Aquatics Director
Reports to: General Manager
Classification: Full-time, Exempt, In-person
Location: Fitness Alive (South Philadelphia & Center City Philadelphia)
Compensation & Benefits:
- $55,000 – $60,000 base salary
- $2,400 annual health stipend ($200/month)
- Dental and Vision insurance available after 60 days of employment
About Fitness Alive: Confidence Through Swimming
At Fitness Alive, we teach kids and adults to be confident and strong in the water and on land. As Philadelphia’s premier swim school and aquatic fitness company, we believe that swimming is more than a life skill—it’s a pathway to personal growth, resilience, and community. We are a fast-growing, forward-thinking team looking for leaders who share our passion for empowering others.
Position Overview
The Aquatics Director’s primary mission is to ensure that our clients and coaches have a stellar experience with Fitness Alive.
In this role, you will champion safety, consistency, and high standards across all of our aquatics programming—including children and adult swim classes, private/semi-private lessons, camps, special partnerships, and other yet-to-be-dreamed-up verticals. As the direct leader for all swim coaches and aquatics office staff, you will be responsible for hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and continuous professional development. You will also maintain a strong, positive on-deck presence, working directly with clients to resolve questions and ensure Fitness Alive always puts its best foot forward.
Key Responsibilities
Instructional Leadership & Quality Control
- Oversee instructional quality for all swim programming across all age groups, formats, and skill levels.
- Serve as the company’s instructional standard-bearer, offering real-time feedback, coaching, and hands-on guidance to the coaching team.
- Act as the primary point of quality control by ensuring all instructors are strictly aligned with our teaching philosophy and curriculum standards.
- Support staff in translating strong instructional foundations into tangible, real-world client results.
- Analyze retention, graduation, and customer satisfaction metrics. Use data analytics to identify instructional gaps, improve curriculum alignment, and evolve the overarching coaching strategy.
- Present data-backed insights and proactive solutions to the leadership team for programmatic refinement and company-wide scaling.
Curriculum Development – Swim & Fitness
- Lead the development, refinement, and evolution of swim curricula for kids, adults, and neurodivergent participants.
- Design and optimize group and private lesson structures.
- Develop fitness curricula tailored for both swimmer and non-swimmer populations.
- Continuously evaluate and update all curricula based on instructor feedback, client outcomes, and company strategic goals.
- Collaborate closely with the Associate Director of Operations & Scheduling on instructional scheduling and resource needs.
Team Leadership & Culture
- Directly manage, mentor, and inspire the swim coaching team and aquatics office staff to cultivate a positive, supportive work environment.
- Oversee the hiring, onboarding, and initial training of all new aquatics team members.
- Design and facilitate continuous professional development, retraining, and monthly Coaches Meetings.
- With assistance from other aquatics staff, manage instructor schedules and coordinate substitute coverage to ensure seamless daily operations.
Client Relations & Community Engagement
- Serve as a primary point of contact for clients, cheerfully addressing inquiries, solving problems, and managing programmatic concerns via email, phone, and on deck.
- Maintain a regular, high-energy on-deck presence to engage with families and ensure excellent customer service.
- Provide direct aquatic instruction for fitness classes and step in to sub for swim lessons as needed.
Other Duties
- Execute other operational duties as needed or assigned to support the growth and success of Fitness Alive.
Job Requirements
Experience & Skills
- Instructional Expertise: Mastery in swim instruction and curriculum development, alongside proven experience designing or refining group and private lesson plans.
- Proven Leadership: Demonstrated experience managing, scheduling, and developing a team. You view your role as a "chief cheerleader," helping your staff be the best they can be.
- Customer Service Excellence: Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with a passion for problem-solving.
- Tech & Data Savvy: Comfortable utilizing Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets), learning new management software, and looking at basic metrics to drive instructional decisions.
- Operational Execution: Strong time management, multitasking, and organizational skills with an obsessive attention to detail.
Schedule & Mobility
- In-Person Presence: This is a fully in-person role requiring a daily presence on-deck or in-office, particularly during peak lesson hours (Monday–Friday, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM).
- Flexibility: Ability to occasionally work later evenings (for coach meetings) or weekends as business needs dictate.
- Mobility: Reliable transportation and willingness to travel between our South Philadelphia and Center City locations.
Who You Are
- A positive, empathetic leader who thrives on building and maintaining relationships.
- A decisive problem-solver who can think on their feet in a fast-paced environment.
- Enthusiastic, passionate about aquatics education, and always eager to learn and grow.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
