Jiu Jitsu Instructor - Youth Program Director

Jiu-Jitsu Instructor

Position Title: Lead Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor (Head Coach)

Location: Gym Jitsu – 1108 N Greenville Ave, Suite 103, Allen, TX

Classification: W-2 Employee, Salaried Non-Exempt (Overtime-Eligible)

Employment Type: At-will employment under Texas law

Compensation Structure: Salary, paid on the academy’s regular payroll schedule, with all required tax withholdings; eligible for overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act

Expected Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, variable based on academy activity, events, and competition season

Reports To: Academy Owner

Position Summary

Gym Jitsu is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Jiu-Jitsu Instructor to serve as coach of the academy. This is the senior-most instructional role in the school and a defining position for its long-term success. The coach leads instruction, curriculum, ranking, safety, and on-mat culture; builds and runs the Instructor Leadership Development program for assistants and coaches across all belt ranks; leads the academy’s competition team; drives student retention and community building; and supports the academy’s growth through marketing, outreach, and special events.

Key Responsibilities
1. Instruction and Class Delivery

• Jiu-Jitsu classes across all programs and skill levels: kids, teens, adults, beginner through advanced, Gi and No-Gi.
• Teach and demonstrate techniques with clarity, precision, and patience.
• Provide individualized feedback and corrections to support each student’s development.
• Deliver a daily message or theme to the kids classes (character development, values, safety, focus, respect).
• Teach the academy’s mat rules to every student and reinforce them in every class.
• Prepare students for promotions, competitions, and real-world self-defense application.

2. Curriculum Development and Lesson Planning

• Design, maintain, and continuously refine a comprehensive curriculum aligned with the academy’s standards, values, and student demographics.
• Maintain age-appropriate progressions for kids, teens, and adults, including specialized programs.
• Plan and document the techniques to be taught each week and present them at the weekly curriculum meeting.
• Balance Gi, No-Gi, self-defense, and competition-focused training within the schedule.
• Periodically review and update the curriculum to reflect current trends, rule sets, and best practices.

3. Promotion and Ranking System

• Administer the academy’s belt, stripe, and sub-rank system, including behavioral stripes within the kids program.
• Track student progress and maintain promotion-eligibility records.
• Recommend candidates for promotion and coordinate promotion ceremonies with the owner.
• Ensure ranking standards are applied consistently and fairly across all programs.

4. Safety, Rules, and Policy Compliance

• Ensure mat safety at all times through proper warm-ups, drilling structure, supervision, and enforcement of academy rules.
• Teach and enforce all school policies, including conduct expectations and mat etiquette.
• Comply with all youth-protection protocols, including background-check clearance, two-adult/line-of-sight supervision of minors where required, and the prohibition on private off-platform communication with minors.
• Act as a mandatory reporter consistent with Texas law for any suspected abuse or neglect of a minor.
• Document and promptly report all injuries, incidents, and near-misses to the owner.
• Maintain a current CPR and First Aid certification.

5. Instructor Leadership Development

• Build and lead the academy’s Instructor Leadership Development program, developing the next generation of coaches from within.
• Train, mentor, and develop assistant instructors and coaches across all ranks, including blue, purple, brown, and other black belts.
• Tailor development tracks by rank: introductory teaching skills and class assists for blue belts; lead-class capability and curriculum understanding for purple belts; full instructional autonomy and program ownership for brown and black belts.
• Run regular instructor training sessions covering teaching methodology, communication, classroom management, safety, and youth-specific instruction.
• Establish teaching standards and ensure all instructors and assistants teach to those standards consistently.
• Schedule, observe, and evaluate instructors and assistants; provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and individualized development plans.
• Recommend instructors for advancement within the leadership track and for compensation adjustments to the owner.
• Identify, recruit, and onboard new instructional staff in coordination with the owner.
• Model the standards of professionalism, respect, and dedication expected of all instructors.

6. Facility Cleaning and Mat Maintenance

• Personally clean and sanitize the mat before and after every training session, using the academy’s approved cleaning products and protocol.
• Mop, sweep, and dust the training area, lobby, equipment areas, and other student-facing spaces on a regular schedule.
• Wipe down high-touch surfaces (door handles, benches, counters, equipment) before and after classes.
• Empty trash, restock supplies (paper towels, soap, sanitizer, etc.), and keep restrooms presentable.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and professional training environment at all times, even between classes.
• Track equipment inventory and condition; report needed repairs, replacements, or supply orders to the owner promptly.
• Follow all sanitation and hygiene protocols required for a martial arts training environment, with special attention to skin-condition prevention (staph, ringworm, etc.).

7. Weekly Meetings and Planning

• Lead the weekly business and management meeting with the owner.
• Lead the weekly curriculum meeting to preview and align the techniques to be taught that week.
• Lead additional planning meetings as needed for events, competitions, and special programs.

