Lead Swim Instructor & Swim School Operations Coordinator

Sierra Swim Academy — Reno, Nevada

Approximately 30–35 guaranteed hours per week

Starting compensation: approximately $35,000 annually with room for growth with increased compensation for the rights candidate.

Paid training

Paid academy closures and designated holidays

Friday and Saturday off

Meaningful room for growth and advancement

About Sierra Swim Academy

Sierra Swim Academy is a private, year-round swim school in Reno specializing in individualized swim instruction for infants, children and adults.

Our teaching approach goes far beyond basic swimming skills. We focus on confidence, trust, communication, emotional development and strong swimming technique.

We believe every child is capable of learning, but children do not all respond in the same way. Our instructors are trained to understand behavior, recognize emotional cues, communicate positively and build trust while maintaining clear and consistent expectations.

We are seeking an exceptional, dependable and motivated individual who wants to become an important part of a growing small business.

This is much more than a traditional swim-instructor position. The selected employee will work closely with the owner and assist with swim instruction, parent communication, scheduling, marketing, social media, pool operations, facility maintenance and business growth.

About the Position

The Lead Swim Instructor & Swim School Operations Coordinator will support the overall operation and continued growth of Sierra Swim Academy.

Some hours will be spent teaching swim lessons. Other hours may include communicating with families, following up with prospective clients, creating social-media content, photographing or filming approved lessons, maintaining the pool and facility, organizing equipment and assisting with seasonal projects.

This position is ideal for someone who wants stability, responsibility, professional development and the opportunity to grow into a leadership or academy-management role.

We are not looking for someone who simply wants a few temporary teaching hours. We are looking for someone who wants to become invested in our swimmers, families and academy.

Schedule and Required Availability

This position offers approximately 30–35 guaranteed hours per week.

The regular workweek will generally be Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday off.

Sierra Swim Academy generally operates between approximately 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Candidates must be available for both morning and afternoon lesson blocks, including weekday afternoons through approximately 7:00 p.m.

Some workdays may include a longer midday break between the morning and afternoon lesson schedules.

Because lesson times are based on the availability and enrollment needs of our swimmers and their families, the employee’s exact recurring schedule may change periodically. Reasonable advance notice will be provided whenever schedule adjustments are needed.

Schedule changes may occur due to:

Changes in student enrollment

Family scheduling needs

Seasonal lesson demand

Staff coverage needs

Special programs or events

Training, maintenance or facility projects

The continued growth and operation of the academy

Flexibility is an important part of this position. However, every effort will be made to maintain a consistent and predictable recurring schedule.

Reliable Sunday availability and weekday afternoon availability through approximately 7:00 p.m. are essential requirements.

Primary Responsibilities

Swim Instruction

Teach private, semi-private and small-group swim lessons

Learn and follow Sierra Swim Academy’s established curriculum and teaching methods

Help children develop confidence, independence and strong swimming skills

Maintain a safe, positive and well-managed teaching environment

Communicate student progress professionally with parents

Complete student notes and progress updates

Provide lesson coverage when needed

Assist with Safety Week and other special programs

Help prepare teaching equipment and lesson areas

Participate in ongoing instructor education and training

Specialized Child Behavior and Communication Training

Sierra Swim Academy provides specialized training in child behavior, emotional responses and positive instructional communication.

Our instructors are expected to do more than teach physical swimming skills. They must learn how to understand each child, recognize behavioral and emotional cues, build trust and communicate in a way that strengthens confidence.

Training will include:

Recognizing different types of cries and emotional responses

Understanding fear, frustration, avoidance, fatigue and overstimulation

Reading body language and nonverbal communication

Recognizing when a child needs encouragement, repetition, redirection or a brief pause

Learning when to gently challenge a child and when to slow down

Building trust while maintaining clear and consistent expectations

Using positive, specific and developmentally appropriate language

Correcting swimming skills without criticizing or embarrassing the child

Redirecting behavior calmly and professionally

Communicating progress to parents in a constructive and respectful way

Helping children feel capable, supported and successful

Instructors must use professional, respectful and encouraging language at all times.

Negative, shaming, sarcastic or inappropriate language is not permitted. Employees may not describe a child or their performance using words such as “bad,” “lazy,” “difficult,” “dramatic,” “terrible” or “sucks.”

Corrective feedback should focus on what the child is doing successfully and what they can do next.

Instead of saying:

“You are not doing very well with your kicks.”

An instructor may say:

“Your arms are looking great. Now I want to see stronger, faster kicks.”

Instead of saying:

“Stop crying. You are fine.”

An instructor may say:

“I hear you. You feel nervous, and I am right here. We are going to work through this together.”

Instead of saying:

“He is being difficult today.”

An instructor may say:

“He is still building trust and learning what to expect.”

Employees will be coached on Sierra Swim Academy’s communication standards and must consistently demonstrate patience, emotional awareness, professionalism and respect toward every child.

