Vacancy: Fitness Instructor

About the Company

Smart Gym is all about breaking barriers and improving mental health. We're not like other gyms, at all. We are a social enterprise, which means that all the money we make goes straight back in to helping the community through improved services such as outreach programmes and social prescriptions. It is our mission to make wellness accessible, achievable and affordable to everyone, particularly parents and carers – a community that both the fitness industry and mental health sector have neglected. We do this through a range of wellbeing services such as exercise, meditation and talking therapy, concurrent with an innovative crèche model so that children can play whilst the parents tend to themselves. Smart Gym works alongside a range of likeminded organisations and institutions across various sectors to ensure we are maximising the social impact of the services we provide. Following four years of research, market testing and fundraising, Smart Gym is now set to launch its first of four low-cost family gyms across Glasgow, starting in Silverburn. We believe that this is a golden opportunity for someone pursuing a career in fitness to get in on the ground floor of a different kind of gym. All employees will start on a salary slightly above the Living Wage which we then intend to increase as the company grows. To learn more about Smart Gym and what stand for, visit smartgym.co.uk

Job Description

Job Title: Fitness Instructor Position Reports to: Gym Manager Location/Site: The Wedge, Silverburn Working Hours: 30 hours per week. 4-5 days/week, including weekends. A combination of four, six and/or eight-hour shifts. Days and times vary. Contract Type: Part-time Job Purpose Summary: Fitness Instructor will support the company's vision by planning and delivering exercise-based activities. The role requires someone with highly sophisticated adaptation and communication skills in both one-to-one and group environments. Fitness Instructor should have a proven track record of successfully delivering exercise-based activities in a group setting, as well as a strong desire to produce positive social outcomes based around the health and wellbeing of the Glasgow community. The role is central to supporting ongoing user engagement as well as membership growth and retention. Context of the Role: Group Fitness Instructor will be one of six staff members that makes up Smart Gym’s interventions team. The company commissions third party expertise to deliver specialised work, such as childcare and counselling services. Fitness instructor ensures excellent communication between third parties and beneficiaries, for example, when a child accompanies their parent into the gym, the Fitness Instructor will lead and introduce the family to the childcare team. The core of this role is the autonomous delivery of fitness classes using only evidence and education-based interventions, strongly influenced by each user's background, vulnerability, and level of commitment. Expertise and experience in demonstrating diverse exercise (particularly yoga, weight and circuit-training), articulating teaching points, identifying fatigue/health indicators in users and adapting to unpredictable circumstances is required in order to meet the objectives of this role. Fitness instructor will think from the beneficiaries’ perspective and have exemplary attention to detail when adapting to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant mothers. Key responsibilities include: • Composing and delivering exercise classes with the appropriate choice of music and equipment, making sure each movement has suitable adaptions for vulnerable groups including new mothers and people with health/fitness limitations. • Working alongside the company's partners and academics to promote the development of beneficiaries and measure the impact of project activities. • Representing Smart Gym and enhancing the reputation of the organisation; promoting the business and building strong and constructive relationships with beneficiaries and existing partners. • Maintaining professional knowledge; undergoing the relevant mental health training and CPD in adherence with Smart Gym’s declaration of support in Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Sports and Physical Activity. • Administering emergency first aid/providing the relevant care to injured participants. • Adhering to all policies within the company handbook and exhibiting a vast understanding of equality and diversity, health and safety, and vulnerable groups. • Supervising open gym out with class hours; ensuring new customers get adequate inductions before handling equipment. • Carrying out regular safety checks of the gym equipment and ensuring potential hazards are disburdened. The above list is illustrative. Accordingly, there may be a requirement to undertake additional duties, consistent with the level of the post, as directed by management.

