Swim Instructor; Southwest

Swimming lessons are vital for everyone, especially children. Not only do they reduce the risk of drowning, but they also provide an enjoyable way to stay active and promote healthy living from an early age. As a Swim Instructor at the Greater Austin YMCA, you play a key role in creating an experience where participants develop a love and respect for water while building confidence that lasts a lifetime.

How You Make an Impact

• Proactively monitor pool areas and enforce safety rules to prevent accidents, creating a secure space where members can enjoy the water with confidence.
• Connect with participants and families, offering constructive feedback and encouraging progress.
• Arrive early, ready to teach, and manage class transitions seamlessly to maintain flow.
• Never leave the pool unattended; actively engage with swimmers, ensuring safety and effective instruction.
• Maintain accurate records of attendance, progress, and evaluations to support continuous improvement.
• Inform members about pool rules and safety procedures, encouraging compliance and helping them feel secure while engaging in water-based activities.
• Provide first aid as needed, ensuring timely and accurate incident documentation and reporting.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization in the pool area and locker rooms, ensuring a pleasant, hygienic space where members can relax and enjoy their time.
• Attend all required trainings and staff meetings to stay up‑to‑date with safety procedures and best practices, improving your skills and enhancing your impact.
• Demonstrate YMCA's purpose and values in all interactions, helping to create a culture of respect, care, and community.
• Serve as an ambassador for the organization, sharing the Y's work and culture with members, peers, and guests and fostering a sense of belonging.
• Assist with any other tasks as assigned, contributing to the overall success and positive atmosphere of the YMCA.

What You Bring to the Y

• Must be a minimum of 16 years old.
• Excellent swimming skills with the ability to teach various swimming techniques.
• Ability to remain calm and composed in high‑pressure situations.
• Swim Instructor Experience is a plus.
• Current certifications in First Aid, CPR/AED, and Emergency Oxygen.
• YMCA Swim Lesson Instructor or American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor certifications preferred.
• You have a growth mindset—you quickly learn from failure and value feedback in an effort to continuously improve.
• You are a team player—you have a positive, service‑oriented attitude and can work well with others.
• You communicate effectively—you listen for understanding and meaning. You speak and write effectively.
• You are customer‑focused—you build good customer relationships and deliver customer‑centric solutions.
• You foster a culture of inclusion and belonging—you leverage people's differences as strengths.

Physical Requirements:

This position requires working in a pool environment, with exposure to water, chlorine, and varying temperatures. The Swim Instructor must be able to stand, walk, swim, and remain alert for extended periods. You will be required to demonstrate swimming techniques, perform strokes, and actively engage with participants in the water. Effective communication is essential to program participants. Additionally, you must be able to assist swimmers and lift or guide participants as needed to support their learning and development.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The Greater Austin YMCA is a nonprofit community enterprise with a purpose of elevating quality of life in central Texas by boldly expanding access for all children, adults, families and seniors in our dynamically growing community. Founded in 1953 and anchored in three Central Texas counties, the Y has served close to 500,000 people and provided more than $30M in financial assistance and program subsidies over the past 10 years.

We operate 8 community centers and Camp Moody along with 6 early childhood education centers, 60 after school programs on school campuses in four districts, and 20 summer camps, with 1500 staff team members, 1000 volunteers, and a…