Description
Head of Performance
Department Football
Reports to Sporting Director
Location Cambridge United Training Ground and Stadium
Salary £44,000 to £48,000 depending on experience
Hours 40 hours per week, full-time, worked flexibly, to include home and away matches
Role Summary
The role of the Head of Performance is to oversee the sports science and medical departments of the Club, leading all pitch-based and gym-based activities as part of the players’ physical performance.
Provide detailed pre/post and opposition match analysis for direct use by the Head Coach and Coaching staff, including live match day analysis support. Collaborate with other staff to ensure the highest possible standards of performance analysis provision throughout the Football Club.
Key Job Outcomes
• Recommend staff appointments within the performance department, in consultation with the Sporting Director and Head Coach.
• Responsible for feedback and monitoring the physical data of each professional player, utilising the technological equipment available and ensuring recommendations are made for the physical load of each professional player within the weekly schedule.
• Designing, implementing, and evolving individual strength and conditioning programmes, and offering sports science support to all professional players as and when required/appropriate.
• Line manage the Head of Medical Services at the Club to ensure efficiency and competency in our medical treatments of injuries and preventative processes.
• To ensure training day and match day warmups are correctly delivered so that all professional players are correctly and fully prepared.
• Facilitate other matchday analysis workflows to aid and improve performance in the pre-match, half-time and post-match meetings.
• Work with the Club’s catering provider to ensure meal planning and appropriate nutrition support for the players on training and match days.
• Be responsible for updating the weekly team schedule for FA anti-doping purposes. Facilitate anti-doping team visits at the training ground.
• Lead on all performance technology partners and feedback to Sporting Director.
• Design and implement sports science provisions for all scholars in conjunction with the Lead Academy Sports Scientist.
• Ensure that the performance department carry out all required testing for players as and when required.
• Ensure the Head Coach, Coaching staff, support staff and players are supported with the appropriate resources to aid performance.
• Collate all resources into engaging and concise forms of presentation, according to delivery methods required by the coaching staff.
• Attend all CUFC fixtures, home and away, to support the performance analysis provision.
• Deliver an exceptionally high standard of work in a pressurised environment with tight deadlines.
• Attend the football departments meeting as required by the Sporting Director. Represent and update staff on all sports science and medical functions.
• Meet with the Head Coach, Sporting Director and CEO as required. Your direct line manager is the Sporting Director, but it is crucial that you establish and develop a good working relationship with the Head Coach and Academy Lead Sports Scientist.
This job description sets out the key outcomes required. It does not specify in detail the activities required to achieve these outcomes. As a term of your employment you may reasonably be expected to perform duties of a similar or related nature to those outlined in the job description.
Person Specification
Skills, Knowledge, Qualifications & Experience
Educated in performance analysis or coaching at degree level minimum or equivalent experience
Introduction to First Aid qualification
FA Safeguarding children workshop
Experienced in talent ID
IT Skills, including Outlook, Word and Powerpoint
Experience of working in an analysis role within the First Team football environment at an elite level
Experience working with event data to pull relevant information for coaching staff and players
Experience of supporting match day preparation
Experience in leading/managing an area/people or teams
Highly competent in Catapult software
Experience working in a high performing business environment
Has an understanding of how elite players are developed
Personal Qualities/Attributes
Hardworking and enthusiastic
Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
Reliable and committed
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Able to communicate effectively
Willingness to work weekday evenings
Excellent team player and motivator
An excellent understanding of technical and tactical analysis of teams and individuals
Positive outlook and looks for a solution when challenged
A high level of football knowledge, with an ability to contextualise this knowledge and produce player facing material