Position Details
UoB Sport
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,546 to £29,171, with potential progression once in post to £32,595
Grade: 4
Part Time (28 hours per week)
Permanent
Closing date: 6th August 2026
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Background
University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness is responsible for operating one of the most comprehensive sporting sport and recreation provision across HE. Our staff are the best in the market providing expertise across the whole sporting continuum from beginner through to Olympic athlete. We support over 14,000 members, 57+ performance clubs and over 190 sports scholars. We provide an extensive participation and social sport programme for many different user groups from within and outside the University including current students, staff, alumni and community members. Our Performance floor accommodates our elite athletes and clubs and includes a bespoke gym, sports lab, physio, strength & conditioning and lifestyle coaches. We are viewed as the Gateway to the Community accommodating over 50 local schools on our swim programmes and over 1200 local children on our Learn to Swim programme. Our satellite Tiverton Gym is a UoB student only facility situated on Tiverton Road in the heart of student residences. We stage local, national and International events for British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), National Governing bodies and external groups, with spectator numbers reaching up to 4,000 for an individual event. We have recently hosted the Commonwealth Games for both Hockey and Squash in addition to hosting CWG swimming and athletics training camps.
Departmental Overview
Campus Services (CS) employs over 1000 staff with a turnover exceeding £65m in the last financial year. CS plays a key role in the quality of the student, staff and visitor experience, providing services across diverse areas such as the University’s sporting facilities, food and beverage, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, Portering, post, branded and own-brand retail outlets, visitor services and attractions (e.g., Winterbourne House & Gardens), student housing, transport, waste disposal and recycling. CS is a highly commercial organisation operating within the University context and has an ambitious strategic agenda, in terms of growing our service profile across both our Birmingham and Dubai campuses.
Role Summary
The Swimming Club Coach - Performance is required to plan, coordinate and deliver coaching sessions in liaison with the Head of Swimming to facilitate a high-performance culture for University of Birmingham Swimming and University Sport, optimising the performance and profile of the University of Birmingham as a performance sport university, whilst working to increase sport participation.
The University of Birmingham Swimming Club is for swimmers ranging from BUCS (British University and College Sport) and National medallists to first-time competitors and social swimmers. We have four squads with dedicated session times, and each squad is fully coached. Ranked top 5 at the BUCS long course championships, we offer the opportunity to train and compete in a prosperous environment whilst completing degree level education. All training sessions take place in our 50m swimming pool within University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness.
For our highest-performing swimmers, the University of Birmingham’s Performance Centre provides specialist sport science and medical support to enhance athletic performance. This includes areas such as sports science, strength and conditioning, sport psychology, physiotherapy, nutrition, and lifestyle support. Our team of experts works closely with athletes and coaches to deliver an integrated training and support plan, informed by the University’s leading sport science research.
Our programme runs from September through to July and encompasses BUCS Championships, British Championships, and Summer National Championships each year. Evening and weekend work should be expected as part of this role. As well as attendance at major competitions.
Main Duties
The Swimming Club Coach - Performance is responsible for the delivery, session management and training performance of swimmers within the pathway as directed by the Head of Swimming. As such, The Post Holder will take responsibility for the following key aspects:
- The day-to-day coaching of allocated groups of swimmers within the club, including taking the lead on the University’s Competitive Squad
- Collaborate with the coaching staff to facilitate training to cater for the specific needs of the performance swimmers
- Implementation of the technical vision and swimming framework laid out by the Head of Swimming
Coaching
- Coordinate and deliver high quality coaching sessions for the advancement of skill and performance of club individuals and squads, prioritising and planning sessions in accordance with the Head of Swimming and Club Committee within established procedures to meet the news of the swimmers, including the set-up of sessions.
- Lead the coaching of the Competitive Squad, working with the Head of Swimming to provide the best coaching provision.
- Support the coaching of the Performance Squad, particularly with regards to distance-based training.
- At all times to act professionally, displaying good coaching conduct and practice, promoting an enjoyable and inclusive atmosphere throughout all sessions by adhering to SE and UoB policy and procedures where applicable.
- To attend agreed competitions, including BUCS Championships, Summer National Competitions and Regional Championships.
- To provide motivation and encouragement to all team members and show commitment to the development of players and teams, making recommendations for individual and team performance improvements to individuals and coaching staff.
- To have detailed knowledge of BUCS and sports specific rules and regulations.
- Complete annual planning in collaboration with the Head of Swimming with a focus on developing swimmers technically for County, Regional and National competitions.
- Consult with the Head of Swimming on concerns in relation to squad guidelines.
- Act as the key point of communication with swimmers (and other staff) regarding training phases and key areas of focus for that training block (if required).
- Refer students to appropriate support services where necessary.
Club Management and Development
- To support and develop student leadership skills, particularly in club committee members, through effective communication and support of club administration, ensuring an inclusive, professional culture both on and off the poolside
- To liaise with the Head of Swimming and Club Committee over the development of sessions, swimmers, coaching programmes and club development, attending committee meetings if appropriate
- To ensure that the Club and its members enhance the Sport and Fitness brand at all opportunities and avoid bringing themselves, Sport and Fitness or the University into disrepute.
Other Duties
- It is a requirement of the post holder to be conversant with and work to Sport and Fitness Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedures
- To actively participate in job chats and personal development reviews; agree objectives and targets and work to achieve these within agreed timescales
- To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required and which can be accommodated within the postholder’s grading.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
- Literacy and numeracy skills which may be evidenced by GCSE Maths or English Grade C/4 or above or equivalent level 2 qualification
- UKCC Level 2 coaching award (or equivalent), with a desire to progress to L3
- First aid qualification
- An in-depth understanding of coaching styles and ability to apply these to practical delivery
- Knowledge of AGB and Swim England organisation at national & regional levels
- Knowledge of the needs of performance athletes, student sport and an empathy for a student environment
- Operational knowledge of integrated performance sport support services and their application
- Knowledge/understanding of equity and diversity related to sporting provision.” with “Experience of teaching/coaching in a club environment, with a good track record for attaining results
- Experience of teaching/coaching in a club environment, with a good track record for attaining results
- Ability and track record of working as part of a busy team and working effectively under pressure to tight deadlines
- A commitment to the development of your sport at all levels and understanding of the sports development process
- Effective problem solving and decision-making skills
- Ability to establish and maintain an environment of winning and success
- IT skills including competence in the use of word processing, and spreadsheet software
- Positive attitude towards CPD
- Experience of successfully leading others, preferably in both direct supervision of other paid employees and of volunteers
- Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace ability to identify and respond
- Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures relating to equality and diversity.
DBS required
The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.
Informal enquiries to Gary Humpage, email: [email protected]
View our staff values and behaviours here
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