8. Competition Team and Competition Coaching

• Build, lead, and grow the Gym Jitsu competition team across kids, teens, and adult divisions, in both Gi and No-Gi.
• Establish and maintain competition team standards, expectations, and culture (effort, sportsmanship, attendance, conduct).
• Plan and lead structured competition training sessions on a recurring schedule.
• Identify and develop competition-ready students; manage tournament selection, division placement, and weight management guidance for adults.
• Attend competitions as the assigned coach and corner students during matches, including travel time per academy policy.
• Communicate competition logistics, registration deadlines, and expectations clearly to athletes and families.
• Track team results, milestones, and progress; help promote team accomplishments through academy marketing channels.
• Foster a healthy, supportive, win-as-a-team culture that retains competitors long-term.

9. Special Events and Programs

• Plan and lead occasional special events, such as women’s self-defense workshops, anti-bullying clinics for kids, and seminars.
• Support belt promotions, open mats, in-house tournaments, and academy social events.

10. Sales, Marketing, and Community Outreach

• Help convert trial classes into enrolled students through professional, welcoming first-class experiences and clear technical instruction.
• Participate in the creation of video instructionals and other marketing content as requested.
• Represent the academy at outreach opportunities such as school events, corporate events, charity events, and community functions to help market the school.
• Support social media and content efforts in alignment with the academy’s brand and standards.

11. Student Retention and Member Experience

• Take active ownership of student retention as a core measure of the Head Coach’s success.
• Deliver a consistently high-quality class experience that keeps students engaged, progressing, and motivated to return.
• Identify at-risk students (declining attendance, plateaus, frustration, conflicts) and proactively re-engage them through individualized attention, goal-setting, or follow-up.
• Conduct periodic check-ins with students and parents about progress, goals, and program fit.
• Recognize student milestones — attendance, stripes, behavioral wins, competition results — in ways that celebrate the individual and reinforce the community.
• Coordinate with the owner on retention metrics, trends, and intervention strategies.
• Help reactivate lapsed students when appropriate, in coordination with the owner.

12. Community Building and Communication

• Build and sustain a strong, inclusive community of students and families that makes Gym Jitsu feel like a home, not just a gym.
• Maintain a welcoming environment for students of all ages, backgrounds, body types, and skill levels.
• Learn and use student names; know who is progressing, who is struggling, and who is missing.
• Lead and support community-strengthening activities such as open mats, in-house tournaments, belt promotion ceremonies, family events, and team outings.
• Communicate professionally with parents about student progress, behavior, and program information through academy-approved channels.
• Foster the culture, values, and reputation of Gym Jitsu in every interaction, on and off the mat.

QualificationsRequired

• IBJJF-certified Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from a recognized and respected lineage.
• Minimum of 2 years of teaching experience, including experience with both children and adults. Experience with children 6-12 years old is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective training curricula.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentorship skills, with the ability to develop instructors across multiple ranks (blue, purple, brown, and black belts).
• Demonstrated ability to build community, retain students, and grow a program.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with students, parents, and staff.
• Successful completion of a background check, given direct work with minors.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain promptly).
• Reliable transportation and the ability to travel to competitions and outreach events.

Preferred

• Experience building and leading a competition team, including team-level results.
• Experience with on-camera instruction and content creation.
• Prior experience in a martial arts academy management or operations role.

Standards of Conduct

• Professional conduct on and off the mat, consistent with the values of Gym Jitsu.
• Confidentiality regarding academy operations, student information, business matters, and curriculum materials, both during and after employment.
• Compliance with all academy policies, including those set out in the Employee Handbook and any applicable employment, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-solicitation, and non-compete agreements.
• Adherence to anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and equal opportunity policies at all times.
• Adherence to all youth-protection protocols at all times when minors are present.
• Punctual attendance for all scheduled shifts, classes, meetings, and events, with accurate time recording per the academy’s timekeeping system.
• Social media activity that does not damage or contradict the academy’s brand, values, or reputation.
• Continuing education to remain current with techniques, rule sets, safety practices, and industry standards.

Compensation and Schedule

• Salary paid on the academy’s regular payroll schedule, with all federal and state tax withholdings.
• This position is classified as salaried non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, meaning the employee receives a fixed salary but remains eligible for overtime.
• Approximately 40 hours per week, variable based on academy schedule, events, and competition season.
• All work hours are compensable, including: scheduled classes, mat cleaning and facility upkeep, weekly meetings, curriculum preparation, competition training sessions, competition-day coaching, marketing and outreach events, and special seminars (such as women’s self-defense or anti-bullying clinics).
• Eligible for overtime pay at one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek, in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• All hours worked must be recorded accurately through the academy’s timekeeping system every shift; pre-approval is required for any hours that would result in overtime.
• Performance-based bonuses available, tied to student growth, retention, instructor development, and competition team milestones.
• Opportunities for professional development, including seminars and certifications.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Opportunities for advancement
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $75,000