Small Group, Women's Strength Training Coach (Clinton Hill/Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)
Bunny is a women-focused* strength training studio in Brooklyn building a community around getting strong. We're looking for a small group coach who knows their stuff, brings energy to the room, makes weight-lifting approachable, and loves helping people get strong on their own terms. *(We use "women" broadly and inclusively — trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive lifters are always welcome here.)
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
We care about who you are and how you show up. Our coaches share a specific combination of deep exercise knowledge, professional responsibility, and genuine warmth. Here's what that looks like:
Curiosity
The coaches at Bunny lead with curiosity. You want to know more about our movement standards, why a member is moving the way she is, what's behind a pain or a plateau. If you ask why, dig into the answer, and stay genuinely nerdy about lifting, you'll thrive here.
Humility & Openness to Feedback
Our strongest coaches are also our most coachable. We ask for feedback, take it well, and visibly get better because of it. Nobody here has it all figured out and we invest heavily in coaches who treat their own development the way they treat their members': as a practice.
Emotional Intelligence & Professionalism
Coaching a small group means reading the room. One member is fired up, another just had a terrible day, and you take care of both in the same hour. You're professional without being stiff, you make the room feel warm, fun, while taking your job and their training seriously. You communicate proactively with your colleagues, and you know how to calibrate your communication to the person and context.
Comfort & Confidence with the Barbell
This one's non-negotiable: you're genuinely comfortable under a barbell and coaching others on it. Our programming centers on compound lifts (back squats, deadlifts, bench press, hip thrusts, overhead press) and our members trust their coach to teach them how to set up, use the bar, load the bar, spot safely, follow cues, and make heavy weight feel approachable. If barbell work is something you haven't coached before, this isn't the right fit yet.
Movement Observation & Cueing
You notice when someone's ribs flare on overhead press or they're dumping into their low back on squats, and you can deliver clear, simple cues and smart modifications. Being "picky" about safe lifting as the foundation for progressive overload training is critical.
Preparation & Attention to Detail
You review the workout and movement standards ahead of time, show up 15+ minutes early to set up the room (music, temperature, iPads, whiteboard, equipment), and create an atmosphere that members are excited to walk into.
Energy, Enthusiasm & Positive Attitude
You bring high energy consistently—long days, early mornings, weekends. You love getting people strong, and your enthusiasm is contagious. Members should leave your class feeling like it was the best hour of their day.
NICE TO HAVE
We’ve found that folks with a background in dance, gymnastics, martial arts, CrossFit, competitive sports, modeling, acting, group fitness classes, and other disciplines that build strong body awareness—both of where you are as well as where others are in space—is a great signal to us, though not required.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Coach small group strength training sessions (6 members per session):
- Lead members through a warm-up (<10 min) that prepares them for the day's movements
- Demonstrate the exercises at the top of every session using our demo formula: "This is what it looks like → This is what it doesn't look like → This is what it looks like"
- Coach progressive overload training across compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, horizontal and vertical push/pulls
- Help members select the right weight based on ability, history, and prescribed reps
- Monitor and correct form proactively. If something doesn't look safe, pause and fix it.
- Provide individualized modifications based on injury, discomfort, or goals
- Encourage and celebrate members; we're big on high fives, "hell yeah's," and making people feel strong and supported
- Orient new clients to the space, guide them through lift progressions, show them how to use the equipment and move through the sessions
Coach 1-on-1 personal training sessions:
- Adapt our monthly programming to personal training clients in 60-minute sessions
- Build individualized warm-ups and workout modifications based on each client's specific goals and limitations (e.g., recovering from injury, returning from maternity leave, chronic disease management)
- Track client progress session-over-session (i.e., weights, reps, form notes) and adjust programming accordingly
- Communicate between sessions as needed (check-ins, scheduling, follow-ups) and maintain the same warmth and professionalism that defines our group classes
Beyond coaching sessions:
- Attend all team meetings (mandatory). We meet virtually 1x per month (30 min) and in-person monthly (2 hours) to review the upcoming month’s programming and movement standards. All team meeting time is compensated.
- Open and close the studio following our Standard Operating Procedures (equipment setup, music, temperature, iPads, security)
- Maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming space before and after your shift: wipe down equipment, reset the room, teach members to take care of the gym
- Communicate proactively with the team: give early heads-up on schedule conflicts and coverage requests, ask questions about programming, and actively monitor and participate in the coaches' group chat.
- Pitch in like a teammate at a growing startup—this can include tasks like watering the plants, troubleshooting an iPad, recruiting new trainers, posting to social media, covering for a sick coach, and more.
SCHEDULE
Part-time to full-time positions available, minimum 6 hours/week. Shifts fall within:
- Weekends, 8am–1pm
- Weekday mornings, 6–11:30am
- Afternoons, 12–4pm
- Evenings, 4–8pm
HIRING PROCESS
We take coaching quality seriously, and our hiring process reflects that. We want you to know exactly what coaching at Bunny is like so we can both evaluate if we’re the right fit. Here's what to expect:
- Phone chat: a 20-minute conversation with Karli, our founder, about your background.
- Take 2 classes (on us!) with 2 different instructors: experience Bunny as our members do.
- Shadow 3+ classes with one of our senior coaches to see how we coach, cue, and run a room. You can take and shadow more classes, but this is the minimum. We want to set you up for success in the final round.
- Final round: you coach us through a small group training session. We provide you with the programming, you lead three of our team members through a warm-up and full workout. This is where you get to show us your style and how you’d run class.
WHY BUNNY? COMPENSATION & CULTURE
We have high standards and compensate accordingly. Bunny pays above industry rates because we believe great coaching deserves great pay and opportunities for upward mobility.
- Small group classes coaching rates range from $65-$75+/class
- Private training sessions (in-studio) are $90+/hour, more if training 2 people at time
- On top your hourly rate, we pay quarterly bonuses (5-10% of your total quarterly earnings), holiday and weekend premium pay, and coach referral bonuses. For most, this ends up netting to an extra week of pay per quarter (or an extra month of compensation per year).
- Team meetings and any administrative work compensated at $45/hour
- Paid professional development, including team Coaching Lab sessions
- Liability coverage while coaching Bunny sessions
- Real growth opportunities: this isn't just another gym job, we are looking for those who are eager to get in on the ground floor of a growing fitness startup with high growth potential.
HOW TO APPLY
Email [email protected] with the subject line "BUNNY Small Group Coaching Position" and include:
- Your resume
- Brief answers (1–2 sentences each) to these questions:
- Tell us about your experience doing and coaching barbell lifts. What does your own training look like?
- What’s a piece of coaching feedback you received that made you better? What did you change?
- What are 3–5 adjectives your friends or clients would use to describe you?
Looking forward to hearing from you! Let's get Bunny, honey.
Pay: $65.00 - $95.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Free fitness classes
- Opportunities for advancement
- Referral program
Work Location: In person
