Spectra is seeking a Job Coach

Spectra is an arts company that works with people with learning disabilities to make positive change in their own lives, their communities and the world around them.  We’re based in Sandwell and have been making performances, visual artwork and gardens since 2014.

BOSS. is a training programme for learning disabled people who are passionate about the arts making a positive difference in the world.  In September, two trainees will join Spectra staff to learn about being leaders in an arts organisation over the course of one year.

We are looking for a Job Coach who will work alongside the trainees to offer support, guidance and mentoring.

The Job Coach will work alongside the two BOSS. trainees to support them to develop their skills, knowledge and experience over the course of a year.  The role will include:

• Developing a positive, trusting relationship with the trainees
• Working in a person-centred and responsive way that centres the independence and capability of the trainees
• Understanding and responding to the needs of the trainees
• Supporting trainees to understand different aspects of managing Spectra.  This might include:
  • Breaking down tasks into manageable ‘chunks’ for trainees
  • Creating resources such as timetables and easy-read documents to help trainees learn effectively
  • Teaching specific roles and tasks in a way that best suits the trainees
• Supporting the trainees to identify, understand and advocate for their own needs
• Facilitating communication between the trainees, the team and wider networks
• Helping the trainees to think about their goals and develop plans for achieving them
• Supporting the trainees to reflect on their progress and develop their confidence, self-esteem and interpersonal skills 
• Helping the Spectra team to develop the Job Coach role and BOSS. programme as we go along 

Freelance contract, September 2026 – September 2027.  

The contract is for 73.5 days across the course of the programme.  Your working hours may vary from week to week – some weeks you may work 1 day, and others 1.5 days, depending on the trainees’ needs and Spectra’s schedule.  Spectra’s activity is normally scheduled Monday to Wednesday, and the whole team normally works together on a Tuesday at Spectra’s offices in Bearwood.

You will work at various locations, including Spectra’s offices in Bearwood and community venues where Spectra activities are taking place.

As this is a new programme, we expect that there will be a lot of learning as we move through the year.  The Job Coach will play an instrumental role in how the programme and the role itself develops, so a degree of flexibility will be required. 

• You have lived or professional experience of working with learning disabled people in a person-centred way 
• You are flexible and able to adapt to lots of different tasks and situations
• You are a clear communicator with strong interpersonal skills who actively centres care and can balance warmth and compassion with directness
• You enjoy working collaboratively, seeking to value the input of people with different lived experiences than your own
• You believe in the work that Spectra makes and its impact – and that an intersectional, radical approach running throughout all aspects of the organisation is necessary to that work
• You are authentic, inclusive, collaborative and enjoy a laugh
• You are organised, reliable, resourceful, have a strong work ethic, and like to take initiative 
• You enjoy reflecting and are open to learning with the aim of making a more meaningful impact

If you think this job looks great but you’re a bit cautious about putting yourself forward, please get in touch for an informal chat. We’re very happy to talk through the role, to find different ways of communicating this job description, and to explore how different kinds of experience could contribute to fulfilling this role well.

• Closing date for applications – 5pm on Tuesday 7 July 2026
• Interviews – Thursday 16 July 2026
• Start Date: w/c 7 September 2026 
• Trainee Start Date: w/c 14 September 2026

Interviews will take place in person in Bearwood or via Zoom on Thursday 16th July.  If you are shortlisted, we will send you the interview questions and information about the panel in advance. We will also ask if any adjustments are needed to make the interview accessible for you.

An application form is available here https://forms.gle/GWR7twxRzRFDnkgMA. This form asks for your contact details and answers to the questions below. If creating an audio file is more accessible for you, please answer all the questions on the form in no more than 5 minutes and send it to the email above. Please do not send a video, only audio. 

In order to minimise unconscious bias, we anonymise all applications while shortlisting and do not review equal opportunities forms until after we have drafted our initial shortlist. We aim to shortlist anyone who has met our minimum score and identifies as being from a minoritised or marginalised background. This is sometimes affected by capacity: we can shortlist no more than five applicants.

1. Please tell us what interests you about working with Spectra and why you applied for this role specifically.
2. This role will involve supporting learning disabled people to develop their skills and experience in arts management.  What skills and experience do you have that will enable you to do this?
3. Communication will be very important in this role, as you will be working closely with people who may have different communication needs and styles.  Please tell us about a time when you adapted your communication style to suit different audiences.
4. This role will involve supporting the trainees to develop strategies to manage difficult situations and problem-solving skills.  Please tell us about a time when you helped somebody to deal with a problem or a difficult situation.
5. You will need to build a positive and trusting relationship with the trainees from the outset.  How would you go about doing this?

Given our work’s active celebration of diversity and exploration of intersectionality, we want our team to reflect these values. We eagerly encourage applications from people who are from marginalised or minoritised backgrounds. Our welcome extends beyond the recruitment process; we are committed to creating a working space that is safe and caring for all.

If you need or would prefer this job description or the application form below in another format, please don’t hesitate to contact eman@wearespectra.co.uk to chat through how we can best open this opportunity to you.