First Team Physical Performance Coach

Overview

Job Title: First Team Performance Coach
Date Prepared: Sept 2025
Reports to: Head of Performance
Hours of Work: Full time; flexible to include weekends, evenings, and bank holidays.
Direct reports: Placement Students
Location: Vale Training Ground, Cardiff City Stadium; Away Match Travel

Role

Contribute towards Cardiff City\’s Performance and Medical Departments vision of optimising player availability and physical performance through elite, integrated, evidence-based physical performance support, specifically working with First Team players.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the day-to-day implementation of individual physical performance support to First Team players; ensure that each player?s individual physical priorities are targeted, driven by objective profiling.
• Lead the monitoring and analysis of training and match physical performance data, ensuring this data is used to optimise on-field training practices through comprehensive training and match reports.
• Ensure the implementation of player monitoring and testing systems (performance, development, workload, and response), generating insights used to inform multidisciplinary decision making and player management, with comprehensive physical performance reports.
• Plan, design & deliver individual-specific pre-training preparation and strength programmes to enhance physical performance and robustness of all First Team players.
• Assist with the performance delivery of the First Team squad (including pre-training preparation, warm-ups, regeneration and recovery, rehabilitation, individual conditioning) as well as non-squad players\\\’? additional loading on matchdays to maintain fitness of all First Team players.
• Support the planning and delivery of individual and team performance testing, player readiness protocols/screening, and be an integral part of the multidisciplinary approach in prescribing interventions to improve physical performance.
• Liaise closely with other performance and medical staff regarding the prevention and rehabilitation of all injuries; be an integral part of the multidisciplinary return-to-play process.
• Work collaboratively to support the practical implementation of performance nutrition strategies required to facilitate adaptation and enhance physical performance.
• Ensure data collection is maintained to the highest standard and utilised in an objective manner, in line with physical performance benchmarks.
• Mentor and supervise the work of First Team sports science placement students.
• Keep abreast of advancing knowledge and applications in sports science and use this information to develop new evidence-based physical performance practices.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and healthcare governance procedures, including the security and protection of confidential information.
• Contribute to the development of resources and educational aids.
• Contribute to a programme of in-house continued professional development.
• Any other reasonable duties and responsibilities the Head of Performance or any other senior manager at the Club asks you to perform.

Club Responsibilities

• Health and Safety
  To take responsibility for your own health, safety and welfare, ensuring compliance with Cardiff City Football Club\’s Health and Safety Policy, procedures and safe systems of work.
• Data Protection
  To take responsibility for the protection of personal data and confidential information, ensuring compliance with General Data Protection Regulations and Cardiff City Football Club\\\’s Data Protection Policy.
• Training & Development
  To undertake all reasonable training, learning and development activity designed to support you in your role.
• Diversity and Equality
  To be responsible for your own behaviour and act in a manner that avoids and discourages any form of discrimination or harassment; to comply with Cardiff City Football Club\\\’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate qualification in Sports Science or related discipline.
• Significant experience of delivering physical performance support within a professional sporting environment.
• Detailed understanding of physical performance principles in football, including strength and conditioning, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and physical performance analysis.
• Excellent knowledge of training load technology (including GPS and heart rate systems) and physical performance testing systems (e.g. VALD).
• Advanced IT Skills.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in Sports Science or related discipline.
• Recognised certification (or in progress) in S&C related competence (e.g., UKSCA, CSCS).
• Football coaching qualification (e.g. FA/FAW B Licence).
• Experience of using data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Track record of working within multidisciplinary coaching and support teams in elite sport.