Senior Physical Performance Coach (First Team)

Organisation: Huddersfield Town AFC
Salary: Up to £45,000 per annum
Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 5 September 2025
Interview date: 15 September 2025
Job Description: Job Description

Post Title
Senior Physical Performance Coach.

Department/Location
Performance Services, the Canalside Training Centre.

Reports to
Head of Medical and Performance.

Purpose of the Role
To co-lead, coordinate, and organise the Club’s Athletic Development programme through the provision of football’s best Sports Science and Strength and Conditioning support. The post holder will work closely with the Senior Fitness Coach and Senior Performance Coach, under the support of the Head of Medical and Performance.

Functional Links
Internal: Head of Medical and Performance.
First Team Manager.
Medical Staff.
Academy Director.
First Team and Academy Players.
Staff and managers throughout the organisation.

External: Other Clubs’ Medical and Performance Services Staff.
Visitors to the training ground.
External Partners.

Key Performance Indicators

• The Senior Physical Performance Coach will be responsible for planning, delivering, and monitoring all aspects of physical preparation, performance conditioning and performance testing for the First Team squad.

• The Senior Physical Performance Coach will be responsible for monitoring physical performance testing results for all First Team Players and reporting back to key stakeholders.

• The Senior Physical Performance Coach will work closely with the First Team Manager, and Medical and Performance staff, to play a key role in optimising player availability, minimising injury risk, and maximising on-pitch performance.

• The post holder will work closely with the Medical team and wider multidisciplinary team to provide strength and conditioning support and programming to injured players within the First Team squad.

Role Specific Responsibilities

The post holder is required to:

• Co-lead the programming and delivery of Strength and Conditioning strategies for the first team playing squad in collaboration with the Club’s Senior Performance Coach, this will include both training and match days.

• Work in partnership with the Medical and Performance team to Monitor and analyse player load, recovery, and readiness using GPS and other performance technologies.

• Partner with the Senior Fitness Coach and Senior Performance Coach, aligning programming with synonymous Athletic Development methodologies.

• Be responsible for off-field conditioning and physical testing for First Team players.

• Deliver on-field conditioning and training to non-squad players on match days.

• Ensure all players within the First Team are maintaining high availability to train and play matches at peak performance, using objective reasoning from gym-based performance testing.

• Establish working relationships with the Academy Performance staff, with particular regard to the Academy Lead Physical Performance Coach.

• Work closely with the Club’s Academy Lead Physical Performance Coach to provide alignment in the Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) pathway; this may include but is not limited to, performance profiling, and managing Academy players who may be asked to integrate within the First Team.

• Work with the wider medical team, to provide an integrated approach to performance enhancement with particular reference to injury rehabilitation and return to training/play criteria; this will include delivery of off-field and on-field rehabilitation and conditioning for injured players.

• Assist the Medical Team, when necessary, in the delivery of athletic rehabilitation to injured players both on and off field, including performance monitoring of such sessions, i.e., GPS, VALD.

• Note and record the athletic progress and physical development of each First Team Player, understanding their specific requirements and subsequently influencing the programming thereafter.

• Be involved in producing data visualisations and real-time reports that inform key stakeholders with necessary information, and subsequently with the ability to inform practice.

• Plan and timetable the gym schedule for First Team players.

• Understand how to safely maximise the resources available at Huddersfield Town Football Club, with particular reference to recovery and regeneration sessions.

• Provide Athletic Development education and in-service training to Academy coaching staff.

• Contribute to the Club’s long-term performance strategy and support ongoing research and innovation.

• Recognise the importance of CPD for personal development and the development of others within the department.

• Maintain professional awards required to fulfill scope of practice within the role, i.e., BASES, UKSCA.

• Be cognisant of all other staff roles and responsibilities within the Club, recognising the importance of each and every person at Huddersfield Town Football Club, irrespective of job titles and/or hierarchy.

• Attend briefings, courses, and seminars as required by the Club, the Premier League, and the English Football League, and commit to undertaking Continued Professional Development.

• Keep abreast of current research and the latest developments in Sports Science and Strength and Conditioning practice.

• Demonstrate consistently high standards of behavior and operate within the parameters of the Laws of the Game, the Rules of the Football Association, or the Rules of the FA Premier League.

