THRIVE Coach

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 41,328,000 - 68,880,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

No perks listed

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin seeks a THRIVE Coach to mentor early-career and uncertified teachers on ECISD campuses, delivering regular coaching outside evaluative frameworks. This direct-service role focuses on asset-based support, teacher agency, and alignment with university coursework and district milestones.

The THRIVE Coach works 15–20 hours weekly in-person, coordinating with district partners to build a sustainable mentorship culture across the Permian Basin region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3–5 years of successful classroom teaching experience.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or supporting early‑career teachers.
• Strong ability to build trust and rapport quickly across individuals and school contexts.
• Availability to work in person on ECISD campuses during the school day, up to 15–20 hours per week.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a dedicated mentor/coach for an assigned caseload of UTPB alt cert / DOI teachers on ECISD campuses.
• Conduct regular in-person coaching visits, including classroom observations, reflective debriefs, and feedback cycles, delivered through a non-evaluative, asset-based lens.
• Identify resources that best support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.
• Provide just-in-time, personalized support responsive to each teacher's individual needs, classroom context, and stage of development.
• Support teachers in building agency, professional confidence, and a sense of belonging within their campus community.
• Align coaching conversations and supports with UTPB coursework, certification milestones, and classroom/curricular demands.
• Build trusting, confidential relationships with mentees that are clearly distinct from campus administration and field supervision.
• Coordinate with district initiatives to support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.

Skills

Mentoring

Coaching

Active listening

Non-evaluative feedback

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Posting Title

THRIVE Coach

Hiring Department

College of Education

Position Open To

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date

Oct 01, 2026

Position Duration

Expected to Continue Until Sep 30, 2027

Location

Texas

Job Details

General Notes

Texas Education THRIVE, in partnership with UT Permian Basin (UTPB) and Ector County ISD (ECISD), is launching a phased initiative to stabilize the teacher pipeline and build a sustainable culture of mentorship across the district. The partnership begins with Phase 1: START — deploying THRIVE Coaches directly to targeted ECISD campuses to provide mentorship, coaching, onboarding, and job-embedded support to early-career and uncertified teachers, with a specific focus on teachers of record in UTPB's alternative certification pathway who are serving in Designated/District of Innovation (DOI) roles. These educators are teachers of record from day one, often in their first year in the classroom, and are simultaneously completing UTPB coursework and certification requirements. While UTPB's alt cert program provides field supervision, it does not currently offer the intensive, ongoing, relationship‑based coaching these teachers need to be successful and to remain in the profession. THRIVE Coaches fill this gap: they are a consistent, non‑evaluative source of support that complements — and is aligned with — each teacher's coursework, certification milestones, and classroom needs.

Purpose

The THRIVE Coach is a dedicated, job-embedded mentor who supports the whole teacher — not just their instructional performance. Grounded in asset‑based, human‑centered coaching, the THRIVE Coach helps teachers build the confidence, skills, and sense of belonging needed to thrive in their first years, while helping ECISD and UTPB gather the insight needed to build a long‑term mentorship system in later program phases.

This is a direct-service coaching and mentoring role. Unlike a campus- or district-level systems role, the THRIVE Coach's primary responsibility is regular, individualized contact with assigned teachers via observation, feedback, reflective conversation, and just-in-time support. Their support is delivered outside of any evaluative or compliance structure.

Average Weekly Hours

15-20 Hours

Pay Rate (Hourly)

$40/Hour

Locations

Permian Basin - Odessa/ Midland Area

Responsibilities

• Serve as a dedicated mentor/coach for an assigned caseload of UTPB alt cert / DOI teachers on ECISD campuses.
• Conduct regular in-person coaching visits, including classroom observations, reflective debriefs, and feedback cycles, delivered through a non-evaluative, asset-based lens.
• Identify resources that best support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.
• Provide just-in-time, personalized support responsive to each teacher's individual needs, classroom context, and stage of development.
• Support teachers in building agency, professional confidence, and a sense of belonging within their campus community.
• Align coaching conversations and supports with UTPB coursework, certification milestones, and classroom/curricular demands.
• Build trusting, confidential relationships with mentees that are clearly distinct from campus administration and field supervision.
• Coordinate with district initiatives to support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.

Collaborative Learning & Facilitation

• Facilitate small‑group or cohort learning community sessions for assigned teachers to address common challenges and share promising practices.
• Engage teachers in brief, practical professional learning connected to THRIVE coaching frameworks.
• Collaborate with campus-based instructional coaches, administrators, and UTPB field supervisors to ensure coordinated (not duplicative) support.
• Coordinate regular meetings with stakeholders including district and university partners to facilitate ongoing communication and program improvement.
• Participate in THRIVE Coach team meetings, training, and Mentor Academy to strengthen coaching practice.

Documentation, Data, & Program Collaboration

• Document coaching visits, mentoring sessions, and support provided on a regular (e.g., weekly) basis using THRIVE tools and systems.
• Contribute to program data collection efforts (e.g., interaction logs, surveys, focus groups) to help THRIVE, UTPB, and ECISD understand teacher experience and retention needs.
• Report hours and coaching activity through required THRIVE channels and dashboards.
• Share emerging trends, needs, and insights with the THRIVE Coach Lead and program leadership to inform continuous improvement and the design of later program phases.
• Maintain clear boundaries around confidentiality and non-evaluative status in all documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience as a successful classroom teacher for at least 3-5 years
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or supporting early‑career or pre‑service teachers
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and rapport quickly across individuals and school contexts
• Strong mentoring skills, including active listening, reflective questioning, and non‑evaluative feedback
• Ability to apply a coaching stance that builds a teacher's agency and self‑efficacy rather than directing or evaluating
• Strong organizational skills and reliability in documenting coaching activity
• Comfort using virtual meeting platforms and basic technology for scheduling, communication, and reporting
• Availability to work in person on assigned ECISD campuses during the school day, up to 15–20 hours per week

Preferred Qualifications

• Valid Texas teacher certification
• Experience as a campus-based mentor, instructional coach, or new teacher support provider
• Familiarity with alternative certification pathways and the demands facing first‑year teachers of record
• Knowledge of ECISD systems, or experience working in the Permian Basin region
• Experience supporting bilingual, dual language, and/or special education teachers or teaching practices
• Master's degree in education or a related field

Salary Range

$40/hour

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University‑Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.