Coach Manager - Online Chess Learning

Chennai Chess Club; Chennai; Remote; INR 1,200,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation with outcomes

Leadership opportunity to shape online

Remote-friendly workplace

Job summary

Chennai Chess Club seeks an experienced Coach Manager to oversee its global chess coach network, ensuring high pedagogical standards, engagement, and efficient operations across batches and time zones.

You will recruit and evaluate coaches, design onboarding, drive ongoing pedagogy improvements, and manage capacity planning along with compensation structures to balance growth and unit economics.

Qualifications

• Chess coaching background (active/former coach, titled player or FIDE instructor)
• Experience running or managing a chess academy/club/EdTech
• 3–6 years in Coach Operations, Academic Management, or Community Operations
• Strong knowledge of chess training across all levels
• Data-driven with ability to track retention, utilization, and feedback
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution and stakeholder alignment

Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment and evaluation to source high-caliber chess coaches (FIDE-rated or titled players preferred).
• Design onboarding programs covering platform, curriculum, and teaching methodology.
• Drive upskilling on chess pedagogy, interactive tools, and student engagement strategies.
• Build talent pipelines and retention initiatives for top coaches.
• Establish delivery standards and evaluate coaching performance via session audits.
• Monitor quality metrics (retention, session ratings, student progress) and implement improvements.
• Refine matching criteria to align student goals, ratings, and age groups with coach expertise.
• Serve as primary contact for curriculum questions and delivery challenges; collect coach feedback for material improvements.
• Track batch health and student progress across international time zones; manage allocations and scheduling.
• Forecast coach capacity for new cohorts and category expansions; ensure zero coverage gaps.
• Oversee wage administration, payouts, and dispute resolution with Finance; manage incentive programs.
• Cultivate a dynamic coach community with webinars and recognition programs; manage grievances and morale.
• Monitor engagement metrics (eNPS) to sustain high-retention environment.

Job description

Company Description

Chennai Chess Club is India’s fastest-growing chess community, dedicated to delivering high-quality chess education to learners around the world. The club offers structured online and in-person programs, complemented by engaging meetups and events across Chennai. With over 2000 students globally, Chennai Chess Club provides a vibrant environment for both aspiring and experienced players. The organization is focused on building a strong, inclusive chess culture and creating opportunities for continuous learning and competition.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Coach Manager to oversee the end-to-end lifecycle, performance, and operational excellence of our global Chess Coach network.

Sitting at the intersection of Talent Operations, Instructional Quality, and Community Building, you will scale our chess coaching ecosystem. You will be responsible for upholding high pedagogical standards, driving coach engagement and retention, optimizing coach capacity across batches, and ensuring exceptional learning outcomes for our students.

This role requires a deep background in chess instruction—whether as a player, certified coach, or academy operator—combined with strong operational discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment and technical evaluation processes to source high-caliber chess coaches (FIDE-rated / titled players preferred).
• Design and execute structured onboarding and induction programs covering our platform, curriculum, and teaching methodology.
• Drive continuous upskilling initiatives on chess pedagogy, interactive tool usage, and student engagement strategies.
• Build sustainable talent pipelines and retention initiatives for top-performing coaches.

2. Performance Management & Quality Assurance

• Establish clear delivery standards and evaluate coaching performance through regular session audits.
• Monitor key quality metrics (student retention, session ratings, student progress) and implement targeted improvement plans (PIPs) where needed.
• Refine matching criteria to align student rating tiers, learning goals, and age groups with the right coach expertise.

3. Academic Quality & Instructional Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for complex chess domain questions, curriculum clarification, and delivery challenges.
• Collect frontline feedback from coaches to collaborate with Curriculum and Student Operations teams on improving learning materials and class tools.
• Track student rating progressions and batch health metrics to ensure strong academic results.

4. Operations & Workforce Planning

• Manage student-coach allocation, schedule adjustments, and batch health across international time zones.
• Forecast coach capacity requirements to support new cohort launches and category expansions.
• Oversee operational delivery to ensure seamless class scheduling and zero coverage gaps.

5. Compensation & Financial Operations

• Oversee wage administration, payout tracking, and dispute resolution in partnership with Finance.
• Manage performance-linked bonus programs, incentive structures, and career growth levels for coaches.
• Optimize coach capacity and payout structures to balance network growth with unit economics.

6. Coach Experience & Engagement

• Cultivate an active community culture among chess coaches through webinars, peer analysis sessions, and recognition programs.
• Act as an advocate for coaches, managing grievances and maintaining high morale across a distributed network.
• Track engagement metrics (eNPS) to build a collaborative, high-retention environment.

Role Requirements

Mandatory Qualifications

• Chess Experience: Proven background as an active/former chess coach, titled player (e.g., CM, FM, IM, GM), or certified FIDE Instructor / Trainer.
• Network Operations: Experience managing chess coaches or running/operating a chess academy, club, or EdTech vertical.
• 3–6 years of experience in Coach Operations, Academic Management, or Community Operations.
• Strong grasp of chess training methodologies across beginner, intermediate, and advanced student levels.
• Data-driven approach to tracking operational metrics (retention, utilization, student feedback).
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and stakeholder alignment skills.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with performance-based incentives.
• Leadership opportunity to shape the future of digital chess education.
• Dynamic, remote-friendly workplace culture driven by a passion for chess.