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Lead Women’s Rowing Coach – Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes are looking for an experienced and passionate Lead Women’s Rowing Coach to join their Sport & Active Wellness team. Reporting to the Head of Rowing and working closely with the Lead Men’s Rowing Coach, Fleet Operations Coordinator and the Sport Development team, you’ll lead the women’s high performance programme at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club, in a world-class environment and High Performance Academy with British Rowing. The role holder will be expected to support approximately 60 athletes in the programme, providing high-quality technical coaching, both on land and on the water, and collaborating with sports science practitioners and academic colleagues to maximise performance outcomes.

Main duties and accountabilities:

  • Deliver with the Lead Men’s Coach tailored, periodised, high-performance and athlete-centred training programmes for the Women’s Squad, preparing student-athletes for competitions to perform to the best of their ability at BUCS competitions, Women’s Eight’s Head of the River, and Henley Royal Regatta amongst others.
  • Act as the primary lead for performance data analysis, utilising systems such as Peach telemetry, ergo data, and video analysis to drive technical improvements, and translate complex performance data into actionable coaching insights for the squad.
  • Maintain strong working relationships and work collaboratively with the Lead Men’s Coach and the development coaches to ensure a connected coaching philosophy across the whole club in line with Brookes’ winning reputation.
  • Monitor and report on individual and crew performances to the Head of Rowing; work jointly with the Head to make informed, data-driven decisions on final crew selections.
  • Support the Head of Rowing’s global strategy by supporting with the women’s recruitment plan, identifying talent and undertaking regular calls and contact with high-potential student-athletes.
  • Promote the holistic development of student-athletes, supporting their academic, personal, and athletic journey through effective mentoring and signposting to wider university support services.
  • Ensure the culture within the club is welcoming, inclusive and supportive and aligns to SAW’s strategic values of Integrity & Purpose, Pride & Respect, Community & Inclusivity, advocating student-athletes to MOVE, SUCCEED and BELONG.
  • Ensure effective communication and collaboration with the Head of Sport Support and appropriate practitioners working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and actively signposting and promoting these services to maximise their impact on student-athlete wellbeing and performance.
  • Maintain active links with the TASS pathway, GB Rowing team, and junior/feeder clubs to identify future talent for the OBU programme.
  • Ensure that TASS-affiliated athletes are regularly engaging with their core support services and meeting their developmental milestones.
    Support the university’s national ranking aspirations, contributing to performance outcomes that directly impact Oxford Brookes’ BUCS ranking and national reputation.
  • Support and mentor the student committee, encouraging leadership development and ensuring governance structures are upheld within the rowing club.
  • Working closely with the Sport Development team and the Fleet Operations Coordinator, to manage race planning and logistics, including entries, travel, accommodation, and equipment requirements.
  • Responsible for conducting, maintaining, and enforcing all risk assessments related to the rowing club’s activities, in collaboration with the Health & Safety (H&S) team. This includes identifying and managing potential hazards, implementing control measures, ensuring compliance with relevant safety standards, and regularly reviewing assessments to maintain a safe environment.
  • Assist in ensuring overall safety (including incident and accident reporting) and security of the building and sports facilities.
  • Work closely with GB Rowing to maintain our High Performance Academy status, supporting Brookes athletes across FISU, U23 , World Championship and Olympic pathways.
  • Contribute to the delivery of key events, such as the BUCS Indoor Rowing event, and support high-priority university activities such as Open Days and Welcome Week.
  • Engage in professional development, staying current with national best practice in performance rowing and contributing to a culture of continuous improvement within the coaching team.

This job description summarises the main duties and accountabilities of the post and is not comprehensive. The post-holder may be required to undertake other duties of similar level and responsibility.

Location: Primarily split between the Headington Campus and the boathouse in Cholsey.
Reporting to: Head of Rowing

Evening and weekend work should be expected on a regular basis in line with the training and competition calendars both for all water and land sessions . The post holder will be required to work at key University events and during periods of high business.

This post holder is expected to work closely with the Lead Men’s Coach and the Fleet Operations Coordinator, and will have collective responsibility alongside the Head of Rowing and the Lead Men’s Coach of supervising the development coaches and the Club Committee.

Oxford Brookes University (OBU) is a leading modern university with a strong reputation for excellence in teaching, research and student experience. Sport & Active Wellness (SAW) is the newly formed Directorate responsible for delivering an outstanding and inclusive sporting experience for students, staff and the wider community. SAW brings together performance, participation, wellbeing and facility services to support all levels of sport and physical activity at Brookes.

The Lead Women’s Rowing Coach is responsible for the technical delivery and high-performance coaching of the Oxford Brookes University’s women’s rowing programme, supporting the development and performance of student-athletes across domestic and international competitions.

The role involves world-class coaching, student-athlete recruitment, and close collaboration with colleagues across the rowing department and wider Sport & Active Wellness Directorate. A key responsibility is ensuring student-athletes are well supported holistically and academically, including proactive signposting and embedding available sport science support services, such as S&C, sport nutrition, sport physiotherapy, and sport psychology, into the women’s programme.

The postholder directly contributes to the University’s rowing reputation and plays a vital role in enhancing Oxford Brookes’ position in BUCS rankings and national performance standings. The role will work closely with the Head of Rowing to execute recruitment and selection strategies whilst ensuring the squad remains at the forefront of technical innovation.

Person Specification:

Essential Skills/Qualifications:

  • Hold a British Rowing Senior Club Coach Level 3 qualification, or equivalent significant experience working in high performance rowing.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop athletes to national or international standards.
  • Experience of providing pastoral care and support for athletes.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and being able to work collaboratively as part of a wider, multi-faceted team.
  • Proven ability to oversee multiple crews and priorities in an organised and efficient manner, and coordinate logistical operations around training and competition.
  • High level performance analysis skills and experience of using Peach telemetry systems.

Desirable Skills/Qualifications:

  • Hold a RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling certificate
  • Hold a UKAD Coach Clean certificate
  • Experience of towing trailers and fleet.
  • Experience in university club settings with a High Performance Academy.
  • Experience of recruiting athletes to programmes.

For further information or to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Ali Brown, Head of Rowing, at [email protected]

How to Apply

To apply for the role, please visit: https://my.corehr.com/pls/oburecruit/erq_jobspec_details_form.jobspec?p_id=194885b or go online to Oxford Brookes University Jobs webpage, and search for the role using Vacancy ID 194885 .

Salary: £41,064

Type: Full Time

Application Dates: From Friday 24th July 2026 to Sunday 9th August 2026