First Team Lead Physical Performance Coach - Women's FootballSheffield United

The 1st Team Lead Physical Performance Coach will lead the Physical Performance programme for the Women's First Team, overseeing physical performance delivery, profiling, testing, load monitoring, injury prevention and on-pitch rehabilitation support.

As a senior member of the multidisciplinary team, they will drive the ongoing development of the Club's physical performance provision, ensuring all programmes are aligned to the demands of elite women's football and maximise player performance and availability.

They will be motivated by the Club's footballing strategy of Out Run, Out Fight, Out Play, ensuring all physical performance strategies support the Club's Football Philosophy.

Core Role Responsibilities:

Physical Performance Delivery

• Design and deliver gym- and pitch-based physical sessions, working collaboratively with the wider MDT to ensure complementary and non-overlapping programming.
• Lead the planning and periodisation of physical preparation across pre-season, in-season, and transition phases, aligned to the coaching schedule and football demands.
• Design and deliver individualised physical development programmes for first-team players that enhance their ability to repeatedly perform high-intensity and explosive actions throughout matches and sustain physical performance across a competitive season.
• Lead on matchday preparation, activation, and post-match recovery protocols.
• Ensure physical programmes are aligned to the Club's football philosophy, the demands of elite women's football, and current evidence relating to female athlete development, physiology, injury risk factors and performance optimisation.
• Continually review, challenge and evolve physical performance practices through the application of emerging research, technology and evidence-informed methodologies.

Profiling, Testing and Load Monitoring

• Lead pre-season and in-season physical testing cycles and maintain up-to-date individual player physical profiles.
• Oversee external and internal load monitoring using GPS, heart rate, RPE, and wellness tools, ensuring data is collected consistently and actioned in a timely manner.
• Produce clear, accessible reports and summaries that inform coaching and medical staff decisions - familiarity with data visualisation tools is expected.
• Monitor training responses, flag risk, and adapt programmes based on player data and medical input.
• Utilise physical performance data to inform individual player development, identify performance opportunities and support evidence-based decision-making across the multidisciplinary team.
• Maintain accurate documentation of physical assessments, load data, and player progress within the club's athlete management system.

Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Support
In collaboration with the medical department:

• Lead the design and implementation of injury prevention, prehabilitation, movement preparation and activation strategies that enhance athlete robustness and maximise player availability.
• Contribute to return-to-train and return-to-play pathways, supporting criteria-based progression and physical re-integration.
• Analyse injury trends and physical performance data to inform long-term robustness programmes and proactive injury risk reduction strategies across the squad.
• Develop and oversee Individual Development Plans (IDPs), implementing targeted interventions to support physical development, movement quality and injury risk reduction.
• Liaise regularly with physiotherapy and sports medicine staff to ensure a coordinated approach to player management.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Operate as a senior member of the first team MDT, building effective working relationships across coaching, medical, analysis and nutrition functions.
• Act as the primary physical performance point of contact within the first team, contributing to performance reviews, planning meetings, and player management discussions.
• Represent the department's physical performance provision to coaching staff and club leadership with clarity and confidence.
• Communicate player status, physical readiness, and training loads to the 1st Team Head Coach on an ongoing basis.

Academy Pathway Oversight

• Maintain a collaborative relationship with the Women's Academy physical performance staff to support coherent player transitions and consistency of physical development philosophy.
• Support the development of a club-wide physical performance framework that promotes consistency in athlete development principles and physical performance standards across the women's and girls' pathway.
• Act as a point of reference for the Academy on first team physical standards and expectations.

Other Duties

• Any other reasonable requests as directed by management.
• Adhere to all Sheffield United Football Club's Safeguarding Policies and Procedures to foster an environment which protects from harm those defined as children and adults at risk.
• Report any concerns of a Safeguarding nature to the relevant parties and remain fully compliant with any applicable Safeguarding checks and due diligence and recognise your responsibility to the Club's Safeguarding agenda.
• Report any concerns of discrimination to the relevant parties and promote a welcoming and inclusive club environment for all.
• Adhere to the Club's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies, supporting the Club to create an environment which is inclusive and all-encompassing.
• Carry out and actively participate in all training requests as directed by the Club, including mandatory health and safety training, emergency procedures, fire safety, manual handling, safeguarding, and role-specific safety instruction.

Essential Requirements:

• BSc or MSc in Strength and Conditioning, Sports Science or related discipline
• UKSCA Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach (ASCC) or equivalent.
• FA Level 2 Emergency First Aid in Football (EFAiF).
• UKAD Introduction to Clean Sport.
• FA Safeguarding Children Certificate.
• Significant experience delivering physical performance support in elite professional sport.
• Proven ability to design and deliver individualised and squad-wide physical conditioning programmes, including the development and implementation of individual player development plans.
• Experience in player monitoring and workload management using GPS and internal load tools.
• Familiarity with data visualisation tools and athlete management systems (e.g. Catapult, STATSports, Teamworks, or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of the physical demands of elite football and the ability to align physical preparation to football-specific requirements.
• Demonstrable understanding of female athlete development, including female physiology, injury risk factors, long-term athletic development and performance optimisation within elite women's football.
• Proven ability to apply evidence-informed practice and integrate current research into physical performance programme design and delivery.
• Ability to lead collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, communicating effectively with coaches, medical staff and leadership, and positively influencing performance planning and decision-making.

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience working within elite women's football or high-performance female sport environments.
• Experience implementing innovative technologies or performance solutions to enhance player development, performance outcomes and player availability.
• BASES accreditation or actively working towards accredited status.
• Familiarity with return-to-play frameworks and criteria-based rehabilitation progression.