Arlington Aquatic Club - Lead Age Group Coach

Important Notice: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) , Athletic and Facility Services Division (AFS) is seeking a Lead Age Group Coach for the Arlington Aquatic Club (AAC). AAC is Arlington County’s competitive swimming program for youth ages 7-18 years old. This experienced age‑group swim coach will assist in the development and implementation of the AAC swim program for a broad range of ages and skill levels. The successful candidate will design progressive training plans and a competition schedule that promotes technical development, long‑term athlete progression, and peak performance at each stage of development.

Specific duties include:

• Maintaining open, transparent, and professional communication with parents regarding swimmer progress, team updates, and club policies;
• Assisting in organizing and proposing annual team practice schedules, competition schedules, and staff schedules for review by the Aquatics Program Supervisor;
• Facilitating regular team staff meetings to ensure consistent communication between team and department policy and practices;
• Serving as lead coach for age group swimmers, providing weekly hands‑on coaching, individualized practice plans, and oversight of the competition schedule;
• Providing age group coaching staff with resources and professional development to ensure that swimmers are progressing through goal setting, regular evaluations and coach feedback;
• Supervising approximately 10 assistant coaches, including developing practice and work schedules, approving timesheets, conducting annual performance evaluations, and providing on-site supervision across three locations;
• Assisting in planning and coordinating team participation in local, regional, and national competitions;
• Assisting team registration and tryouts, meet entries, and communication through team management software (e.g., Team Unify, Rec Trac, etc.); and
Attending all AAC Booster Club meetings and representing AAC at all Potomac Valley Swimming meetings

The ideal coach will have the following:

• A track record of cultivating a positive team culture that emphasizes sportsmanship, teamwork, and respect;
• Ability to prioritize hands‑on coaching, athlete evaluation, and individualized development; and
• Strong organizational skills and a willingness to handle program administration are expected.

Minimum:

Education: High school diploma, vocational school, GED certificate, or equivalent.

Experience: 1200 hours of technical experience in aquatics field, of which at least 50 hours must be as an instructor. Technical experience may come from a variety of sources, such as work experiences, volunteer experiences or formal athletic participation. All experience (work, volunteer, participation must be detailed in the work history section of your application.)

Substitution: Additional education in a related field may be substituted for the experience requirement, with each year of post-high school education substituting for 400 hours of technical experience. However, additional education may not be substituted for the instructing hours requirement.

Desirable: Preference may be given to applicants with a bachelor’s degree in related field and/or one or more of the following:

• Experience managing age group swimmers in a year-round competitive swimming program (practice planning, athlete mentoring, and/or group scheduling).
• Ability to teach and perfect stroke technique
• Experience supervising full- and part-time staff
• Familiarity with SafeSport and implementation of the program
• Using swimming/recreation management software such as Team Unify, Rec Trac, or similar systems.

Special Requirements

Licenses/Certifications:

• CPR/First Aid/AED Certifications; and
Water Safety Instructor certification (WSI) within 60 days of hire.

A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates who are selected for employment, which may include the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Additional Information

Work hours: 40 hours a week on site. Telework is not available for this position. Schedule will vary seasonally depending on practice and meet schedules which will require weekend and evening hours.

The official job title is Lead Aquatics Instructor.

Each section of the application must be completed. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

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