Exercise Instructor

Job Category

Miscellaneous Staff

Job Title

Exercise Instructor

Department

Cresswell Laboratory | Centre for Brain Health | Faculty of Medicine

Posting End Date

March 23, 2026

Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

December 31, 2026

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks.

The expected pay for this position is $25/hour.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The Vision of the BC Brain Wellness Program is Brain Wellness, Beyond All Boundaries.

We are leveraging the collective power of clinical care, lifestyle programs, education, and research to design a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness for people with chronic brain conditions, care partners and healthy agers.

The BC Brain Wellness Program (BCBWP) is an interactive effort to establish clinically relevant lifestyle approaches to complement medical treatment in the clinics at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for

Brain Health (DMCBH). By combining clinical care with interventions that support healthier lifestyles, the BC Brain Wellness Program team hopes to improve and sustain quality of life for people living with brain disorders and their care partners, as well as to offer healthy agers the opportunity to enhance their wellness and engage in preventative lifestyle measures.

The BC Brain Wellness Program brings together the DMCBH, the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health. Expertise is drawn from many fields including the School of Music, Physiotherapy, Kinesiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences, Nutrition as well as several community partners.

The position is for a contract Exercise Instructor to deliver exercise classes to participants of the BCBWP. The classes will be delivered online and in-person at UBC, or other sites including St. Paul’s Hospital and Youville Residence. The individual will design, deliver, and evaluate exercise programs offered by the BCBWP. The individual will be interacting with people with a variety of different chronic brain conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, MS, etc.) and will be required to safely offer their classes. They must ensure: 1) patient confidentiality and safety; 2) Clinical data reliability and quality.

Organizational Status
The BCBWP is seeking an individual to join our team as a contract Exercise Instructor (~5-10h/week). The individual will work closely with the Program Manager, Exercise Lead and the multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and research staff at the Center for Brain Health to contribute to our current programs. The individual will work closely in a multidisciplinary team environment, and have access to electronic medical records. They will report directly to the Exercise Lead and Program Manager.

Work Performed

• Instruct online (via Zoom) and in-person (UBC and off-campus location such as St. Paul’s Hospital, and/or Youville Residence) exercise classes for the BCBWP and research interventions such as the IMPACT360 study.

• Prepare appropriate exercise class programming to facilitate an engaging class that is inclusive.

• Work closely with the exercise lead and program coordinator in the design, execution, and evaluation of exercise programs at the BCBWP.

• Assist in conducting assessments ensuring safety and suitability for participation.

• Provide insights and recommendations to enhance program accessibility, participant engagement, and overall effectiveness.

• Analyze program enrolment, engagement, and other logistics to provide program insights and recommendations.

• Other related tasks assigned by the Exercise Lead and Program Manager.
  

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Poor decisions/errors in judgment may compromise the BCBWP, breech the trust and confidentiality of research participants, and may result in financial loss to the PI, the Centres, and the University. Even simple typographical mistakes may result in distress to stakeholders and be damaging to the program and the reputation of the team and Director. They may influence the ability of the PI to meet critical deadlines and affect funding applications and ongoing program obligations.

Supervision Received
The Exercise Instructor will work closely with the Exercise Lead and a multidisciplinary staff as well as students at the BC Brain Wellness Program. Individual will report to Exercise Lead and Program Manager.

Supervision Given
The Exercise Instructor may provide supervision for the student volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree (completed or in process) in a relevant discipline or Graduation from a technical college or institute. Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology or a related science is preferred. Previous experience teaching group exercise classes and a fitness instructor/ personal training certificate with insurance is required. Excellent interpersonal skills are required as the applicant must be sensitive to the issues faced by individuals living with neurological disease and be able to communicate compassionately with patient participants. The need for accuracy in reporting, and attention to detail cannot be overstated. The applicant needs to be well organized event planning, scheduling, and record keeping. The desire to make a positive difference in the lives of participants and their families is essential. The applicant must enjoy working as part of a large multidisciplinary team. However, they will also have the ability to work independently (albeit under general supervision) once they have demonstrated the ability to show initiative. The applicant must be adept in written and verbal English. Computers skills are of crucial importance: Word Processing, Internet (Zoom), email experience is required. Standard Level First Aid, and CPR C are assets.