National Head Coach

1. ABOUT THE ROLE

The Singapore Disability Sports Council is seeking an experienced and passionate coaching professional to join our Para Swimming high performance programme at a pivotal moment for Singapore para sport.

With the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Paralympic cycles ahead — and Singapore preparing to host the ASEAN Para Games 2029 — this role presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of Singapore para swimming.

Successful candidate will play a key role in sustaining Singapore’s Paralympic success while developing the next generation of high performance para swimmers capable of competing and succeeding on the world stage.

Working within an ambitious and athlete-centred high performance environment, you will help build the systems, culture, and performance standards required to deliver long-term international success for Singapore.

2. KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

National Head Coach (Para Swimming) | Reports to: Technical Director (Para Swimming)

The National Head Coach is the primary coaching lead for Singapore’s Para Swimming national squad, responsible for the day-to-day delivery of a world-class Daily Training Environment (DTE), the design and implementation of individualised training programmes, and serving as the principal bench coach at all major national and international competitions.

DTE Delivery & Training Design

• Take primary accountability for DTE delivery at the National Training Centre and approved satellite venues, translating the quadrennial Performance and Pathway Plan into daily coaching practice.

• Plan, write, and deliver daily and weekly training sessions for national squad Para swimmers across all World Para Swimming sport classes, individualised by classification, impairment profile, and event focus.

• Develop annual and seasonal training plans covering both national squad athletes and identified development athletes, periodised across the quadrennial cycle to accelerate progression towards national squad standards.

Athlete Development & Growth

• Design individualised performance programmes for all national squad Para swimmers; provide regular performance feedback and maintain accurate athlete records.

• Grow Singapore’s para swimming talent base: use pool-deck observation to identify individuals with para swimming potential — including those new to para sport or transferring from other sports — assess their profile in collaboration with the Technical Director, and recommend pipeline candidates to the High Performance Manager and SDSC’s Talent Identification function.

• Maintain working knowledge of World Para Swimming classification; prepare athletes for classification events and liaise with the Technical Director and HPM on classification timelines.

• Support spexCarding and spexScholarship obligations in partnership with the High Performance Manager.

Coaching Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the Para Swimming coaching team at the NTC, fostering a cohesive, professional, and athlete-centred coaching culture.

• Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and performance feedback to programme coaches; liaise with and guide club and personal coaches working with SDSC-supported Para Swimming athletes.

Competition & Major Games

• Serve as principal bench coach at all major competitions including APG29, Asian Para Games, Paralympic Games, World Para Swimming Championships, and World Series events.• Develop and implement competition strategies and race plans; contribute to athlete selection and event entry decisions.

• Provide post-competition performance analyses and debrief reports.

3. CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications & Experience

• Recognised swimming coaching qualification at performance level

• Demonstrated track record coaching para swimmers across multiple sport classes to competitive success at World Para Swimming World Series, World Championships, and/or Paralympic Games, including contributing to programme growth — developing athletes from the pathway into national squad-level competitors.

• Minimum 8 years of high performance swimming coaching experience, including meaningful experience with para swimmers across different impairment types.

• Deep working knowledge of World Para Swimming classification systems across all sport classes and their impact on stroke mechanics, training design, and race strategy.

• Experience leading and developing coaching staff in a high-performance programme, with cultural competency in engaging diverse coaching teams.

• Good understanding of sport science principles applied to para swimming performance.

Skills & Competencies

Required skills

Technical Coaching

Communication

Team Leadership

Athlete Development

DTE Delivery

Programme Planning

Preferred / good-to-have skills

• Para Swimming HP
• Classification Literacy
• Programme Growth & TID
• Competition Strategy
• Race Planning
• Sport Science Application
• Coach Mentoring
• Athlete Welfare

4. HOW TO APPLY

Submit your CV and a cover letter (including your current and expected salary, and the role you are applying for) by clicking the 'apply' button.

Subject line: Application – National Head Coach Para Swimming