Employment Opportunities

The Head Sailing Instructor is responsible for the safe, smooth, and organized daily operation of the KSEA sailing program, including all on-the-water activities and special events. The head instructor is the face and spokesperson of the program, the most senior and the leader among all sailing and rowing instructors. The head instructor will report to the program director and work closely with the KSEA Board, parent volunteer coordinators, and all instructors throughout the summer.

The Head Instructor should fulfill the requirements and uphold the duties and responsibilities of an Instructor. In addition, responsibilities include:

• Leading by example in setting a high bar for staff reliability, safety, and consistency

• Working closely with the full-time instructors & race coaches to develop class curricula and daily lesson plans 

• Ensuring grounds and equipment are prepped for classes each morning, and that all equipment and coach boats are stored properly at the end of each day

• Supervising the launching and hauling of sailing equipment at the beginning and end of the season; working with the fleet managers to track sailboat and equipment maintenance 

• Acting as a primary point of contact for inquiries related to the KSEA program;  maintaining an open line of communication with fellow instructors, program director,  participating sailors, and parents

• Upholding program safety policies and high staff expectations

• Providing sailing instructors and coaches with support and regular feedback

• With the program director, club manager & full-time instructors, planning and executing annual special events like Pirate Day, potlucks and race teas

• Working as part of a cohesive team of KSEA instructors, coaches & junior instructors, supporting other team members both on & off the water

The Race Team Head Coach(es) will work with the fleet managers and the head instructor to manage the Opti and 420 race teams.

The race coaches are responsible for the leadership & coaching of the Opti & 420 race teams. This will involve daily instruction as well as on-the-water coaching at local & travel regattas. The race teams are small but dedicated, and we expect the race coaches to foster a positive team environment where racers feel both challenged and supported by their teammates and coaches.

The Head Race Team Coach should fulfill the requirements and uphold the duties and responsibilities of an Instructor. In addition, responsibilities include: 

• Developing a summer-long racing syllabus

• Developing a summer-long regatta calendar to be distributed to race team families at the start of the summer

• Hold a pre-season informational meeting for parents and sailors

• Planning and executing daily lesson plans to refine sailors’ knowledge of boat handling, boat speed, tactics & strategy, emphasizing the racing rules of sailing and sportsmanship

• Working closely with the fleet managers on boat maintenance throughout the summer

• Working with the race team parent coordinator, program director, and chaperones to organize and supervise travel to and from local and regional regattas

• Deciding race team pairs and regatta rosters, and communicating pairing information to the program director, parents, and sailors

• Providing on-the-water coaching at regattas

• Providing weekly goals and feedback to sailors

• Assessing readiness for sailors to move up to race team and communicating that readiness to sailor, parents, and instructor team 

• Partnering with local programs for team racing practice

• Providing the program director, head instructor & fleet captains with timely information about calendar events, including notices of race, registration information, trailer loading day, travel day, and regatta day schedules, etc.

• Assisting with the hosting and running of regattas and race days hosted by KSEA

• Provide leadership and guidance for Race Team Assistant Coach(es)

• Working as part of a cohesive team of KSEA instructors, coaches & JIs, supporting other team members both on & off the water

The Race Team Assistant Coach(es) will work with the Race Team Head Coach(es) and the head instructor to coach and guide the Opti and 420 race teams.

The race coaches are responsible for the leadership & coaching of the Opti & 420 race teams. This will involve daily instruction as well as on-the-water coaching at local & travel regattas. The race teams are small but dedicated, and we expect the race coaches to foster a positive team environment where racers feel both challenged and supported by their teammates and coaches.

The Race Team Assistant Coach(es) should fulfill the requirements and uphold the duties and responsibilities of an Instructor. In addition, responsibilities include: 

• Support the development of a summer-long regatta calendar to be distributed to race team families at the start of the summer

• Support planning of a pre-season informational meeting for parents and sailors

• Planning and executing daily lesson plans to refine sailors’ knowledge of boat handling, boat speed, tactics & strategy, emphasizing the racing rules of sailing and sportsmanship

• Working closely with the fleet managers on boat maintenance throughout the summer

• Working with the race team parent coordinator, program director, and chaperones to organize and supervise travel to and from local and regional regattas

• Supporting race team pair and regatta roster decisions, and communicating pairing information to the program director, parents, and sailors

• Providing on-the-water coaching at regattas

• Providing weekly goals and feedback to sailors

• Assessing readiness for sailors to move up to race team and communicating that readiness to sailor, parents, and instructor team 

• Providing the program director, head instructor & fleet captains with timely information about calendar events, including notices of race, registration information, trailer loading day, travel day, and regatta day schedules, etc.

