Sports Scientist (Training Load Specialist)

Organisation: Blackburn Rovers Football & Athletic Ltd

Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 per annum dependent on experience

Location: Blackburn

Contract type: Permanent (Full time)

Closing date: 19 June 2025

Department: 1st Team/Senior Performance

Based at: Senior Training Centre, Old Langho, Blackburn, BB6 8FA. Flexibility regarding location is required.

Reports to: Head of Performance

Responsible for: N/A

Hours of work: 40 hours per week plus any additional hours necessary for the performance of duties. This will include evening and weekend work.

Contractual Status: Permanent

Job purpose: Deliver and enhance the Club's football science provision in line with the Club's strategic objectives – to prevent injury and to enhance individual and collective training & match performance.

Duties and responsibilities:

• To be committed to ensuring the safeguarding and welfare of all elite players, promoting their well-being needs whilst maintaining professional boundaries;
• Evaluate and monitor all First Team player's physical capacities through a variety of physical, biochemical & subjective testing methods;
• Produce detailed and meaningful match, training and rehab reports on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis;
• Analyse a range of data and produce reports that detail the current training status of the individual player;
• Assist the S&C coach in designing to deliver effective individualised (on & off-pitch) strength and conditioning where required;
• Work closely with the Medical Department to advise, plan and deliver individualised training loads & pre-training preparation sessions when required;
• Plan and deliver regular performance profiling & testing for all first team players and ensure effective and timely feedback to all high-performance staff;
• Regularly liaise with the various club departments regarding fit players, injured players and assist with end-stage rehabilitation programmes from a load management perspective;
• Provide a robust testing & load monitoring club strategy alignment from 1st team down through the academy age groups;
• Deliver multidisciplinary 1st team & academy education throughout the season around load monitoring;
• Drive department progression by continually researching new and innovative processes that improve athletic development;
• Assist in the production of two peer-reviewed research publications in their key area of work per season;
• Any other duty as reasonably assigned for the success and productivity of the department.

Skills required:

• High level competence & ability to use a range of software packages to effectively document, analyse and report information efficiently.
• Have familiarity with different types of football data sources.
• Experience with machine learning and be proficient in Python/ R & SQL.
• Knowledge of and experience with other Programming Languages is advantageous.
• High level quality & capability to utilise GPS and heart rate tracking technologies;
• High competency with data visualisation is necessary for this role, programmatic visualisation or use of a BI tool (Power BI, Tableau etc.).
• Ability and experience of force plates, Vald equipment, VBT devices, GPS devices, amongst various other profiling and diagnostic tools;
• Ability to effectively communicate information related to individual athletic performance to a wide variety of staff;
• Ability to meet specific deadlines and work in a high-pressure environment;
• Ability to self-manage and show initiative; and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Knowledge required:

• Knowledge of physiology, biochemical monitoring, strength & conditioning, training load management & additional scientific principles that underpin effective training programme design, evaluation and monitoring in elite football.

Qualifications required:

Essential:

• BSc/BA in Sports Science
• MSc/MRes/MPhil in Sports Science
• UKSCA accreditation (or similar)
• Full UK Driving Licence

Desirable:

• Working towards PhD
• UEFA B/A coaching licence (or equivalent)

DBS check required: Yes (enhanced)

How to apply: Due to high levels of interest, this post may close early so early application is advised, otherwise the closing date for this role is 5pm on Thursday 19th June 2025. To apply, please email your application form and covering letter to recruitment@rovers.co.uk CV’s will not be accepted.