Marketing and Social Media

Take quality photographs and short videos during approved lessons and academy activities

Create engaging social-media posts, stories and short-form videos

Help maintain a consistent and professional social-media presence

Promote available lesson times, seasonal programs and special events

Share student milestones with proper parental permission

Assist with local advertising and community outreach

Help develop creative ideas that attract new families

Support the continued growth of the Sierra Swim Academy brand

Use tools such as Instagram, Facebook, Canva, CapCut or similar platforms when assigned

Customer Service and Enrollment

Respond professionally to prospective and current families

Follow up with new inquiries and interested families

Help explain programs, pricing, schedules and academy policies

Assist with filling open lesson times

Support family retention through responsive and thoughtful communication

Help coordinate scheduling and makeup opportunities when assigned

Maintain accurate student and operational notes

Help families feel welcomed and supported

Pool and Facility Operations

Help monitor and maintain proper pool conditions

Test and document water chemistry after completing required training

Help maintain pool equipment and supplies

Keep the pool room, teaching areas and equipment clean and organized

Assist with opening and closing procedures

Monitor supplies and communicate purchasing or maintenance needs

Participate in scheduled cleaning and facility-preparation projects

Communicate maintenance concerns promptly

This position also includes seasonal pool-enclosure responsibilities.

Sierra Swim Academy uses a seasonal pool bubble or enclosure during the colder months. Employees in this position must be willing and physically able to assist with:

Installing the pool enclosure in approximately October

Removing and storing the pool enclosure in approximately late May

Organizing and preparing enclosure equipment

Participating in related seasonal facility projects

Seasonal enclosure work requires the ability to lift, carry, bend, reach and work cooperatively as part of a team.

Administration and Business Support

Assist with scheduling and coverage coordination

Organize student records, supplies and equipment

Help prepare academy materials and instructional areas

Assist with training future instructors

Participate in business-development projects

Help implement new programs and special events

Take initiative and complete assigned projects without constant supervision

Recognize what needs attention and communicate clearly with the owner

Required Qualifications

Minimum age of 21

Reliable transportation

Consistent attendance and punctuality

Ability to pass a criminal background check

Experience working with children, families, students or customers

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Comfortable working in and around a warm-water pool

Comfortable using a smartphone for professional communication, photography and video

Ability to perform physical tasks associated with pool and facility operations

Ability to lift, bend, carry equipment and assist with seasonal pool-enclosure installation and removal

Willingness to complete CPR, First Aid, swim-instructor and pool-operations training

Consistent Sunday availability

Consistent weekday afternoon availability through approximately 7:00 p.m.

Flexibility to accommodate reasonable schedule changes with advance notice

Desire to commit to a stable, long-term position

Ability to receive feedback and follow established procedures

Ability to take initiative without constant supervision

Professional appearance, conduct and judgment

Preferred Qualifications

The following experience is helpful but not required:

Previous swim-instruction experience

Competitive-swimming or coaching experience

Teaching, childcare, nannying, recreation or early-childhood experience

Current CPR or First Aid certification

Certified Pool & Spa Operator certification

Pool chemistry, maintenance or aquatic-facility experience

Social-media, photography or video-editing experience

Experience using Canva, CapCut, Instagram or Facebook

Customer-service, scheduling, sales or administrative experience

Previous leadership, supervisory or staff-training experience

The ideal candidate does not need to possess every preferred qualification.

Sierra Swim Academy is willing to provide extensive training to an exceptional person who demonstrates reliability, professionalism, initiative, maturity and a genuine ability to connect with children and families.

Pool Operations Certification

Current Certified Pool & Spa Operator certification is highly desirable but not required at the time of application.

Candidates who are not currently CPO certified must be willing to complete approved pool-operations education and certification if requested.

Sierra Swim Academy may assist the selected employee with obtaining the appropriate certification.

After completing the required training, pool-operation responsibilities may include:

Water testing

Maintaining accurate chemical logs

Monitoring sanitation and filtration

Identifying potential maintenance concerns

Helping maintain safe and consistent pool conditions

No employee will independently handle pool chemicals or equipment until properly trained and authorized.

Training and Development

Training will be provided gradually so the selected employee can build confidence and competence in each area of the position.

Initial Training

During the first several weeks, the employee will focus on:

Academy policies and safety procedures

Sierra Swim Academy’s teaching method

Child behavior and communication training

Parent communication

Lesson observation and supervised teaching

Facility procedures and daily routines

Continued Development

As training progresses, responsibilities may expand to include:

Independent swim instruction

Student progress notes

Parent follow-up

Social-media content creation

Pool testing and maintenance logs

Scheduling support

Lead follow-up

Training future part-time instructors

The employee will not be expected to master every area immediately. Responsibilities will be introduced according to training, readiness and demonstrated performance.

Compensation

Starting compensation is approximately $35,000 annually, based on an average schedule of approximately 30–35 hours per week during normal academy operating periods.

Compensation is paid consistently throughout the year.

This is an hourly, nonexempt position with guaranteed weekly hours. All working time must be accurately recorded.

Paid training is provided.

Paid Academy Closures and Holidays

One of the significant benefits of this position is Sierra Swim Academy’s scheduled annual closure calendar.

Eligible employees continue receiving their regular compensation during designated paid academy closures.

Paid academy closures may include:

Winter holiday closure

Fall break

Spring break

A scheduled summer wellness or reset week

Designated major holidays

Additional academy closures published in advance

The academy generally schedules several closures around portions of the Washoe County School District calendar, although Sierra Swim Academy establishes its own annual operating calendar.

Certain maintenance, planning, training or facility-preparation periods may require limited work even when regular lessons are not being held.

For example, pool-maintenance, seasonal-enclosure or deep-cleaning periods may include scheduled work responsibilities.

Full paid-closure eligibility begins after successful completion of the introductory employment period and requires continued satisfactory employment.

Employees must remain actively employed and in good standing before and after a paid closure in order to receive closure pay.

Opportunity for Growth

• This position offers

Pay: $35,000.00 - $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• On-the-job training
• Opportunities for advancement
• Paid time off
• Paid training

Work Location: In person