• Working as part of a cohesive team of KSEA instructors, coaches & JIs, supporting other team members both on & off the water

The full-time Sailing Instructor positions are ideal for instructors open to teaching a variety of different classes. These positions are important to allow for a flexible program.  They also allow instructors to develop leadership skills while experiencing many aspects of the KSEA program. You must be 18 years old and hold a US Sailing Level 1 Small Boat Instructor Certification.

The Full-Time Instructors are responsible for leading daily lessons for Opti, 420 & Bullseye sailors, focusing on beginner to intermediate sailing instruction, water safety, boat handling & knot tying.  The Instructors will maintain a safe environment for all sailors while providing a fun & exciting learning environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Working during set up and clean up weeks to prepare campus for the season and pack equipment away at the end of the season

• Planning and executing daily lesson plans to refine sailors’ knowledge of rigging & derigging, boat handling, boat speed, basic seamanship and racing rules

• Working closely with the full-time instructors and race coaches on implementing class curriculum and determining class placement for sailors

• Creating learning opportunities for the junior instructors, including chalk talks, on-the-water instruction, coach boat handling and mark setting

• Working as part of a cohesive team of KSEA instructors, coaches & junior instructors, supporting other team members both on & off the water

• Playing an active role in potlucks and movie nights, helping to set up and clean up, generally being helpful to parent volunteers, and mingling with sailors and their families

All full-time instructors, in addition to the responsibilities above, will have a special area of responsibility. This will be coordinated ahead of the season, and include areas such as fleet management, race day management, adult sailing, etc. Appropriate job titles and pay rates will accompany this responsibility.

You must be 16 years old to be a junior instructor. Starting in 2026, junior instructors will be asked to sail with KSEA for at least 2 weeks of the summer. This could be 420 race team, 420 cruising, or intermediate adult sailing.

Over the course of the summer, Junior Instructors will be exposed to a variety of classes across the different fleets, including rowing and be asked to learn, build and practice skills to set themselves up for future success as an instructor. 

The JI position is ideal for aspiring instructors and coaches, beginning to develop their skills as a sailing instructor.  This position is a support for the sailing education and the KSEA leadership at all levels. Working side-by-side with more experienced members of the team, you will learn methods of instruction, strategies for leading an engaging & informative class and best practices for maintaining a safe learning environment.  In most cases, this is a half-day position. Please reach out to kseaprogramdirector@gmail.com if you’d like to discuss an exception to this eight week long half-day commitment. 

Responsibilities include:

• Assisting the senior members of the instructor team in leading their classes.  This may include participating in chalk talks, setting marks, assisting sailors in rigging & derigging boats, setting tow lines, monitoring sailors on the water and generally helping out where needed.

• Working as part of a cohesive team of KSEA instructors, coaches & junior instructors, supporting other team members both on & off the water

• Leading rowing classes on daily adventures under supervision of nearby instructors. 

Before the first day of work, Junior Instructors will be expected to know the following information and skills:

• Tie a bowline

• Tie a square knot 

• Tie a cleat hitch

• Coil a line

• Rig an Opti sail 

• Rig a 420 with proper halyard tensions 

• Rig a Bullseye 

• Sail a Bullseye with minimal assistance

• Know the simple basics of driving a powerboat 

  • Wear a kill cord

  • How the throttle works–forward, neutral, and reverse

  • Importance of keeping lines, especially bowline, tidy and secured 

We will continue our tradition of welcoming early teen volunteers to assist our instructional staff. Interest forms submitted by April 1st will be prioritized. Please fill out the 2026 KSEA Volunteer Form here. Please email kseaprogramdirector@gmail.com with any questions.