Strength & Conditioning Coach in Lisburn

TEMPORARY STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH One year contract with possibility of extension Start Date: Monday, 20 July 2026 JOB DESCRIPTION General Information The Wallace High School is a co-educational, voluntary grammar school founded in 1880. The annual intake of pupils into Year 8 is 170 and there are some 300 pupils in the Sixth Form. The school draws its pupils from Lisburn and the surrounding area. Background The Wallace High School has a strong tradition in Ulster Schools’ Rugby producing numerous players for The Ulster and Irish Rugby Pathways, winning the Schools’ Cup 2025 and Medallion Shield 2026. We have a Director of Rugby, committed and enthusiastic coaches, a physio and a purpose-built S&C Suite. We would like to employ an S&C Coach to enhance our existing provision and add value to our rugby programme for all our players from Year 8 through to Year 14. Main Responsibilities of The Strength & Conditioning Position In conjunction with Ulster Rugby, The Board of Governors is seeking to appoint a Strength & Conditioning Rugby Coach responsible to The Principal and Master i/c Rugby to: construct and implement a progressive full year S&C curriculum, prioritising movement efficiency, strength, speed, power and injury prevention from Year 8 to Year 14. This curriculum would be co-created with Ulster Rugby and help to lay stronger foundations for athletic development, particularly in the junior school. (Years 8-10) monitor and be responsible for the workload and welfare of all players, while also communicating with our physio for prehab, rehab and injury prevention ensure the Fitness Suite is a safe environment for pupils to utilise and that pupils using the Fitness Suite facilities are performing exercises in a safe and controlled manner. This would also include ensuring the S&C Suite and changing rooms are well looked after and kept tidy by the players be responsible for player IRFU safety and concussion protocols in conjunction with our physio provide nutritional guidance for all players as an integral part of the role engage in match day activity including warm ups before, during and post-match recovery meet with The Head of PE/Master i/c Rugby (and academic staff as required) in relation to player welfare/pastoral matters develop a positive player mindset in line with Wallace Rugby Values. Communication with the Master i/c Rugby and linking into the school’s pastoral system is imperative coach the U13A and B rugby teams two afternoons per week and at matches on Saturday mornings attend the Senior and Medallion Training Camp in Portugal and any other trips/tours/tournaments as required educate coaches in delivery of on pitch conditioning activities within rugby sessions adhere to Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures in all aspects of the role. Monitoring and Evaluation of Progress The proposed S&C Coach will monitor and evaluate progress through key fitness testing of each year group of players. Production of a written Athletic Development Plan. Production and implementation of a timetable for each year. Meeting with Master i/c Rugby on a weekly basis to review objectives. Evidence of meetings and sessions with players and coaches. Performance Indicators from Ulster Rugby Applicants must track and report on Player participation and retention Coach development and CPD engagement Progression of players into representative pathways Alignment with Ulster Rugby’s Age Grade Pathway Implementation of Ulster Rugby’s Rugby Curriculum programme Release of players for representative/NTS commitments Annual Leave The postholder will be entitled to 28 days annual leave (inclusive of statutory holidays), which is deemed to be taken in line with the operational requirements of the role. The annual leave allocation will be scheduled as follows: Christmas Period: Tuesday 22 December – Friday 25 December Monday 28 December – Friday 1 January (8 days total) Easter Period: 10 days during the Easter school holidays Summer Period: First two weeks of July (10 days total) Salary The annual salary is £22,000 per annum. It is expected that the post holder will work 23 hours per week during term time and 15 hours per week during the July & August. This is a 1 year post. Renewal is subject to performance, monitoring and evaluation of progress and performance indicators from Ulster Rugby. The postholder will be eligible to participate in the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) pension scheme. This job description will be reviewed regularly and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time after consultation with the post holder. It is not a comprehensive statement of procedures and tasks but sets out the main expectations of the The Wallace High School and Ulster Rugby in relation to the post holder’s professional responsibilities and duties. Personal Specification Essential Criteria: Experience working with individuals and with groups to develop strength & conditioning in a gym setting Level 3 personal training qualification or BSc in a related area e.g. Sports Science, Exercise Science, Sports Coaching or related discipline. Experience in developing personalised fitness programmes Rugby coaching experience Detailed knowledge and practical experience of Health & Safety in a gym setting Desirable Criteria: Experience working with sports professionals/teachers/coaches to develop strength & conditioning for individuals or teams IKSCA accreditation or similar S&C qualification or working towards Current First Aid Qualification Rugby coaching qualification Associate referee qualification Applications It is preferred that application forms are emailed in Word format to the . An acknowledgement will be sent by return of email. Applicants should ensure that they indicate clearly on their application form how they meet the criteria. The closing date for receipt of application forms is Friday, 19 June 2026 at 12 midday. Please note that interviews are planned for Wednesday, 24 June. In order to comply with DE guidelines on Child Protection shortlisted applicants should bring an original birth certificate and/or marriage certificate (if appropriate) plus photographic ID to their interview. An Enhanced AccessNI clearance will be required prior to commencement. The successful candidate will be asked to pay for their AccessNI application in school, and the amount will be refunded once he/she has started employment. NB: It is an offence for an individual who is on either of the Department’s Lists (UP List and/or List 99), or who is the subject of a disqualification order from the courts, to apply for, or offer to do any work, paid or unpaid, in a regulated position. Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES The policy of the Board of Governors is to provide equal opportunities for all job applicants and employees. All appointments and promotions are made on merit. The School does not directly or indirectly discriminate on grounds of religious belief, political opinion, race, gender, sexuality, marital status or disability. To ensure that selection procedures are consistent and seen to be fair by all employees and job applicants, job descriptions and personnel specifications are used; the main duties and necessary requirements for any vacant post are clearly defined. All vacancies are advertised. All applicants are initially required to complete an application form which, where applicable, is accompanied by a request for a voluntary unsigned statement on community background for the collection of equal-opportunity data. This request form is not included as part of the formal application but is retained separately and has no influence on any employment decision. Where short-listing is appropriate to the filling of the vacancy, interviews are offered on the basis of job-related criteria; written assessments, with reasons for acceptance or rejection, are retained for a period of one year on each individual interviewed. The School maintains a neutral working environment in which no employee, pupil or visitor should feel embarrassed, threatened or intimidated because of his/her religious belief, political opinion, race, gender, sexuality, marital status or disability. The display by an employee or pupil of flags, emblems, posters or graffiti or the circulation of any material or any activity whatsoever likely to give offence or cause apprehension among particular groups is therefore prohibited. All members of the school, staff and pupils alike, are expected to contribute positively to the maintenance of good community relations. Employment contracts make clear that any break of equal-opportunity practice is regarded as a disciplinary offence. The Board commits itself to keep under review the operation of its equal-opportunity policy, as specified in Article 55 of the Order, to take account of changing circumstances, adopting, where necessary, appropriate affirmative action measures to ensure the provision of equality of opportunity and fair participation for all sections of the community.41bf1e1f-b16b-4260-a40a-17c77a06fd15