Sports Psychologist (GB Para Badminton) in Sheffield

Badminton England is seeking a Sports Psychologist to provide high-quality psychology support to GB Para Badminton athletes on the World Class Performance Programme and Pathway Programme. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a performance environment, supporting athletes, coaches and the wider performance support team to help athletes develop the skills, confidence and resilience needed to perform under pressure.

The successful individual will lead the assessment, planning and delivery of sport psychology support across training and competition environments. They will work closely with coaches, medical colleagues and performance support staff to provide individual and group support, contribute to athlete performance plans and support the development of psychologically informed systems, processes and culture.

This is a self-employed position, engaged on a contract-for-services basis. The role will involve approximately 45 delivery days per year, including one day per week delivery in Sheffield at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, S9 5DA. The day rate is £150 to £200, depending on experience.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead on the assessment of psychological needs and plan and deliver psychological support to athletes and coaches on the WCPP that align with the performance objectives of the programme within training and competition settings.
• Develop strong working relationships with athletes and coaches to develop an individualised approach to support provision and work with coaches to contribute to athlete support performance planning & individual athlete plans.
• Ensure and support the organization to become better at understanding and applying sport psychology to improve performance.
• Provide further individual support remotely to help athletes and coaches with a planned schedule of psychological support or any ad-hoc issues.
• Advise coaches on the implementation of periodised psychological development into performance plans and training sessions.
• Collaborate with Performance Lifestyle on psycho-social approaches to development across WCPP.
• Occasional domestic and international travel to support competitions as agreed
• Contribute to the development & delivery of psychologically informed processes & systems.
• Explore innovative strategies through external partners for further psychological support or interventions that align with the performance priorities of the team.
• Contribute to the development & delivery of sport psychology & mental health strategy/policies.
• Support the development and implementation of the sport’s mental health strategy.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, or is working towards final submission through CASES SEPAR or BPS QSEP Stage 2.
• Experience of designing, delivering and monitoring bespoke sport psychology support for athletes, teams and coaches.
• A clear working approach to sport psychology delivery.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• The ability to work independently within a multi-disciplinary performance environment.
• An understanding of equality, diversity, safeguarding, anti-doping and data protection responsibilities.

Experience of working within a Paralympic cycle, contributing to mental health strategies, applying pressure training, or using psychological profiling tools would be advantageous.

If you are passionate about supporting athlete development and performance in a values-led environment, we would welcome your application.