Senior Competitive / Head Coach |… | Canadian International School

CIS job description.

Designation: Senior Competitive / Head Coach

Department: Aquatics Department / Academy of Sport

Location: Lakeside Campus

Reports To: Aquatics Director

Works Collaboratively With: All Aquatic Team

Assigns Task to / Supervises : N/A

Key accountability (Main purpose of this job):

The Senior Competitive Coach / Head Coach is responsible for leading the competitive swimming programme through athlete development, squad management, programme planning, competition preparation, and coach development. The role ensures the delivery of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance environment that supports athlete progression and programme success.

The scope of responsibility increases according to the position level. Senior Competitive Coaches lead designated performance squads, oversee athlete progression, contribute to programme planning, and support the development of coaching staff.

Head Coach provides leadership across the entire competitive programme, establishing coaching standards, overseeing athlete pathways and competition performance, supervising and mentoring coaches, and working collaboratively with the Head of Aquatics to drive programme growth and strategic development.

Responsibilities (Key areas of Responsibilities):

Senior Competitive Coach

The Senior Competitive Coach leads performance-level squads and contributes to programme leadership and athlete development.

Lead high-performance and senior competitive squads.
Develop and implement season plans, training cycles, and competition preparation plans.
Monitor athlete progression, attendance, and performance outcomes.
Mentor and support Junior and Mid Competitive
Coaches.Contribute to programme planning, squad structure, and athlete pathway development.
Lead championship preparation and competition delivery.
Support coach education and departmental initiatives.
Work collaboratively with the Head Coach and Head of Aquatics to achieve programme goals.

Head Coach

The Head Coach provides leadership across the entire competitive swimming programme and is accountable for coaching standards, athlete pathways, competition performance, and coach development.

Additional Responsibilities:

Oversee the competitive swimming programme across all squad levels.
Establish programme vision, standards, and performance expectations.
Lead annual planning, competition calendars, and athlete development pathways.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate Competitive Coaches across all levels.
Allocate squad assignments and coaching responsibilities.
Work with the Head of Aquatics on programme growth, recruitment, and strategic initiatives.
Lead athlete recruitment, retention, and performance development strategies.
Represent the programme at major competitions and external stakeholder meetings.
Drive continuous improvement across coaching, athlete development, and programme operations.

Key expectations:

Leads competitive and performance-level squads.
Takes ownership of season planning, training cycles, and athlete development pathways.
Analyses swimmer performance and implements progression strategies.
Coaches athletes at major competitions and championship meets.
Collaborates with the Head of Aquatics on programme design and squad structure.
Mentors junior coaches and contributes to staff development.
Supports strength and conditioning, goal-setting, and performance planning initiatives.

Requirements:

Senior Competitive Coach

Minimum 7 years' competitive coaching experience.
Proven success coaching athletes to national-level standards.
Demonstrated ability to lead performance squads and mentor coaches.
Strong technical knowledge of competitive swimming and athlete development.

Head Coach

Minimum 10 years' competitive coaching experience.
Demonstrated success leading high-performance swimming programmes.
Proven ability to manage coaches, athlete pathways, and programme operations.
Strong leadership, communication, strategic planning, and people-management skills.
Experience overseeing programme growth, athlete retention, and competition performance outcomes.

Qualifications & Certifications

Valid aquatics programming certification.
Certified Water Safety Instructor (or equivalent).
Current First Aid certification (or equivalent).
Lifeguard certification (required).
Experience with Meet Manager and Team Manager software (preferred).

Skills & Attributes

Strong coaching and technical knowledge of competitive swimming.
Ability to plan and deliver structured training programmes.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong leadership and team collaboration abilities.
Organised, proactive, and able to manage multiple responsibilities.
Commitment to athlete development and safeguarding.

Additional Expectations

Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and during school holidays.
Commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and high-performance environment.
Active contribution to the growth and success of the aquatics programme.

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not an exhaustive list and additional tasks and/or responsibilities may be assigned to you from time to time according to business demands. This job description may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of CIS.