Assistant Gym Director

The Little Gym of Naperville; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Little Gym of Naperville in Naperville, IL is seeking a hands-on Assistant Gym Director who can teach great classes, engage with families, support a busy team, and step into leadership when the Gym Director is unavailable.

This role blends teaching with operations, customer service, and event planning, offering a path for growth within a family-focused gym that values a positive, energetic environment and consistent weekend availability.

Qualifications

• Experience in child development, education, or kid-focused environments.
• Experience engaging with children and parents.
• Previous leadership or team management preferred.
• Ability to provide direction and feedback.
• Understanding of curriculum delivery and training instructors.
• Strong customer service and retention skills.
• Ability to balance teaching with admin tasks.
• Weekend availability required.

Responsibilities

• Teach engaging, high-quality classes using The Little Gym curriculum
• Serve as #2 to the Gym Director and support day-to-day operations
• Create an outstanding experience for members, Intro families, and guests
• Build relationships with children and parents
• Explain programs and discuss membership options
• Support member retention by building relationships and addressing concerns
• Provide day-to-day leadership to instructors and other team members
• Communicate expectations and give feedback
• Learn and confidently teach curriculum and support instructors
• Step into a leadership role when the Gym Director is unavailable
• Complete administrative and operational responsibilities during non-teaching hours
• Assist with member communication, scheduling, reporting
• Plan, prepare, and execute events and gym programs
• Assist with team scheduling and coverage
• Ensure the facility remains clean, organized, safe, and ready for families
• Open and/or close the gym as needed
• Identify problems and take initiative
• Support other projects as assigned by the Gym Director or Owners

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication

Customer service

Team management

Relationship building

Event planning

Sales / membership

Organized

Job description

Life’s too short to not work someplace awesome! If you have tons of energy, love working with kids and families, and are looking for an opportunity to grow as a leader, you may be the person we are looking for.

Why is The Little Gym a great place to work?

• Strong sense of fulfillment
• Fun, high-energy work environment
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children and families
• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive ongoing training
• Opportunity for career growth and advancement
• Be part of a supportive, community-focused team

Company Overview

For more than 50 years, The Little Gym has helped children around the world build confidence, develop new skills, and experience the thrill of achievement through fun, curriculum-based classes and programs.

Our Parent/Child, Pre-K, and Grade School programs use movement, gymnastics, and play to support children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Classes are taught in a fun, safe, nurturing, and non-competitive environment that allows each child to develop at their own pace.

At The Little Gym of Naperville, we believe we are not only in the business of teaching great classes, we are in the business of creating an exceptional experience for every child and family who walks through our doors.

Position Overview

The Assistant Gym Director serves as the #2 leader of The Little Gym of Naperville and works closely with the Gym Director and Owners to support the day-to-day operation and continued growth of the gym.

This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who is equally comfortable teaching a great class, connecting with parents, supporting team members, helping with administrative work, and stepping in to solve problems when needed.

The Assistant Gym Director should be someone the Gym Director can rely on to take ownership, follow through, and help ensure the gym runs smoothly. When the Gym Director is not present, this person should be comfortable stepping into a leadership role and helping guide the team.

Responsibilities

• Teach engaging, high-quality classes using The Little Gym’s curriculum and teaching methods
• Serve as a trusted #2 to the Gym Director and help support the overall day-to-day operation of the gym
• Help create an outstanding experience for members, Intro families, and guests
• Build relationships with both children and parents and make families feel known, welcomed, and supported
• Help convert prospective families into members by explaining our programs, answering questions, and confidently discussing membership options
• Support member retention by building relationships, addressing concerns, and helping families continue to see value in their experience
• Provide day-to-day leadership and support to instructors and other team members
• Help communicate expectations, provide feedback, and hold team members accountable when needed
• Learn and confidently teach The Little Gym curriculum, and help support other instructors in understanding, preparing for, and delivering the curriculum effectively
• Step into a leadership role when the Gym Director is unavailable
• Complete administrative and operational responsibilities during non-teaching hours
• Assist with member communication, follow-up, scheduling, reporting, and other administrative needs
• Help plan, prepare, and execute special events, camps, Parent Survival Nights, Read, Move & Groove events, and other gym programs
• Assist with team scheduling and coverage as needed
• Help ensure the facility remains clean, organized, safe, and ready for families
• Open and/or close the gym as needed
• Identify problems, take initiative, and help find solutions rather than waiting to be directed
• Support other projects and priorities as assigned by the Gym Director or Owners

What We’re Looking For

• Experience working in a child development, education, enrichment, recreation, gymnastics, childcare, or other kid-focused environment strongly preferred
• Experience engaging and building relationships with both children and parents
• Previous leadership, supervisory, or team management experience preferred
• Comfortable providing direction, feedback, and support to team members
• Develop a strong understanding of The Little Gym curriculum and help ensure instructors are prepared to teach it consistently and confidently.
• Strong customer service skills and the ability to create positive experiences for families
• Experience with sales, membership enrollment, customer retention, or relationship-based selling preferred
• Comfortable balancing teaching responsibilities with administrative and operational work
• Event planning or event execution experience is a plus
• Experience creating or managing employee schedules is a plus
• Highly dependable with strong follow-through
• Organized and able to manage multiple priorities
• Proactive and comfortable taking ownership without needing constant direction
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Positive attitude and willingness to jump in wherever needed
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, active environment
• Able to commit to a consistent weekly schedule
• Must be available to work at least one weekend day on a consistent basis
• Must genuinely enjoy working with children and families

What Success Looks Like

The right person will become someone the Gym Director, Owners, team, and families can rely on. They will know our members, understand our programs, take ownership of responsibilities, and notice what needs to be done without always waiting to be asked.

They will help us deliver great classes, retain members, convert new families, develop our team, execute successful events, and create the kind of environment where children are excited to come through the doors each week.

Compensation

$19–$25 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. (Approximately 28 hours a week with room to increase)

If you are looking for an opportunity to combine your love of working with children with leadership, customer service, and operations—and want to play an important role in the continued growth of The Little Gym of Naperville we’d love to hear from you.