Senior Sport Psychologist (Canoe Slalom) – Maternity Cover

Organisation: UK Sports Institute
Salary: £49,063 p.a pro rata
Location: Lee Valley White Water Centre
Contract type: Fixed Term (Part time)
Closing date: 12 October 2026
Interview date: 22 October 2026
Job Description: The Opportunity
The UK Sports Institute and Paddle UK (Canoe Slalom) have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Sport Psychologist (maternity cover) on a part time basis

A snapshot of the role
We are looking for an exceptional candidate to fulfil the role of senior sport psychologist (maternity cover), starting in January 2027.
This senior sport psychologist role will play an integral role in supporting performance and wellbeing across the Canoe Slalom WCP in the 2027 season, which encompasses key qualification competitions for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. It will primarily focus on enhancing paddler delivery inside training and racing by leveraging key elements of performance psychology. This will be done by working directly with athletes, with and through coaches, and through collaboration with the wider performance support team to ensure deliberate and targeted support is in place, aligned to individual athlete plans. The successful candidate will also be responsible for delivering the existing mental health strategy.

The role will also involve working closely with the Performance Director, Performance Support Lead, Head of Performance Development, Lead Academy Coach and Slalom Programme Manager to iterate and evolve wider cultural elements within the training and competition environments.

If you feel you can bring the expertise we require to help us shape our future, we very much look forward to hearing from you.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At the UKSI we aspire to have a workforce that is diverse and representative of all sections of society, not only by characteristic but by thought and perspective.  We believe a diverse workforce enables growth and creates a sustainably inclusive workspace for all employees.

If there is something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job more accessible, let us know!

Safer Recruitment
We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment here at UKSI.  All applications for all roles within our organisation will be subject to safer recruitment principles.  Applicants will be required to complete a self-declaration form, will have references checked and dependent upon role may be required to obtain Enhanced DBS vetting.

Application Method:
To be considered for this World Class Opportunity, candidates will be required to submit a CV and answer the application questions via the UKSI careers portal. The answers to the application questions should bring your CV to life by highlighting your relevant skills, experience and attributes that would make you the ideal candidate for this role.

Important:
Once you begin your application on the portal you will have the option to type your answers in a free text box, however if you would prefer, you may upload your answers with your CV. We ask that the answers to the questions are no more than 2 sides of A4. (please note that you can only upload 1 document to the portal so please ensure the questions appear either at the beginning or as a follow on from your CV)

Artificial Intelligence:
We are aware of an increase in the use of Artificial intelligence for applications. At the UKSI we are keen to get to know you as a person and AI-generated content may lack the specificity required and/or fail to address key criteria. We consider that personalised responses are essential to convey your individual skills, knowledge and experience.
Therefore, to maintain the integrity and fairness of our recruitment process, we discourage the use of AI-generated content which may diminish your chances of success in your application. Please note this does not apply to the use of adaptive technology used to support an applicant's individual needs.

Key Dates for Applicants
Closing Date: Monday 12th October 2026
Shortlisting Date: We will aim to complete our shortlist by Wednesday 14th October 2026
Interview Date: Thursday 22nd October 2026

Additional information for applicants:
Please note that occasionally interview dates may be subject to change and may require additional stages. In these instances, we will do our upmost to ensure that candidates have sufficient notice and preparation time.

If you have any questions regarding the content of the Job Description that you would like to discuss further, please email your enquiry to jordan.cornes@uksport.gov.uk.
How to apply: https://uksportsinstitute.co.uk/opportunity/senior-sport-psychologist-canoe-slalom-maternity-cover/

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Senior Sport Psychologist (Canoe Slalom) – Maternity Cover