Head of Medical Warrington Wolves Closing Date: Ongoing Salary: Competitive Location: Warrington, UK

ABOUT THE ROLE AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Working as part of a wider team of 20 performance staff, the Head of Medical will be responsible for over 30 professional athletes competing in Super League (namely the first team squad). Reporting to the Director of Rugby and working alongside the Head Coach and Head of Performance, you will also be directly responsible for the Medical Team as line manager, ensuring their integration with the wider team and continued professional development.

Your core duties will include but are not limited to:

• Lead and develop the club’s medical provision, delivering world-class clinical care while operating as an integral member of the wider performance department.
• Provide strategic leadership across all medical services, ensuring players receive the highest standards of assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and performance support throughout the performance pathway.
• Work collaboratively with coaching, strength & conditioning, sports science and performance staff.
• Foster a culture that places player welfare at its core whilst striving to maximise player availability and optimise performance.
• Integrate and understand our performance pathway model including Scholars, Academy and Reserves to ensure the requirements of player readiness are recognised prior to player integration with the first team squad.

We work in a fast-paced, professional and ever-evolving environment as the demands of Super League and the season calendar dictate. Primarily based at our performance training facility and Halliwell Jones stadium, we also move cross country and internationally, with the Head of Medical role being critical to ensuring we are successful in every aspect of our planning and delivery. From daily player availability updates and training preparation to leading all aspects of match day player care, we are looking for someone who understands not only our athletes, but the people centred around the entire programme – and the importance of connecting our departments.

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

• Lead and oversee all medical services across the first team squad, ensuring the highest standards of clinical care, governance and professional practice.
• Medical assessments, diagnosis and treatment.
• Rehabilitation planning and progression alongside return-to-performance programmes.
• Coordination of player preparation for training and competition.
• Liaising with consultants, surgeons and external healthcare providers in relation to player health.
• Ensure clinical practice reflects current evidence and best practice within elite sport.

PLAYER HEALTH & PERFORMANCE

• Work collaboratively with the coaching, strength & conditioning and sports science staff to maximise player health, availability and performance throughout the season via:
• Contributing to multidisciplinary performance meetings, providing evidence-based recommendations regarding player readiness, rehabilitation progression and return-to-performance decisions.
• Integrating GPS, athlete monitoring data and clinical assessment into rehabilitation protocol.
• Designing and delivering individualised rehabilitation programmes.
• Produce regular medical reports detailing player status, rehabilitation progress and projected availability to the Head Coach to inform training and game-based decisions.
• Lead the medical development and implementation of injury prevention strategies.

DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

• Provide leadership, mentorship and support to physiotherapy and medical staff across the club through:
• Fostering a collaborative, accountable and high-performance culture within the medical department that promotes continuous professional development.
• Drive the continual development of medical services through innovation, reflection and the implementation of best practice.
• Identify opportunities to improve clinical pathways, rehabilitation processes and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Encourage knowledge sharing, case review and collaborative learning across the wider performance department utilising outside partners and leaders of industry.

GOVERNANCE & ADMINISTRATION

• Ensure all medical records, injury surveillance data and rehabilitation documentation are accurately maintained using the Club’s athlete management systems.
• Ensure compliance with Club policies, governing body statutory regulations (RFL) and professional standards.
• Lead the planning, delivery and interpretation of the Club’s pre-season screening programme, working collaboratively with the performance team to translate findings into individualised injury risk reduction, rehabilitation and performance plans.
• Support the management of departmental equipment, consumables and budgets.
• Escalate and report player welfare concerns in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with players, staff, consultants and external healthcare providers.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Proven ability and or track record working collaboratively within an integrated multidisciplinary performance team.
• Significant experience in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of elite athletes.
• Minimum of five years’ full-time experience within a professional sporting environment.
• Advanced practical expertise in musculoskeletal assessment, clinical reasoning and manual therapy techniques.
• Strong understanding of applied sports science, athletic development, physical preparation and performance programming.
• Demonstrable experience designing, implementing and progressing individualised rehabilitation and return-to-performance programmes.
• Experience using objective athlete monitoring technologies (e.g. VALD systems) to inform rehabilitation planning and return-to-performance decision making.
• Experience interpreting GPS and external load data to support rehabilitation progression, injury risk management and performance readiness.
• Strong understanding of evidence-based practice and its application within elite sport.
• Strong IT skills with experience using electronic medical record systems, athlete management systems and performance software.