Cross Country World Cup Coach

JOB DESCRIPTION

Cross Country World Cup Coach 

CLASSIFICATION: Year-round; Full-time 

FLSA: Exempt 

REPORTS TO: Cross Country Sport Director

LOCATION: Remote

TRAVEL: Extensive travel including spring planning meetings, multiple 1-2 week training camps in the spring, summer, and fall, and approximately 90-100 days of travel during the World Cup competition season. 

TOTAL COMPENSATION: Depending on experience.

BENEFITS: Comprehensive health insurance package, 401k with 4% company match, generous flexible time off, & industry perks.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is seeking a Cross Country World Cup Coach. This is a full-time, beneficial position eligible for our full benefits package including medical insurance and retirement. For inquiries or help with your application, please email [email protected].

SUMMARY / OBJECTIVE 

The National Team Cross Country World Cup Coach will provide elite level technical and tactical coaching to A and B Team athletes. With a focus on performance, this Coach will work with all athletes to elevate their knowledge and execution of technical and tactical aspects of elite level skiing. The Coach will support athletes and their personal coaches plans and objectives by providing onsite coaching and inclusive, detailed multi-faced communication throughout the season.

The World Cup Coach is responsible for assisting the Head Coach and Sport Director and may be solely responsible for the organization and coaching of certain camps, including writing the camp training plan, or organizing World Cup weeks. Key to this position is the coach’s ability to manage the variety of daily training needs while on the road, and to assist each athlete and affiliate club equally. This coach must pay special attention to injured or overtrained athletes and maintain communication with all relevant coaches and sports medicine providers, to ensure injured athletes can manage their morale and return to sport quickly. 

ABOUT US

U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) is committed to leading, encouraging, and supporting athletes in achieving excellence and making the United States of America the Best in the World in Olympic skiing and snowboarding. We are committed to fostering, cultivating and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by creating an environment in which diversity is valued, equity is striven for, and inclusion is embraced.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Athlete Experience

• Provide world class technical and tactical coaching in an effective manner
• Engage in supportive, empathetic, and frequent communication with A and B Team athletes and personal coaches. 
• Assist in developing the annual Team Culture Agreement with athletes and coaches and ensuring implementation and upkeep of that culture among the athletes and all support staff. 
• Attend team captain’s meetings and when needed organize effective team meetings to relay information to athletes and staff the night before each race. 
• Attend summer training camps and periodically visit athletes in their home clubs during the summer.

Operational Excellence

• Assist the Head Coach in designing all operations towards Olympic, World Championship, and World Cup success. 

• Work with USST and personal coaches to prepare a detailed plan for each athlete and staff member involved with a competition, orchestrating training, entries, meeting and travel times, meals, procedures for warm up, equipment preparation, split timing, feeding, mental preparation, pre-event training, interaction between other staff and athletes, staff timetables, media interaction, and competition review. 

• Maintain positive relationships with the FIS staff, industry, other national teams, individual Organizing Committees, and volunteers. These relationships are critical partnerships for the team.
• Interface with Sport Science and Sports Medicine to maximize opportunities for individual athletes.
• Must be physically fit and capable of testing skis for a long period of time, and training with the athletes on some of their easy sessions as a method of communication and of training observation. 
• Must be able to wax skis, and be willing to improve waxing knowledge, and will at times serve as a technician for athletes for certain weekends. 
• Play an active role on World Cup discretionary selection working group.

• Good written and spoken communication skills are necessary. 
• Position requires leading team meetings at races and during camps and presenting at various education symposiums and events. Leadership skills are important.
• Position requires frequent technique video review
• Continually improve knowledge of physiology and training theory through active reading and research.
• Continually improve knowledge of sport psychology, and work with each psychologist, where appropriate, to assist athletes in their goals.
• U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires written OKRs (Objectives, Key Results) which will be frequently updated and reviewed with the Head Coach and the Program Director.

• Have strong knowledge of FIS rules; be aware of changes as they occur.
• Strong winter driving skills, and ability to operate manual transmission is imperative. If necessary, additional driving education may be required if requisite level is not met.

• Monitor athlete recovery status.

• Have knowledge of WADA/USADA rules.

Financial Performance

• Adhere to essential business directives as set forth by the Chief Financial Officer. This includes timely, accurate and ethical expense reporting, accurate budget planning, staying within the budget allocated for specific projects, and exercising foresight regarding changes of plans, contingencies, etc. 
• Assist Sport Director in calculating and paying for hotel bills using FIS rules, and pay accurately on a weekly basis during World Cup. 

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

COMPETENCIES & EXPERIENCE

• Experience coaching World Cup athletes either privately or on the World Cup circuit.
• Experience on the World cup circuit either as a coach or an athlete 
• Graduate or undergraduate studies in a high performance coaching related discipline, such as physical education, strength and conditioning, sport science, kinesiology, or related subject is preferred. 
• Excellent competency in making meaningful decisions from physical testing and data. 
• Belief in the pursuit and championing of continuous improvement, nurturing a culture of safety and open discussion, having fun, and being the solution to cultivate a strong team.
• Commitment to inspire, train, and educate all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and teams.
• Love of challenge, collaboration, teamwork, and recognition of team efforts to achieve results in complex projects, environments, and competitive industries.
• Excellent interpersonal, intrapersonal, time management, and communication skills and can use or alter them effectively within the changing contexts of the environment.
• Knowledge of international best practices in athlete and talent development, enhanced if it pertains to the demands of skiing.
• Must be motivated and driven to make material impact.
• This position requires extensive travel, domestically and internationally. 
• Must be detail and task oriented, goal driven, a strategic and tactical thinker and planner, and always positive and professional.
• Excellent communication skills, both individually and in groups. 
• 5+ years of professional coaching and/or program leadership preferred. 
• Foreign language skills are a plus.
• Valid Driver License.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The ability to visually assess a training venue to ensure athlete and staff safety. 
• The ability to manage and use foresight when planning travel logistics and be willing and able to tackle travel challenges.
• Some lifting of heavy gear and baggage.
• Level 200 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Certification or equivalent preferred
• Must be an expert level XC skier

U.S. SKI AND SNOWBOARD EEO STATEMENT

USSS is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances. USSS's management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, access to facilities and programs and general treatment during employment.