Lifeguard Aide

The YMCA of Snohomish County provides jobs and careers with a cause. Every day, the Y makes a lasting impression in our communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Our unique work environment constantly changes to adapt to the needs of our communities. We are a non-profit, in the people business. This means that we help members meet a fitness or ability goal, see that children thrive in our child care programs, encourage family togetherness, and give youth an opportunity to learn life skills through water safety, sports, and teen programming.

Our Commitment to Inclusion:
The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life, working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation, has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility—they guide everything we do.

We look forward to having you on our YMCA team!
*The YMCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity at all levels of our organization!

Position Summary:

Maintain safe swimming conditions in the pool, deck, and surrounding areas. Create a safe, positive and inclusive atmosphere that promotes member safety and engagement in accordance with YMCA policies, practices and procedures.

Job Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Maintain constant safety awareness of the pool area

• Know, review, and follow all emergency procedures and assist in emergency situations immediately in accordance with YMCA policies, practices and procedures, complete related reports as required

• Develop and maintain positive effective relationships with all including our diverse members, participants and other staff

• Know, understand, and consistently apply safety rules, policies and guidelines for the pool/aquatic area

• Assist in performance of equipment checks to ensure appropriate equipment is available as needed 

• Check the pool for hazardous conditions when arriving 

• Assist in performing chemical testing at appropriate times of the day, as required, and take appropriate action 

• Actively prevent and address suspected abuse 

• Must be able to remain alert with no lapses in attentiveness 

• Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods, able to move about including in/out of elevated chair 

• Adequate ability to hear noises and distinguish distress signals 

• Ability to continuously scan all areas of the pool with clear vision 

• Ability to communicate verbally, including projecting voice across distance in normal and loud situations 

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications: 

• Minimum age 16 

• Ability to pass lifeguard water test:

• Swim 350 yards including 

• 100 yards front crawl in 2 minutes or less

• 50 yards front crawl with head out of the water

• 100 yards breaststroke (50 yards with head out of the water)

• 50 yards sidestroke kick with one arm forward

• 50 yards inverted breaststroke kick with arm on the stomach

o Tread water using legs only for at least 2 minutes

o Submerge and swim underwater for 15 feet

o Retrieve a dive toy off the bottom of the pool without goggles

o Perform continuous CPR for at least 2 minutes

• Ability to perform strenuous physical tasks necessary for a water rescue

• Ability to maintain certification-level of physical and mental readiness

• Fluency in second language desired

Y Culture:

• Build relationships with a diverse membership base in culturally responsive ways, connect members with one another and to the YMCA

• Exhibit Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility

• Complete required training and certifications within established guidelines

• Arrive on time ready for shift, clock in/out within timekeeping system

Embrace Leader Core Competencies:

Mission Advancement: 

• Accepts and demonstrates the Y’s values

• Demonstrates a desire to serve others and fulfill community needs

• Recruits volunteers and builds effective, supportive working relationships with them

• Supports fundraising

Collaboration: 

• Works effectively with people of different backgrounds, abilities, opinion, and perceptions

• Builds rapport and relates well to others

• Seeks first to understand the other person’s point of view and remains calm in challenging situations

• Listens for understanding and meaning; speaks and writes effectively

• Takes initiative to assist in developing others

Operational Effectiveness: 

• Makes sound judgments, and transfers learning from one situation to another

• Embraces new approaches and discovers ideas to create a better member experience

• Establishes goals, clarifies tasks, plans work, and actively participates in meetings

• Follows budgeting policies and procedures, and reports all financial irregularities immediately

• Strives to meet or exceed goals and deliver a high-value experience for members

Personal Growth: 

• Pursues self-development that enhances job performance

• Demonstrates an openness to change and seeks opportunities in the change process

• Accurately assesses personal feelings, strengths, and limitations and how they impact relationships

• Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-the-date knowledge and skills in technology

Physical and Mental Demands:  The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  

Physical Demands: 

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex problems; may use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks; work under intensive deadlines with frequent interruptions; and interact with members, staff, volunteers, and others encountered in the course of work, some of whom may be dissatisfied individuals.

Working Conditions:  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically interaction with others is busy, constant and occasionally interruptive. Work may be demanding at times. May require ability to work irregular hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job descriptions represent a general outline of job duties, functions and qualifications. They are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, jobs evolve over time and therefore their description may not reflect the precise nature of the position at a given point in time.