Key Responsibilities

The core of this role is the autonomous delivery of fitness classes using only evidence and education-based interventions, strongly influenced by each user's background, vulnerability, and level of commitment. Expertise and experience in demonstrating diverse exercise (particularly yoga, weight and circuit-training), articulating teaching points, identifying fatigue/health indicators in users and adapting to unpredictable circumstances is required in order to meet the objectives of this role. Fitness instructor will think from the beneficiaries’ perspective and have exemplary attention to detail when adapting to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant mothers. Key responsibilities include: • Composing and delivering exercise classes with the appropriate choice of music and equipment, making sure each movement has suitable adaptions for vulnerable groups including new mothers and people with health/fitness limitations. • Working alongside the company's partners and academics to promote the development of beneficiaries and measure the impact of project activities. • Representing Smart Gym and enhancing the reputation of the organisation; promoting the business and building strong and constructive relationships with beneficiaries and existing partners. • Maintaining professional knowledge; undergoing the relevant mental health training and CPD in adherence with Smart Gym’s declaration of support in Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Sports and Physical Activity. • Administering emergency first aid/providing the relevant care to injured participants. • Adhering to all policies within the company handbook and exhibiting a vast understanding of equality and diversity, health and safety, and vulnerable groups. • Supervising open gym out with class hours; ensuring new customers get adequate inductions before handling equipment. • Carrying out regular safety checks of the gym equipment and ensuring potential hazards are disburdened. The above list is illustrative. Accordingly, there may be a requirement to undertake additional duties, consistent with the level of the post, as directed by management.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential • At least three years’ experience in a similar role. • A dedicated, organised and focussed instructor with significant experience in delivering group fitness activities and adapting exercise for vulnerable groups. • A proven track record of delivering positive health/fitness outcomes within the community. • An ability to summarise complex information clearly and concisely, both when delivering services and reporting progress to management. • Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to serve individuals from all sectors of the community, including being able to adapt style to suit the audience. • Proactive and able to find solutions to problems and deliver them. • The ability to forge strong relationships with beneficiaries. • A commitment to personal growth and learning. • A clear sense of personal responsibility, integrity and initiative. • Sociable, enthusiastic and polite with a positive approach. • Able to adapt to changing priorities or obstacles and help management provide alternative solutions. • Willingness to travel when necessary (deliver outreach programmes across Glasgow; attend occasional events taking place across Scotland) • Passionate about improving lives and producing outcomes. • An in-depth understanding of Scotland's fitness and wellbeing sector. Desirable • An understanding of the third sector. • Education or experience in mental health. • An extensive network of existing clients. • An awareness of what other industry organisations are doing. • Experience in delivering mindfulness or meditation events. • Level 3 Pre and Postnatal Exercise Certification* • Emergency First Aid at Work Certification* *Successful applicants who do not hold these two certifications will be expected to complete both courses in their initial stage of employment. Smart Gym will arrange the training and cover all costs for you.

Key Skills

Person Specification: Essential • At least three years’ experience in a similar role. • A dedicated, organised and focussed instructor with significant experience in delivering group fitness activities and adapting exercise for vulnerable groups. • A proven track record of delivering positive health/fitness outcomes within the community. • An ability to summarise complex information clearly and concisely, both when delivering services and reporting progress to management. • Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to serve individuals from all sectors of the community, including being able to adapt style to suit the audience. • Proactive and able to find solutions to problems and deliver them. • The ability to forge strong relationships with beneficiaries. • A commitment to personal growth and learning. • A clear sense of personal responsibility, integrity and initiative. • Sociable, enthusiastic and polite with a positive approach. • Able to adapt to changing priorities or obstacles and help management provide alternative solutions. • Willingness to travel when necessary (deliver outreach programmes across Glasgow; attend occasional events taking place across Scotland) • Passionate about improving lives and producing outcomes. • An in-depth understanding of Scotland's fitness and wellbeing sector. Desirable • An understanding of the third sector. • Education or experience in mental health. • An extensive network of existing clients. • An awareness of what other industry organisations are doing. • Experience in delivering mindfulness or meditation events. • Level 3 Pre and Postnatal Exercise Certification* • Emergency First Aid at Work Certification* *Successful applicants who do not hold these two certifications will be expected to complete both courses in their initial stage of employment. Smart Gym will arrange the training and cover all costs for you.

Education, Qualifications and Training

Only candidates with 3+ years fitness instructing experience will be considered for this post.