Job Overview
The Lifeguard Coordinator assists with overseeing daily aquatics operations across both the indoor and outdoor pools, ensuring a safe, compliant, and welcoming environment for all members. This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position with a dual focus: approximately 1/2 of the time is dedicated to administrative duties, including staff scheduling, reporting, and operational logistics, while approximately 1/2 of the time is spent on the deck providing direct service.
This pivotal role coordinates safety coverage for diverse activities including lap swimming, fitness classes, year-round camp swim and swim lessons, while directly helping to manage shift schedules and staff rotations. The Lifeguard Coordinator supervises and mentors Lifeguard staff, assists with pool and pool space maintenance, manages shift vacancies, and serves as a primary responder during incidents.
Responsibilities:
Staff Scheduling & Shift Management
- Shift Scheduling & Coverage: Assists with planning, building, and publishing weekly or monthly staff schedules to ensure full, compliant lifeguard coverage during all operating hours. Proactively manage shift trades and approve time-off requests.
- Substitute Coordination: Act as the primary point of contact for staff call-outs. Responsible for tracking down, coordinating, and securing substitute lifeguards for last-minute absences or emergencies to keep the facilities open.
- Emergency Shift Support: Actively step in and fill in as a substitute on the lifeguard stand immediately when backup coverage cannot be found, ensuring seamless operational continuity and bailing out staffing gaps as necessary.
Supervision & Leadership
- Multi-Pool Supervision: Manage simultaneous lifeguard rotations and assign precise surveillance zones across both indoor and outdoor pool decks.
- Programming Safety: Oversee safety protocols and adjust staffing levels to match high-activity hours, including lap swimming, group fitness classes, and youth swim lessons.
- Staff Mentorship: Lead regular in-service trainings, audit junior lifeguard scanning techniques, conduct shadow-guarding, and direct emergency drill simulations for seasonal and year-round staff.
- Attend regularly scheduled Fitness & Aquatics management team meetings and serve as a Lead on Duty.
- Monitor staff records and certifications and provide reports to management as directed.
- Maintain professional image and manner constant with the JCC’s mission and goals.
- Other duties as assigned by manager. Additional duties to assist the Fitness & Aquatics department will be required.
Safety & Emergency Response
- Active Surveillance: Scan water zones diligently to prevent incidents, manage crowd control, and strictly enforce facility safety rules.
- Incident Management: Act as the primary scene coordinator during aquatic and medical emergencies, providing CPR/First Aid and directing emergency services.
- Reporting: Document all injuries, water rescues, maintenance needs, and equipment failures accurately and immediately.
Operations & Facility Maintenance
- Equipment Checks: Inspect rescue tubes, spine boards, first aid kits, and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) daily to ensure rescue readiness.
- Weather Monitoring: Track outdoor weather patterns and enforce outdoor pool closure policies during lightning, severe weather, extreme heat, or low temperatures.
- Water Chemistry: assists Facilities department with testing, logging, and balancing pool chemicals for multiple bodies of water to meet health codes and local health department regulations as needed.
Member & Program Support
- Event Logistics: Coordinate seamless pool space transitions between lap swimmers, swim instructors, camp swim and fitness instructors.
- Customer Service: Address member inquiries regarding pool schedules, lane availability, and aquatic programs politely and professionally.
- Conflict Resolution: Resolve member concerns regarding lane sharing, circle swimming, or rule enforcement constructively.
- Teach Red Cross LG classes up to 9 times/year.
Requirements & Qualifications
Experience & Schedule Availability
- Position Type: Full-time, 40 hours per week.
- Time Allocation: Ability to balance split duties effectively, splitting time between administrative work (1/2 time) and active lifeguarding/deck coverage (1/2 time).
- Experience: Minimum of 2 years of continuous, active lifeguarding experience, preferably in a multi-pool, community center, or commercial fitness environment.
- Leadership: Prior experience assisting with shift management, scheduling logistics, or staff training is highly desirable.
- Scheduling Availability: Must maintain a flexible schedule including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays to accommodate operational gaps and fill in for emergency coverage needs.
- Supervisorial experience preferred, but not required
Certifications & Advanced Training
- Lifeguarding: Current Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification (American Red Cross or equivalent).
- Instructional Skills: Water Safety Instructor (WSI) or Lifeguard Instructor (LGI) certification is required to assist with swim programming and staff development.
- Facility Operations: Certified Pool Operator (CPO) or Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO) designation is highly preferred.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
- Physical Stamina: Ability to pass a rigorous water skills test, including a 300-yard swim, timed brick retrieval, and active treading.
- Environment: Comfort working for extended periods in humid indoor settings as well as variable outdoor weather conditions (sun, heat, wind).
Position and Compensation
- $26/hour
- Allowance toward health, dental, vision insurance; life and disability insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- JCC family membership; discounts on JCC programs and events, and more.
Pay: $26.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Are you comfortable working in humid indoor settings as well as variable outdoor weather conditions?
Experience:
- Lifeguard: 2 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
