Product Associate | Technical Trainer

Job Summary

Instructors are the core trainers who deliver the DSA and competitive programming curriculum to students in an engaging and understandable manner. In this role, you will teach and mentor tier-3 college students, guiding them through complex programming concepts and problem- solving techniques. The instructor’s purpose is to transform student's coding abilities, instill competitive programming strategies, and build their confidence for coding contests and technical interviews. This involves conducting interactive offline classes, providing hands-on coding practice, clarifying doubts, and motivating students to push their limits, all while following the course structure and quality standards set by the academic team. 

Responsibilities

• Teaching & Lecturing: Conduct in-person classes on data structures, algorithms, and competitive programming topics. Break down complex concepts into simple, relatable examples, and use analogies or real-world scenarios to facilitate understanding for students with varying technical backgrounds.

• Curriculum Delivery: Follow the prescribed curriculum and lesson plans, ensuring all topics are covered within the course timeline. Prepare for each class by reviewing content, coding examples, and anticipated questions.

• Interactive Coding Sessions: Live-code algorithms and solutions during sessions to demonstrate problem-solving approaches. Engage students in coding drills or pair- programming exercises to reinforce learning.

• Mentoring & Doubt Resolution: Provide one-on-one or group mentoring to students outside of class hours (via doubt-clearing sessions, office hours, or forums). Address individual questions and troubleshoot code, helping students overcome specific hurdles.

• Assessment & Feedback: Assist in creating and administering quizzes, coding assignments, and mock contests. Evaluate student submissions and performance (with TA support for volume tasks), and give timely, constructive feedback to guide improvement.

• Student Engagement: Employ active learning techniques (like asking students to solve small problems in class, group discussions, coding competitions among the class) to keep the sessions interactive and students motivated. Recognize and encourage students’ progress, and provide extra support to those struggling.

• Material Development: Collaborate with the Head of Curriculum to refine or develop teaching materials, such as slides, handouts, problem sets, and solutions. Suggest new problems or examples based on personal competitive programming experience to keep the content fresh and challenging.

• Progress Tracking: Monitor overall class progress and understanding. Identify common problem areas (e.g., many students struggling with a particular algorithm) and revisit or reinforce those topics. Keep records of attendance and notable performance issues, informing the academic team of any concerns.

• Stay Updated: Continuously improve your own knowledge in DSA and competitive programming. Solve new problems, follow coding competition trends, and possibly participate in online contests to bring relevant insights to the classroom.

• Community Building: Inspire students to form coding clubs or peer study groups. Occasionally participate in the startup’s online forums or social media by sharing coding tips or solutions, thereby nurturing a community of enthusiastic programmers.

• Support Outreach: Optionally, join marketing/outreach events such as free work shops or demo classes at campuses to showcase teaching quality and attract prospective students (working in tandem with the marketing team).

Skills and Qualifications

• Technical Proficiency: Strong command of at least one programming language used in instruction (e.g., C++/Java/Python) and in-depth knowledge of data structures and algorithms. Able to solve complex coding problems and explain solutions clearly.

• Competitive Programming Experience: Practical experience with competitive programming (online judges, coding contests like Code Chef, Code forces, ACM-ICPC). A track record of good performance (high rankings or advanced contest rounds) is a plus and builds credibility.

• Teaching Skills: Excellent presentation and communication skills with a talent for simplifying technical concepts. Prior teaching or tutoring experience in a class room or bootcamp setting is highly preferred.

• Adaptability: Patience and adaptability to teach students who may have uneven foundational knowledge. Ability to adjust pace and approach based on student feed back and learning speed, ensuring no student is left behind.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. Candidates with non-CS degrees but exceptional coding and teaching skills will also be considered. Additional certifications (like having cleared certain competitive programming certifications or a high Hacker Rank score) can be beneficial.

• Interpersonal Skills: Approachable and empathetic, able to build a rapport with students so they feel comfortable asking questions or discussing difficulties. Strong mentoring attitude to genuinely help students improve.

• Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking: Not just proficient at solving problems, but also capable of thinking aloud and walking through problem-solving strategies step-by- step. Can instill analytical thinking in students.

• Time Management: Strong organizational skills to manage class time effectively, ensuring syllabus coverage. Timely in evaluating assignments and returning feedback, and punctual for all class sessions.

• Bilingual Communication (Preferred): Fluency in English for instruction is required; proficiency in Hindi or local languages is a plus to clarify doubts or explain concepts to students who may benefit from dual-language explanation.

• Tech Savvy: Comfortable using projectors, code editors, and any learning platforms or online judges as part of teaching. Able to guide students in using these tools as well.

Prerequisites

• Experience: Exceptional fresh graduates with outstanding competitive programming accolades may also be considered.

• Competitive Achievements (Preferred): Participation in notable coding competitions(ICPC regionalist, top X% in online contests) or significant contributions to open-source projects can set a candidate apart.

• Portfolio: Ability to demonstrate teaching aptitude, such as through a demo lesson during the hiring process or by sharing sample lesson plans or videos of prior teaching sessions.

• Flexibility: Willingness to travel to different college campuses or training centers if the program is delivered in multiple locations. Must be able to teach on evenings or weekends as per batch schedules.

• Passion: A strong passion for education and programming – the candidate should show enthusiasm for helping students learn and excitement about the subject matter, making classes inspiring and not just informative.

Key Performance Expectations

• Student Improvement: Measurable improvement in students coding skills and problem-solving abilities over the course duration. For instance, improvement in test scores (pre-course vs post-course) or a significant rise in the number of problems student scan solve in a set time.

• Student Feedback: High instructor ratings and positive feedback from students. (E.g., maintaining an average instructor evaluation score of 4.5/5 or above in student surveys, citing clarity, helpfulness, and knowledge).

• Course Completion Rate: A high percentage of students successfully completing the course. Low drop-off rates during the course, indicating engaging teaching and student satisfaction.

• Competitive Success: Students coached by the instructor perform well in competitive programming arenas – e.g., X number of students from each batch participating in contests and some achieving notable rankings or success in technical campus placements.

• Class Engagement: Strong class attendance and participation rates. Signs of engagement could include many students volunteering to solve problems in class, active discussions, and usage of provided resources (like practice problems portals).

• Curriculum Adherence & Timeliness: All planned topics are thoroughly covered within the scheduled timeframe. Any necessary adjustments to pacing are made without compromising key content, and syllabus is completed as per academic plan.

• Mentorship & Support: Responsiveness to student needs, measured by resolution of doubts and issues. For example, all student queries posted in forums or asked via email are answered within 24 hours, and students report feeling supported by the instructor.

• Collaboration: Effective collaboration with TAs and academic staff – e.g., promptly communicating any issues, contributing to content updates, and seamlessly integrating TAs into the classroom experience. A cohesive teaching unit is reflected in smooth class operations.