Lead Coach – Beginner Pathway – Lea Rowing Club
For the coming 2026/27 season, Lea RC are looking for a professional lead coach to take over the running of their beginner pathway. Lea RC has a long and proud tradition of welcoming adults into rowing and developing their talents. they have one of the largest and most popular adult Learn to Row programmes in the country, with almost 6,000 people signed up for updates, and around 300 coming through the programme annually. The first two years of that journey after Learn to Row are where rowers are made. It is where the habits, the technique and the love of the sport that carry an athlete through their entire rowing life take shape.
You will:
- Coach the beginner pathway, planning and delivering a coherent two-year programme of coaching, covering land and water training, nutrition, race preparation etc, with clear goals and progression from each stage to the next. You will set the technical standard which athletes will follow.
- Lead a team of volunteer coaches to deliver the pathway, recruiting volunteers, getting the best from them all, developing them and giving them a clear framework in which to coach.
- Develop the pathway and build out the detail of how an integrated two-year competitive pathway will work. You will oversee the running of the adult Learn to Row programme and create opportunities for the wider membership to develop their skills, e.g. running sculling schools.
- Prioritise athlete safety and welfare, promoting good practice and striving to have a positive and rewarding athlete experience.
- Be a visible and friendly point of contact for your athletes and represent them in the wider club structures.
- Ensure the programme runs smoothly from week to week, sorting out logistics and having sound administrative systems.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- Proven rowing coaching ability, with at least two years’ experience, with credibility in developing athletes and raising technical standards on the water
- British Rowing Level 2 coaching qualification or experience comparable to this with the willingness to attain this qualification quickly once in post.
- Strong technical knowledge of rowing and sculling, with the ability to teach the fundamentals well and to diagnose and correct technical faults
- The ability to lead, organise and develop a team of volunteer coaches – getting the best from others and delivering effectively through them
- Strong interpersonal and people skills, with a natural ability to build relationships with different personalities and bring on rowers, volunteers and members
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to communicate clearly, sensitively and confidently and to vary your style to the circumstances
- Strong organisational skills, including the ability to juggle competing priorities and to coordinate people, sessions and events effectively
- A commitment to making rowing open and welcoming to all
- Willingness and ability to work flexibly, including early mornings, evenings, weekends and at competitions and campsEnthusiasm and drive to promote the success of Lea Rowing Club
Desirable criteria
- Experience of coaching novice or development adult rowers specifically
- Experience of designing or shaping a multi-year development pathway or squad programme
- Experience of running courses such as summer schools or sculling schools
- A coaching launch / safety boat qualification and a current first aid certificate
- A higher British Rowing coaching qualification (Level 3 or above)
- Knowledge of British Rowing systems, competition structures and pathways
- Experience of recruiting, deploying and developing volunteers
How to Apply
You can find full details of the application at: https://www.learc.org.uk/post/lea-rowing-club-is-recruiting-lead-coach
To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter (no more than two sides of A4) to [email protected]
Salary: £30,000
Type: Full Time
Application Dates: From Thursday 23rd July 2026 to Sunday 26th July 2026