Robotics FIRST Tech ; FTC Co-Coach

Job Title

Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Co-Coach

Part-Time, Hourly, Extra Curricular, September 2025-March 2026 (plus optional off-season events)

Founders' Campus

FTC Head Coach and CHCA's Director of Robotics

The Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Co-Coach will lead and mentor a team of grade 7-8 students as they design, build, and program a competitive robot to meet yearly game challenges. Working in close collaboration with the FTC Head Coach, the FTC Co-Coach is responsible for guiding students through the engineering design process, promoting teamwork and core values, and helping them develop real-world STEM and leadership skills.

• Collaborate with the Co-Coach to provide students with well-rounded guidance in mechanical design, programming, documentation, and team management.
• Share responsibilities and divide tasks effectively to leverage each coach's strengths.
• Encourage student leadership, independence, and creative problem-solving within a supportive team environment.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative team environment aligned with FIRST Core Values of discovery, innovation, inclusion, impact, teamwork, and fun.
• Coordinate with the Co-Coach to plan and supervise regular team practices (Mondays and Thursdays 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.
  
  -noon).
• Support students in completing the Engineering Portfolio, documenting design iterations, and preparing for judging interviews.
• Share coaching responsibilities with FTC Head Coach to ensure balanced workload and team continuity.
• Ensure timely progress and consistent communication between coaches, students, and families.
• Monitor team progress and ensure tasks stay on track to meet deadlines.
• Work with Director of Robotics to register the team and students with FIRST and coordinate event participation.
• Travel with the team to local and regional FTC events (usually Saturdays).
• Attend local and regional FTC competitions with the Co-Coach to provide supervision, support, and encouragement (usually Saturdays-two preliminary competitions each season).
• Assist students during robot inspection, matches, and judging presentations.
• Uphold safety protocols and create a respectful, inclusive environment.
• Collaborate with FTC Head Coach and Director of Robotics for regular communication with students, parents, and school staff.
• Collaborate with FTC Head Coach & Director of Robotics for administrative tasks such as equipment organization, resource purchases, and overall budgeting.
• Work with the FTC Co-Coach and Director of Robotics to coordinate logistics and prepare students for local and regional FTC events.

• Passion for STEM education and youth mentorship.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Patience and enthusiasm for working with middle/high school students.
• Ability to commit to regular team practices and competition events.
• Background in Education, Engineering, Computer Science, or Robotics (preferred).
• Experience or willingness to learn in one or more areas: mechanical design, programming (Java, Android Studio), 3D CAD, or electronics.
• Prior involvement with FIRST (FTC, FRC, or FLL) or similar programs.

• ~5–8 hours/week during peak season (September 2025-February 2026)
• Additional time leading up to and during competitions or outreach events organized by the Director of Robotics

Essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act may include any of the duties, knowledge and skills listed above. This list is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by employees in this position. Regular attendance is an essential function of this job.

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below 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.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to compare, analyze, communicate, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile and negotiate.