• Be responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of players and colleagues, complying with health and safety guidance, policy, and legislation.

• Continuously work to maintain, embed, and improve the Club’s safeguarding provision, ensuring the highest standards for safeguarding children and adults at risk.

• Uphold and promote organisational policies and procedures, promoting those specifically applicable to the designated area of work and including equality, diversity, and inclusion (‘Terriers Together’).

• Present and promote an appropriate public image in representing the organisation.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and the post holder is required to undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Head of Medical and Performance and/or any other Senior Leader within the Club, commensurate with the level of the post.

Safeguarding:

Huddersfield Town Association Football Club (HTAFC) Ltd. is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We anticipate that the Senior Physical Performance Coach will be involved in supervising and working with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults; therefore, the post holder will require an Enhanced Criminal Records Check (CRC) through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and clearance for work in football by the FA.

Applicants/post holders must disclose all previous convictions including spent convictions in accordance with the associated legislation; this may be done via a separate letter to the Head of Human Resources and EDI. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot consider them.

Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

The post holder will be required to undergo Safeguarding Training, to be agreed with the Senior Safeguarding Manager.
How to apply: Huddersfield Town AFC Senior Physical Performance Coach – First Team Up to £45,000 per annum. Full-time (35+ hours per week, including both home and away match days). Permanent. An exciting opportunity has arisen within our First Team Medical and Performance team for a suitably qualified and experienced candidate to contribute to co-leading, coordinating, and organising the Club’s athletic development strategies for First Team players. The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to plan, deliver, and monitor all aspects of physical preparation, performance conditioning, and performance testing for the First Team squad. This is a varied role with a range of duties, including GPS monitoring and data analysis, developing personalised strength and conditioning programmes for each player, and assisting on match days. You will also plan gym sessions and work with colleagues across both the First Team and the Academy, to ensure alignment in the Long-Term Athletic Development pathway. Candidates must have previous, proven experience of providing strength and conditioning support to elite athletes, and experience of working within and supporting a multi-disciplinary team that delivers consistently high standards. Applicants must be educated to postgraduate level or equivalent in Sports Science or other relevant discipline. Additional qualifications and professional membership, for example BASES and/or UKSCA, would be advantageous. This role requires flexibility and a willingness to work non-standard hours in accordance with the demanding schedule of First Team football and the Club’s wider needs. Passionate about making a difference through sport, the successful candidate must have excellent communication skills, understanding of load management and injury prevention, and in-depth knowledge of the physiological demands of elite football. If you have the specified qualifications and personal attributes and are enthusiastic about the variety and opportunities that this role offers, we would love to hear from you. We receive a high volume of applications for our vacancies and as such, we encourage you to fully consider the job description and person specification and ensure that your application details how you feel you match our requirements. The volume of applications received prevents us from being able to provide feedback at short-listing stage. To apply, please create an account in our online application portal and ensure you complete the associated questions in full, giving appropriate examples to support your statements as far as possible. Please also highlight any factors that you would like us to consider, for example, if you have a disability or health condition that may require us to make reasonable adjustments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and other stakeholders to share this commitment. As this role is likely to involve the supervision of and work with children and young people or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will require clearance to work in football and an Enhanced Criminal Records Check (CRC) through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Applicants must disclose all previous convictions including spent convictions in accordance with the associated legislation. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot consider them. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed is available on the Ministry of Justice website. Equality and Inclusion Huddersfield Town AFC is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where everyone can be themselves and in which everyone feels valued, included, and supported to achieve their full potential. We offer a range of family-friendly and inclusive employment arrangements, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. We are committed to the redress of any inequalities by taking positive action where appropriate. We are a Disability Confident Leader and welcome applications from disabled candidates. We are also seeking to diversify our workforce, particularly by gender and ethnicity. Further information about the Company and working with us is available from the Careers section of our website: https://careers.htafc.com/ To apply, please complete the application form in our portal. If you need any assistance and/or would prefer to apply in an alternative format, please contact us by email to jobs@htafc.com Completed applications must be submitted by 12 noon on Friday 5th September 2025. Interviews are likely to take place in mid-September 2025.