Vacancy: Assistant Head Coach of National Centre (Dublin)

As part of its Performance strategy for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle and beyond, Swim Ireland Performance seek a suitably qualified, experienced and driven swimming coach with a proven coaching profile to assume the role of Assistant Head Coach within the National Centre (Dublin) from September 2024.

One of the key pillars within the Performance Strategy is to provide strategic geographic locations for centralised Performance environments in an endeavour to amplify athlete opportunity and outcome into and beyond the 2024 Olympic Games. Alongside the National Centre (Ulster) within Northern Ireland and National Centre (Limerick) within the Republic of Ireland, the National Centre (Dublin) brings a third and important dimension to this offering for Ireland’s highest performing athletes.

The Coach will be responsible to the Head Coach of the National Centre (Dublin) and together they will work collaboratively to lead and deliver a world-class Performance programme in the National Aquatic Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus (in association with our partners in the Sport Ireland Institute). The National Aquatic Centre is a 10-lane 50m pool (with movable booms for short course purposes) and a separate 6-lane 25m diving tank. The Strength & Conditioning facility and all other Centre SSSM provisions takes place in the Sport Ireland Institute on the same campus and athletes are able to access tertiary education opportunities at either Dublin City University or the Technological University Dublin which are short drives from the pool. The facility is situated 11 miles from Dublin International Airport.

In association with the Head Coach of the Centre, the Coach will form part of a coaching team who will oversee a group of full-time athletes within the Centre and all coaching initiatives within the programme as a whole. Support services will be provided by the Sport Ireland Institute and will be managed jointly by the Centre Head Coach and the Swim Ireland Head of Physical Preparation. The Swim Ireland Head of Performance Analysis is also predominantly based in this National Centre. The Coach will operate according to the Swim Ireland Performance Plan for the nation’s leading athletes and in the preparation of the Centre’s athletes for all relevant national and international meets at junior and senior level, with a view to producing high achieving athletes at both the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games. Our Vision for Performance Swimming is:

“A progressive system which nurtures and supports identified Irish athletes via world class coaches and practitioners in a unified endeavour to win World and Olympic medals”

Central to achieving this Vision are a core set of principles:

• A commitment to a long-term Performance programme which is focused on recurrent success not on short-term Olympic cycles;
• A dedication to the development of a system that can enable the full potential of our athletes repeatedly rather than one-off successes based on individual athletes;
• A programme that aspires to consistently deliver Olympic, World Championship and European success;
• A Performance programme that is centered on the people within the system – athletes, coaches, and practitioners, and in developing their capabilities to ensure that they reach world class standards to ensure Irish swimming success;
• An aspiration to make membership of the Performance programme a positive journey for all, leaving people in a better place for having been part of it and creating an aspiration for others to be involved

 

Applicants must display:

• Knowledge and experience in the development, organisation, implementation and coordination of a Performance and/or Performance Pathway programme and the development of such athletes to ensure that all individuals within the programme are given the opportunity to maximise their potential
• Dynamic leadership with an ability to effectively establish and maintain strong relationships with athletes and key partners and build a high level of credibility within and for the Centre, constantly enabling athletes towards the next level of their individual development
• Excellent communication skills and display an ability to help direct the development of the programme in the short and long term
• An ability to aid in the progression of the Swim Ireland Performance programme as a whole to ensure continued and furthered success, with this National Centre being a key contributor to this

Applicants must understand that they will:

• Facilitate the transition of athletes developed in Clubs towards a Performance environment which can more readily lead them to success on the international stage
• Plan for and attend swim meets and/or swim camps to support Centre, National Programme and/or National Team athletes as and when required
• Work all necessary hours to fulfil the requirements of the post and work unsocial hours including early mornings, evenings and weekends when necessary
• Be able to work as an integral part of the National Programme and, when required, as a member of National Team staff
• Organise education opportunities as required
• Maintain a Swim Ireland Level 3 Swimming Coach qualification (or international equivalent) through compliance with the Swim Ireland Coach Licensing scheme

Informal enquires in the first instance can be made to the National Performance Director via +353867808734 or jonrudd@swimireland.ie or to the Head Coach of National Centre (Dublin) via +353861451732 or stevenbeckerleg@swimireland.ie

We would particularly welcome applications from female candidates and/or black & minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in the Performance Team as a whole. We always appoint on merit. All applications will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and applicants may mention within the application process their current salary and/or their remuneration expectations for such a role. Applications should be made by submitting the following to the Swim Ireland HR Manager via chloekinahan@swimireland.ie

• A cover letter to include a personal statement addressing the above requirements, and why the applicant believes that their skills, experience and values meet the requirements of the position
• A comprehensive CV relevant to the position, including three referees, one of whom must be their current employer

Appointment will be made subject to satisfactory:

• Garda Vetting; and
• Suitable reference checks.

The closing date for applications is 1200 GMT on Friday 5^th July 2024. This is a full-time position, with a preferred commencement at the beginning of September 2024 as part of an initial fixed term contract.  Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualification level attained up to €40,000 per annum.

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