Life Coach job description.
A Life Coach partners with clients to clarify personal and professional goals, overcome obstacles, and build actionable plans for growth. They facilitate structured coaching sessions, hold clients accountable, and use proven coaching frameworks to support lasting behavioral change.
The Life Coach job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Life Coach Reports to: Practice Owner or Coaching Program Director
A Life Coach partners with clients to clarify personal and professional goals, overcome obstacles, and build actionable plans for growth. They facilitate structured coaching sessions, hold clients accountable, and use proven coaching frameworks to support lasting behavioral change.
- Conduct one-on-one or group coaching sessions with clients
- Help clients identify goals, obstacles, and actionable next steps
- Use coaching frameworks and tools to structure sessions effectively
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
2 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Practice Owner or Coaching Program Director
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Conduct one-on-one or group coaching sessions with clients
- Help clients identify goals, obstacles, and actionable next steps
- Use coaching frameworks and tools to structure sessions effectively
- Hold clients accountable to commitments between sessions
- Track client progress and adjust coaching plans as needed
- Maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries with clients
- Market coaching services and manage a client caseload or schedule
- Pursue ongoing training to maintain coaching credentials and skills
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Life coaching certification from an accredited program
- 1+ years of coaching, counseling, or related client-facing experience
- Strong active listening and questioning skills
- Ability to build trust and rapport with a diverse client base
- ICF (International Coaching Federation) credential
- Specialization in a niche such as career, wellness, or executive coaching
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Life Coach job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Life Coach job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Practice Owner or Coaching Program Director) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- Is certification legally required to work as a Life Coach?
- Life coaching is largely unregulated, but employers and clients typically expect a recognized certification, such as one accredited by the ICF, as a mark of credibility.
- How does a Life Coach differ from a therapist?
- A life coach focuses on goal-setting and forward-looking action plans, while a licensed therapist diagnoses and treats mental health conditions; coaches should refer clinical concerns to licensed professionals.
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This Life Coach job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.