Academy Physical Performance Coach

Organisation: Huddersfield Town AFC
Salary: Up to £30,000 depending on skills and experience
Location: Canalside Training Centre, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1YJ
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 10 October 2025
Interview date: 20 October 2025
Job Description: Job Description

Post Title
Academy Physical Performance Coach.

Department/Location
Huddersfield Town AFC Academy, Canalside Training Centre.

Reports To
Academy Director.
Lead Academy Physical Performance Coach.

Purpose of the Role
Predominantly, but not exclusively, working with the U18 age group, the post holder will be responsible for designing and delivering the athletic development strategies for the group as a whole and for designing specific programmes to suit the needs of each individual player.

Functional Links

Internal: Academy Director.
Strategic Advisor – HTAFC Academy.
Football Administration Manager (Academy Secretary).
Performance Services Team.
Coaching Team.
Senior Leadership Team.
Staff and Managers throughout the organisation.

External: Other Clubs’ Performance Services Staff.
Premier League and English Football League.
Football Association (FA).
League Managers Association (LMA).
Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Key Performance Indicators

• Demonstrable improvement in players’ strength & power markers.

• Demonstrable improvements in GPS markers on the pitch (increase in maximum speed, increase in ability to hit high-speed metres in matches).

Role Specific Responsibilities (predominantly but not exclusively with the U18s)

The post holder will:

• Lead in the delivery of physical development sessions both in the gym and on the pitch with the Professional Development Phase squads.
• Attend and support Academy fixtures, both home and away, as required.

• Manage players’ workload using GPS data.

• Assist in managing GPS and testing databases and reporting systems.

• Assist in delivering all Academy testing and screening strategies.

• Assist in delivering the Academy performance nutrition strategy.

• Manage gym areas in conjunction with other Physical Performance staff members to ensure an appropriate and safe working environment.

• Assist in the daily education of physical performance.

• Ensure all sessions and targets are recorded correctly using SAP, enabling individual programmes to be monitored, discussed in End of Cycle Meetings, and developed as necessary.

• Contribute to all IDP meetings for U18 players.

• Lead in the physical assessment of all U16 and U17 trialist players that enter the Club.

• Assist in writing and continually updating the department’s standard operating procedures.

• Assist in delivering physical development sessions to the FDP and YDP age groups.

• Execute additional tasks as required to meet the Club and Academy’s changing priorities.

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 Academy Director, and/or any other Senior Leader within the Club.

Behaviour/Conduct

The post holder is required to:

· Be proactive with workload and interventions.

· Seek to continually develop their skills and knowledge.

· Adopt an organised and structured approach to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of the role.

· Communicate appropriately at all levels.

· Be flexible to fit the development and growth of the organisation.

· Be flexible in hours of work.
· Be trustworthy and adhere to the Club’s Code of Conduct and Ethics.

• Adhere to protocol and respect confidentiality in all matters, also protecting any data relating to the area of work in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018.

• Consistently demonstrate high standards of behaviour and appearance and encourage the same from others.

• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

• Respect others and behave in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner, taking account of all protected characteristics, as specified in the Equality Act 2010.

Additional Information

CSR and Sustainability:

All employees are required to understand and support the Company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives, and to incorporate sustainable practices into daily work activities, as far as reasonably practicable, including responsible resource use, waste reduction, and energy conservation.

The post holder must also consider environmental and social impacts when making business decisions within their scope of responsibility and participate in sustainability training and awareness programmes as required, also representing the Company’s values and commitment to responsible business practices when engaging with external stakeholders.

Safeguarding:

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

We anticipate that the Academy 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 must disclose all previous convictions including spent convictions in accordance with the associated legislation; a disclosure may be made to the Head of Human Resources and EDI via a separate letter. 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 also be required to undergo Safeguarding Training, to be agreed with the Senior Safeguarding Manager.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Huddersfield Town AFC is a diverse environment in which we respect all characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; we want everyone to feel valued and included within the Club and to be able to achieve their full potential.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination, and we are committed to the redress of any inequalities by taking positive action where appropriate. All employees are required to support and uphold this zero-tolerance approach and contribute to our ‘Terriers Together’ Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy.
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Huddersfield Town AFC Vacancy
Academy Physical Performance Coach

Up to £30,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
Full-time (35+ hours per week, including both home and away match days, as required).
Permanent.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Academy Physical Performance team for a suitably qualified and experienced candidate to contribute to designing and delivering the athletic development strategies for Academy players, focusing predominantly, but not exclusively, with the U18 age group. The post holder will design specific programmes to suit the needs of each individual player.

You will fulfil a range of duties, including GPS monitoring and data analysis, delivering testing and screening strategies, educating players on physical performance, and assisting on match days as required. You will also contribute to players’ individual development plans and support the Academy Coaches to maximise players’ potential.

Candidates must have previous, proven experience of providing strength and conditioning support to youth athletes, and experience of working within and supporting a multi-disciplinary team.

Applicants must be educated to degree 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 Academy’s needs and those of the wider Club. Passionate about making a difference through sport, the successful candidate must be able to form positive relationships with players and other team members

Applicants are encouraged to review the job description and person specification before applying, as these contain full details of what the role entails, and the specific skills, experience, qualifications, and attributes we are looking for.

We receive a high volume of applications for our vacancies and as such, we encourage you to 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 examples to support your responses 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 adults at risk, 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; disclosure may be made 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.

Equality and Inclusion

Huddersfield Town AFC strives to promote 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 have comprehensive employment benefits including a Flexible Working Policy and enhanced provisions in relation to maternity, paternity, and adoption leave and pay.

We are well known as a leader within the football industry for our inclusive practices. We hold the Advanced Award for the Premier League Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS) and the Gold Award for the EFL Equality Code of Practice. We are also a Disability Confident Leader, a Mindful Employer, and the only organisation to be accredited as both a Menopause Friendly and Menstruation Friendly Employer.

We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, and we are particularly seeking to diversify our workforce in relation to gender, ethnicity, and disability. We are committed to the redress of any inequalities by taking positive action where appropriate.

As a Club, we describe our vision as ‘Everything Together’ and our associated values relate to the word ‘Everything’. If your values align with ours, we would love to hear from you.

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 9:00am on Friday 10th October 2025.
Interviews are likely to take place in late October 2025.
How to apply: 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 9:00am on Friday 10th October 2025.