Aquatics Director

About the role

We’re looking for a leader who is passionate about people, programs and the Y’s mission. The Alexandria Area YMCA is looking for an established or up-and-coming leader who is passionate about people, programs and our mission to lead our Aquatics department. The Aquatics Director will oversee a safe, welcoming and high-quality aquatics experience for our community, including swim lessons, lifeguarding, water safety and other aquatic programs. This role will recruit, develop and support a strong team while building programs that meet the needs of children, families and individuals throughout our community. This is a great opportunity for someone ready to grow as a leader while making a meaningful impact. We’re looking for someone who builds relationships, brings energy and accountability to a team, solves problems and sees opportunities to make things better. Most importantly, you understand that Aquatics is about more than the pool—it’s about teaching life-saving skills, building confidence, creating belonging and helping people thrive through the YMCA’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Implement and manage existing high-quality aquatic programs that align with community needs and upholdYMCA standards of quality, safety, and care.
• Expand programs as per strategic plans.
• Supervise aquatics staff, handling recruitment, hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Motivate staff to achieve department and organizational goals.
• Ensures records of staff certifications are current and complete.
• Assist in the development and management of the department budget.
• Complete all required department safety and quality documentation and drills on required timelines.
• Be an active participant of the Safety Committee.
• Conduct internal safety training for lifeguards and swim instructors.
• Maintain program statistics to assess effectiveness and participation levels.
• Schedule pool facilities.
• Demonstrate strong relationship-building skills in all interactions, promptly addressing member and community inquiries and complaints to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Provide coverage for swimming lessons or lifeguard shifts as needed, ensuring proper pool coverage and offering support as required.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Health Science, Recreation, or related field.
• Minimum age of 21.
• Current National Lifeguarding Certification or completion within 60 days of hire.
• Current WSI Certification or completion within 60 days of hire.
• 1+ years of experience in an Aquatics-related field.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Products and computer skills.
• Completion of Certified Pool Operator training within 60 days of hire.