Position Summary:

Provides Leadership and ensures safe swimming conditions in the pool(s), on the pool deck(s) and in surrounding areas. Creates a safe and positive atmosphere promoting member safety and engagement, youth development and healthy living in accordance with YMCA standards, policies and procedures. Position is responsible for ensuring life guards and swim instructors are meeting essential job functions. Responsible for supervision of aquatics staff and administrative duties under the supervision of the Aquatics Director.

Essential Functions:

1. Knows and understands all emergency procedures and responds to emergency situations immediately and appropriately, in accordance with YMCA standards, policies and procedures. Provides lead assistance in any emergency situation and activate emergency communication plan.

2. Knows, understands, and consistently enforces safety rules, swim testing procedures, policies and guidelines for the pool(s) and aquatics area(s).

3. Performs maintenance of the pool(s) and pool area(s) to assure high standards of safety and cleanliness; including vacuuming, cleaning pool deck, pool tiles and trash-pick-up. Backwash and adjust chemicals as needed.

4. Ensure pool chemical testing, daily equipment checks, opening/closing procedures and accurate records are maintained.

5. Checks for pool hazards when arriving and continues to monitor risks to prevent accidents before they occur.

6. Maintains all required certifications, in accordance with YMCA standards, policies and procedures.

7. Model effective relationships with the members, participants and other staff. Communicates rules and policies while being “firm, fair and tactful” and utilizing “Q-1-2” customer service technique.

8. Provides leadership and guidance for other life guards and swim instructors.

9. Performs aquatics audits, drills and other types of skill evaluations.

10. Documents and informs Director of incidents/accidents, member concerns, damaged equipment and supply needs.

11. Creates and coordinates life guard and swim instructor schedules, including substitutions.

12. Coordinates and schedules use of aquatics facilities for program activities and events.

13. Attends and assists the Aquatics Director with preparation of all staff meetings and trainings, as required by YMCA standards, policies and procedures and/or state health department code requirements. Attends minimum of four (4) hours in-service per month.

14. Assists with YMCA Annual Campaign fund raising activities and special events.

15. Report suspicious and inappropriate behaviors and policy violations.

16. Follow mandated abuse and incident reporting requirements.

17. Meet timelines and deadlines related to supporting systems and employee compliance. An example includes but is not limited to UKG for review and approval of time sheets.

YMCA Culture & Cause Expectations

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. It’s who are, who we aspire to be and how we show up every day. We are cause-driven. We don’t just show up, we show up with purpose. As a cause driven leader you are expected to be:

Welcoming-Accept neighbors eagerly, warmly, hospitably, and as equal participants.

Nurturing-To care for, support, and help develop through encouragement.

Hopeful-Take an optimistic or positive view of future outcomes.

Determined-To devote full strength and concentrated attention to the cause.

Genuine–To be honest and open in relationships with others.

YMCA Competencies (Team Leader):

Mission Advancement: Models and teaches the Y’s values. Ensures a high level of service with a commitment to changing lives. Provides volunteers with orientation, training, development and recognition. Cultivates relationships to support fund raising.

Collaboration: Champions inclusion activities, strategies and initiatives. Builds relationships to create small communities. Empathetically listens and communicates for understanding when negotiating and dealing with conflict. Effectively tailors communications to the appropriate audience. Provides staff with feedback, coaching, guidance and support.

Operational Effectiveness: Provides others with frameworks for making decisions. Conducts prototypes to support the launching of programs and activities. Develops plans and manages best practices through engagement of team. Effectively creates and manages budgets. Holds staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progress.

Personal Growth: Share new insights. Facilitates change; models adaptability and an awareness of the impact of change. Utilizes non-threatening methods to address sensitive issues and inappropriate behavior or performance. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technology.

Qualifications:

1. Minimum age of 21 years.

2. Two to three years related experience, preferred.

3. Demonstrate proficiency in Life Guard skills in accordance with YMCA policies and procedures.

4. Current YMCA Life Guard or Red Cross Life Guard and obtain YMCA Life Guard certification within 30 days of hire.

5. Current/or must obtain: YMCA Swim Instructor Certification

6. Current/or must obtain prior to first scheduled shift: ASHI certification for: CPR for the Professional Rescuer, Basic First Aid and Emergency Oxygen and YOTS Child Abuse Prevention Training, Information Security and Awareness, Workplace Harassment and Bullying, Universal Precautions, and New Staff Orientation Assessment.

7. Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.

Language Skills:

Ability to read, interpret, retain and teach safety rules, maintenance instructions and aquatics education manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of children, parents, members and other staff, as well as one-on-one situations.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to apply common sense, understanding and sound judgment to carry out instructions in written, verbal or diagram form, including assisting with curriculum learning. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to maintain confidentiality. Ability to be sensitive and alert to the needs feeling and safety of others. Ability to follow YMCA policies and procedures and state health department code requirements.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to handle and/or feel objects, tools and/or controls; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch and/or crawl. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and taste and smell. The employee must frequently move and/or lift up to 50 pounds and perform effective rescues regardless of weight. Possess adequate vision and hearing to safely monitor and aquatic environment and children. Ability to remain alert, continuously scan all areas of the pool with clear vision and perform strenuous physical tasks necessary for a water rescue. Ability to hear voices, distinguish distress signals and communicate verbally, including projecting voice across distance in both normal and loud situations.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.