Head Performance Swimming Coach

Borders Elite Swim Team (B.E.S.T)
Closing Date 01st May 2026
Head Performance Swimming Coach – An Exciting Opportunity
Borders Elite Swim Team (B.E.S.T) is seeking an exceptional Head Performance Swimming Coach to lead the future of swimming in our region. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to shape a performance pathway, develop athletes to national and international level, and play a leading role in transforming the aquatics landscape in the Scottish Borders.
This role is unique – it is the only paid coaching position within the organisation, providing the successful candidate with the platform, authority, and responsibility to make a lasting impact.
Key Responsibilities
• Performance Coaching – Lead the coaching of the region’s top swimmers, ensuring they are challenged, inspired, and supported to reach their highest potential.
• Pathway Development – Work closely with feeder clubs to align coaching standards, ensuring swimmers progress smoothly from grassroots to performance level.
• Coach Development – Support and mentor volunteer coaches, raising standards and creating consistency in delivery across the region.
• Partnership Working – Collaborate with the local council to enhance the visibility of swimming and secure funding to sustain growth.
• Strategic Leadership – Engage with Scottish Swimming and partner clubs to create robust business plans and drive organisational development.
• Charitable Transition – Lead on the journey to achieve charitable status, exploring innovative models for long-term sustainability – including a potential “one club” regional structure, expanding into wider aquatics beyond performance swimming.
Building a Support Network
The Head Coach will not be working alone. They will be supported by a committed team of volunteer coaches, administrators, parents, and committee members. A vital part of this role will be to build and nurture this support network, ensuring there is strong collaboration around both coaching delivery and operational activities. The successful candidate will inspire and lead a ‘small army’ of volunteers, bringing them together behind a shared vision of a stronger, more successful future for aquatics in the Borders.
Why This Role is Different
This is more than a coaching role – it is a chance to build something lasting. With B.E.S.T you will be at the forefront of shaping the region’s performance programme, with the autonomy to design and deliver a world-class pathway. You will have the opportunity to influence the future of the sport locally, leaving a legacy for generations of swimmers. By building strong partnerships and a dedicated support network, you will ensure that swimming in the Borders has both the performance and organisational foundations to thrive.We are looking for an experienced performance coach with the vision, drive, and ambition to take this programme to the next level. If you want to make a real difference, to coach the best swimmers, to inspire the next generation, and to lead a transformational project in sport, this role offers the platform to do just that.
How to Apply
If you share our passion for swimming and have the experience to lead performance coaching at the highest level, we would love to hear from you. Join B.E.S.T – and be part of building something Extraordinary. Please use the online application process or email.
best.coach.recruitment at gmail com
Borders Elite Swim Team Performance Development Coach Job Description
Organisation: Borders Elite Swim Team (BEST)
Job Type: 35 hours per week (Self Employed) - note that some weeks maybe more and others less, due to competitions and volume of club visits.
Location: Initially based at Selkirk Pool + club visits and competitions.
Hours: Various poolside and administrative
Closing Date 01st May 2026
Duration: one initial year to build and develop the programme, with a 3 year contract following agreement.
Borders Elite Swim Team are seeking an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated Coach to oversee, coordinate and progress development swimming within the Scottish Borders area.
Our joint mission is to equip our swimmers to achieve their full potential. We believe the best way to achieve this is to support our coaches in their own development so that our swimmers receive the best possible coaching.
As BEST Performance Development Coach, your role will be to equip BEST swimmers to achieve their full potential. Drive competitive swimming across the Borders through development of a strengthened pathway in line with BEST management groups strategic vision. This involves development for swimmers and volunteer coaches across the area. You will be the lead in bringing the area together as one voice, including all clubs, to ensure engagement across the the whole area is active, giving a better platform for our swimmers to thrive.
Borders Elite Swim Team (BEST) is a composite team based in the Borders of Scotland currently comprising of three core home clubs – Galashiels ASC, Kelso ASC & Peebles ASC, and 3 additional clubs that don’t currently take part in the core performance training. BEST is a training and competitive composite team who are looking for a coach to work with its member clubs and in conjunction with the regional club coaches. BEST is looking to develop the pathway for aquatics across the Borders providing a solid collaboration and opportunities for participation within the region. Again, this covers development of the coaches and the swimmers to ensure consistency in our approach.
Responsibilities include but are not restricted to - providing technical direction for the team along with, coach development, planning and delivering pool sessions, giving 1-1 direction to the swimmers, communicating with key stakeholders, Live Borders about pool access, with parents and swimmers, organising session cover (utilising additional coaches), club visits and attending competitions (expenses are covered). Attendance at appropriate competition will also be required as part of the job role and will be inclusive of the full-time status. Additional responsibilities include engagement with all clubs across the area to develop one voice and one clear pathway. Through doing this you would also be responsible in development ways of working to try and increase the core clubs to all 6, in a new format. All this will be with support from the management committee. The role is also responsible to helping develop relationships and maintain them with our key stakeholders.
Qualifications & Skills
1. Essential - minimum level 2 swimming certification with a plan to achieve level 3, ideal level 3 or equivalent
2. Lifeguard qualification or a plan to achieve one
3. Driving license and access to a vehicle
4. 2 years + experience working with performance swimmers, ideally at British level or higher.
5. Experience taking swimmers from club level to national level is ideal
6. Experience in setting up frameworks within a performance squad
7. Excellent communication skills, written, verbal, online, offline
8. The ability to lead and have people follow
9. Experience in change and making change happen, within the context of Swimming