Driving Instructor - IL at Coastline Academy in Arlington Heights, IL

LOCATION: Arlington Heights, IL

About us

Coastline Academy is the largest and fastest growing driving school in the country. Since 2017 we've taught more than 250,000 students across seven states, backed by over 100,000 five-star reviews. We're on a mission to eradicate car crashes by teaching safe and confident drivers for life. We're people-first and technology-centric: online booking, digital lesson reports, transparent pricing, modern cars. 98% of our students rate their lesson five stars.

Become part of a team committed to creating safe, confident drivers for life.

About this role

You'll sit in the passenger seat of a Coastline car and teach people something they'll use every day for the rest of their lives. Most of your students are teenagers taking their first turn behind the wheel. Some are adults getting ready for a road test. All of them leave your car more capable than when they got in.

• You teach in our car, not yours. Every Coastline vehicle is company-provided, clearly marked, fitted with a second instructor brake, and inspected by certified mechanics.
• We pay for your certification. Our training team walks you through your state's driving instructor licensing requirements and provides the coursework. Training is paid.
• Every lesson is recorded. Dashcams capture video and audio inside and outside the car for your safety and your student's.
• Your schedule follows the students. Most of our students are in school, so demand concentrates in afternoons and weekends. A typical day is three two-hour lessons.

What does training entail?

Training Breakdown (48 Hours Total):

• 20 Hours In-Person Learning: Learn the fundamentals through in-person modules and readings.
• 20 Hours Hands-On Driving & Practical Mentorship: Shadow 10 hours live in-car lessons (ten 1-hour lessons with student) and complete 10 hours of direct coaching with a Certified Trainer (two 5-hour sessions).
• 8 Hours Classroom Observation: Shadowing a complete student classroom session.

You'll never be conducting lessons alone in a car with a student until you're ready.

What you'll do

• Teach the practical skills of driving, every aspect, from parking lots to freeway merges
• Coach students on the rules of the road
• Build confidence, not just competence
• Take control of the vehicle when a situation calls for it
• Document and report on each student's progress
• Stay in close, timely communication with your supervisor and support team
• Bring professionalism to every interaction with students and teammates
• Show up for team meetings, updates, and ongoing development

What you bring

• A genuine passion for helping people learn
• Patience. The ability to stay calm and steady while someone learns something hard
• A strong safety mindset and sound judgment under pressure
• Clear, direct communication and real coaching instinct
• The focus to stay present for hours at a time
• A valid driver's license in the state you want to work in
• At least 5 years of licensed driving experience
• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Ability to pass a background check, drug screen, and reference check. We're one of the only driving schools that runs independent background and drug screens on every employee

Physical Requirements

• Sit for prolonged periods in a vehicle
• See and hear clearly in all weather conditions
• Bend, stoop, kneel, touch, and feel
• Lift up to 25 pounds at times

Equal Opportunity

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. That means that we support diversity and inclusion and do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual preference, sexual identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law or local ordinance.

Notice of AI Use in Job Application Review

As part of our commitment in creating a fair, efficient, and consistent hiring process we may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help our recruiting teams organize, summarize, and analyze information provided by candidates, including resumes, application responses, and other materials submitted during the application process.AI may be used to identify patterns, highlight relevant skills, and experience, and assist in comparing a candidate’s qualifications with the requirement of a specific role. These tools are to improve efficiency and consistency while supporting more informed hiring decisions, which will ultimately be made by the hiring team.