Lead Physiotherapist Football Association

Are you ready to shape the future of elite women’s football? The FA is seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking Women’s Lead Physiotherapist to oversee and deliver a world‑class physiotherapy service for the Senior England Women’s team. This pivotal role is responsible for providing performance advantages through the optimal availability and capability of players on the international stage.

You’ll play a key role in shaping the medical landscape across the England Women’s teams, leading and contributing to innovative FA projects, guidelines, and policies that raise standards nationwide. As a senior leader, you’ll also mentor and develop physiotherapy services throughout the women’s pathway.

What will you be doing?

• Lead and deliver a world‑class physiotherapy service to England Women’s Senior Team and manage soft tissue therapy provision on camp.
• Contribute to the development of an overall strategy for performance support which encompasses best practice in all aspects of preparation, player management and performance medicine for women’s international football.
• Provide professional leadership and alignment of physiotherapy services across England Women’s Football.
• Lead and assist in the development of guidelines, projects, policies and related educational content for all aspects of performance medicine.
• Develop close working relationships with the Senior Team Coaches and support staff to ensure a cohesive multi‑disciplinary approach at all times.
• Manage the delivery of all services within agreed allocated budgets.
• Develop excellent working relationships with peers in women’s professional clubs to enable optimal management of international players.
• Lead the recruitment, development and retention of Physiotherapists, soft‑tissue & other related therapies for the Senior women’s team and support as required with Pathway Physiotherapy recruitment.
• Lead collaboration with the Men’s and Para team’s physiotherapy services to develop world‑class standards across the game.
• Develop and maintain an extensive network of organisations and individuals outside football with whom to share and develop best practices.
• Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA’s changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety, and well‑being can be maintained.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• Chartered physiotherapist with HCPC registration.
• Extensive experience (>7 years) as a Lead Team Physiotherapist in elite sport.
• MSc in Sports Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Sport and Exercise Medicine, or another related field.
• Outstanding academic and applied knowledge of contemporary practice in physiotherapy & rehabilitation.
• Outstanding ability to communicate and build relationships with athletes, staff, and wider groups of stakeholders.
• Excellent ability to interpret and utilise data related to athlete health and physical performance.
• Experience utilising Athlete Management Systems and Microsoft operating systems.
• Track record of successfully integrating into an MDT of staff.
• Excellent planning and prioritisation skills.
• Experience in line management and development of Physiotherapists.

Beneficial to have:

• Management of teams of medical professionals.
• Experience in international sport.
• Experience in international or club football.
• Knowledge of the women’s game.
• Knowledge and experience in Female Athlete Health.
• Experience working in multiple sports or in differing cultures/environments.
• Current ATMMIF qualification.

Interviews for this position are scheduled for mid‑March. If this timing presents any difficulties for you, please inform the careers team as soon as possible.

What’s in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world‑class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George’s Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high‑performing England teams and leaders. We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well‑being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional ‘Thank You’ days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full‑time, permanent contract).
• A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page: https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careers

Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.

We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

As part of the FA’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.