative, extremely detail-oriented, self-motivated, and enthusiastic about working with and mentoring young people.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to ride a bike for at least 5 miles.
• Successful completion of PA State Criminal Background Check, Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, and FBI Clearance is required.

Candidates with non-traditional work and educational experience are encouraged to apply—please share how your experiences uniquely qualify you for this position.

Schedule and Hours

• 40 hours per week
• Schedule depends on programming needs.
• Includes after-school hours (4–6 pm) and some weekend hours (Saturdays, 10:00 am–2:00 pm).

Compensation

• This is a 40-hour-per-week, non-exempt hourly position, $16–$20 per hour.
• Competitive benefits package including health and dental insurance.
• Paid vacation time.
• NBW offers 8 paid holidays (Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, etc.) plus 2 employee-selected paid holidays.
• NBW is closed between Christmas and New Year’s, and staff receive regular pay during that time.

To Apply

Please email a

cover letter, resume, and list of 3 references to Mustafa Abdul-Rashid at

jobs@neighborhoodbikeworks.org. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and

actively seek staff who reflect the community we serve. Diverse candidates and

persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply. Please include “Youth

Programs Instructor” in the subject line and label attachments with your name.

• Competitive benefits package including health and dental insurance.
• Paid vacation time.
• NBW offers 8 paid holidays (Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, etc.) plus 2 employee-selected paid holidays.
• NBW is closed between Christmas and New Year’s, and staff receive regular pay during that time.

Strong English reading, speaking, and writing skills