Boat Club Head Coach (p/t)

Salary: £26,000-£31,000 per annum commensurate with experience  

Full-time: Part-time, 25 hours per week (52 weeks per year)

Location: Central Oxford and Binsey (Boathouse on Christchurch Meadow and Bossom’s Boatyard)

Pembroke College, Oxford, is seeking an inspirational, experienced, and highly motivated Boat Club Head Coach to lead the continued development and success of one of Oxford’s leading college rowing programmes.

This is an exceptional opportunity to coach ambitious student athletes while managing all aspects of a thriving, high-performing Boat Club. Combining the responsibilities of Head Coach with wider operational leadership, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in developing athletes, supporting student leaders, managing coaches and equipment, and ensuring that Pembroke College Boat Club continues to compete at the highest level of collegiate rowing.

Pembroke College has a proud rowing tradition and is currently enjoying one of the most successful periods in its history. Pembroke celebrates a history of 16 men’s headships, 8 women’s headships, and a number of Henley trophies as well as being the only college to ever claim Summer Eights double headship in 2003. In 2025, the Women’s First VIII won the Club’s first-ever Women’s Torpids Headship before going on to claim the Summer Eights Headship, securing the Pembroke 2025 women’s double headship. The men’s squads also enjoy outstanding success with M1 in third place on the river and M2 as the second highest M2 on the river. Pembroke College Boat Club is recognised as a major force within Oxford rowing, with sustained success across both men’s and women’s programmes and are currently the only college to have boats in the top three spots on the river on both the men’s and women’s side in both Torpids and Summer Eights.

Founded in 1624, Pembroke is an inclusive and forward-looking college in the heart of Oxford, combining award-winning modern developments with historic buildings. The College is committed to excellence in teaching, learning, sport, and the student experience, offering a supportive and collaborative working environment in which both staff and students can thrive.

Reporting to the Sports and Sustainability Manager and working closely with the Boat Club President and student committee, the Boat Club Head Coach will provide expert coaching; develop training programmes; oversee crew selection; mentor athletes; manage casual coaching staff; coordinate equipment and facility maintenance; and support the continued growth and success of the Club.

This role will suit an enthusiastic and knowledgeable rowing professional who is passionate about athlete development, enjoys working with students, and has the leadership, organisational skills, and technical expertise to deliver excellence both on and off the water.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver the coaching programme for Pembroke College Boat Club, including water- and land-based training.

• Design and implement training programmes to maximise athlete and crew performance.

• Mentor and support rowers of all abilities, from novices to first boats.

• Lead crew selection and work collaboratively with student captains and committee members.

• Work with casual coaching staff to ensure a consistent coaching approach.

• Oversee the maintenance and safe operation of the Club’s fleet, launches, gym equipment, and boathouse facilities.

• Support training camps, regattas, and races, including trailering where required.

• Promote an inclusive, positive, and ambitious club culture that encourages participation and sporting excellence.

For full details of the role please refer to the job description below.

Benefits include:

• Membership of the University staff pension scheme.

• Free lunch when College kitchens are open.

• Free use of gym facilities

• Generous annual leave entitlement.

• Opportunities for professional development and training.

• A supportive and collegial working environment.

About You

You will be an experienced rowing coach with excellent technical knowledge, strong leadership skills, and a genuine enthusiasm for developing student athletes.

You will be able to build positive relationships with students, motivate individuals and crews to perform at their best, and manage the operational aspects of a busy and successful Boat Club with professionalism and initiative.

Experience of coaching competitive rowing crews, excellent organisational and communication skills, and a commitment to maintaining high standards of safety and welfare are essential. Experience of managing equipment, facilities, or coaching teams would be advantageous.

Essential criteria

• Experience of coaching rowing to a high standard, ideally within a university, club or high-performance environment.

• Demonstrable ability to develop athletes and crews, leading to improved performance and competitive success.

• A recognised rowing coaching qualification (or willingness to obtain one if appropriate).

• Excellent technical knowledge of rowing technique, training methodologies and athlete development.

• Experience of planning and delivering structured training programmes for athletes with varying levels of experience.

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate, mentor and inspire student athletes.

• Experience of making objective selection decisions and managing sensitive conversations professionally.

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.

• Experience of supervising, coordinating or working collaboratively with assistant coaches or volunteers.

• Good practical knowledge of rowing equipment, boat maintenance and boathouse operations.

• A proactive approach to health and safety, with an understanding of safe practice on and around the water.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office, and confidence using digital communication platforms.

• Ability to work flexibly, including early mornings, evenings and weekends during term time.

• A full UK driving licence and the ability (or willingness to obtain the necessary qualification) to tow a boat trailer.

• A current First Aid qualification (or willingness to obtain one).

Desirable criteria

• Experience of coaching within the Oxford or Cambridge collegiate rowing environment.

• Experience of coaching crews competing successfully at BUCS, HORR/WEHORR, Henley or equivalent level.

• Experience and skill in boat repair.

• British Rowing Coach Licence (or equivalent recognised qualification).

• British Rowing Launch Driving qualification.

• RYA Powerboat Level 2 qualification (or equivalent).

• Experience of strength and conditioning coaching or relevant qualifications.

• Experience of managing sports facilities, equipment and maintenance programmes.

• Experience of managing budgets or contributing to financial planning.

• Experience of organising training camps, competitions or logistics for sports teams.

• Knowledge of sports science, athlete wellbeing and injury prevention.

• Experience of mentoring student leaders or working effectively with volunteer committees.

• Understanding of safeguarding requirements within higher education and sport.

• Mental Health First Aid or equivalent wellbeing training.

• An enthusiasm for increasing participation and fostering an inclusive sporting culture.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about developing student athletes and helping individuals achieve their potential.

• An excellent relationship builder who can work effectively with students, College staff and volunteers.

• Positive, approachable and resilient, with the ability to remain calm under pressure.

• Adaptable and solution-focused, with a willingness to contribute to the wider life of the Boat Club and College.

• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, creating an environment in which all students can thrive.

• Enthusiastic about continuous professional development and keeping up to date with developments in coaching practice.

The postholder may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and the appointment is subject to the agreement of any required working time opt-out (which will be voluntary).

How to Apply

To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and cover letter, together with details of two referees, to recruitment@pmb.ox.ac.uk by 5pm on Monday, 31 August 2026.

Please note that the College reserves the right to interview on receipt of applications and to appoint prior to the deadline, so early application is recommended.

Job description (226.96 KB)

 Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form - The completion of this form is voluntary, but appreciated.

 Policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders

Pembroke College is an equal opportunities employer. It welcomes diversity amongst its staff and students and all reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment process, working arrangements and/or environment to accommodate applicants with any form of disability. If you have a disability, please let us know whether you believe there are any reasonable adjustments we should be making to assist you with your application. Please also let us know of any reasonable adjustments that we would need to make for you if you are invited to attend an interview.

Pembroke College is dedicated to fostering an environmentally sustainable community. We are striving towards achieving net zero carbon emissions and biodiversity net gain and believe that sustainability is a shared responsibility and integral to all roles within the College. By embedding sustainability into our daily operations and decision-making processes, we aim to create a positive impact on our community as well as the wider world.

All data supplied by candidates will be used only for the purpose of determining their suitability for the post, following the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018.