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
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
