Physical Performance Coach

A key role within Chelsea FC Women’s Performance Support Team, this position is centred on supporting players to train, recover and perform at their best throughout the season. You’ll lead the design and delivery of evidence‑driven physical preparation programmes, spanning gym‑based development, rehabilitation and return‑to‑performance, and on‑pitch training support. Working closely with coaching and medical colleagues, you’ll help ensure every player is physically prepared to meet the demands of training and competition.

Key Responsibilities

• Be a core member of the Women’s Performance Support multidisciplinary team, helping to create a collaborative, aligned and performance‑driven environment.
• Design, deliver and monitor gym‑based strength, power and physical development programmes tailored to individual players and positional demands.
• Lead on‑pitch rehabilitation and return‑to‑performance programmes, working closely with medical and coaching colleagues to support safe, progressive transitions back to full training and match play.
• Develop and evolve a joined‑up gym‑to‑pitch physical preparation approach, balancing performance enhancement with long‑term injury resilience.
• Profile, assess and regularly review players’ physical capabilities, using data and insight to inform programme design and decision‑making.
• Support players through demanding and congested schedules by optimising load management, recovery strategies and readiness to train and compete.
• Create a positive, challenging training environment that drives engagement, accountability and consistently high standards.
• Work closely alongside coaches to ensure physical preparation aligns with the team’s tactical, technical and game‑model demands.
• Contribute to the long‑term physical development strategy for Chelsea FC Women, helping shape approaches that are progressive, innovative and sustainable.

What You’ll Bring

Knowledge & Experience

• Industry‑recognised qualifications in Strength & Conditioning, Physical Preparation or Sports Science, supported by a higher‑level degree in a relevant discipline.
• Significant experience working in high‑performance sport environments, with a proven ability to deliver practical, impactful physical preparation programmes.
• Strong experience delivering both gym‑based physical development and on‑pitch rehabilitation and return‑to‑performance programmes with senior athletes.
• Experience working within women’s sport, and/or a strong understanding of sex‑specific considerations in training, injury risk and performance.
• A clear and well‑defined physical preparation philosophy, with the confidence and emotional intelligence to challenge standards constructively when improvements are needed.
• Extensive experience using physical monitoring and testing technologies (e.g. GPS, force plates, AMS) to inform planning and decision‑making.
• Previous experience working within a first‑team women’s football environment is desirable.

Technical & Personal Skills

• An engaging and credible communicator, able to build strong, trusted relationships with players, coaches and support staff.
• Comfortable having honest, sometimes difficult conversations in support of player wellbeing, performance and development.
• Values‑driven, collaborative and motivated by a genuine commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.
• Able to operate effectively within a complex, multi‑stakeholder environment, taking a systems‑based approach to create clarity, consistency and repeatable outcomes.

Our Expectations

• To embody the club’s BLUE behaviours (Brave, Lead, Unity, Edge) in the approach to work and interaction with others.
• To adhere to the club’s policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR.
• To act as an ambassador for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and demonstrate a positive commitment by treating others fairly in line with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels.
• To create a safe environment and act to protect all young people and vulnerable adults that are either in your care or attending club premises, and report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead.
• To report any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Chelsea we recognise that the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are taking positive action to ensure our existing colleagues and job applicants can fully be themselves and bring their own unique experiences and perspectives to Chelsea FC. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please reach out to your recruiter, who will be able to advise and support you. Chelsea FC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well‑being of all children, young people and adults at risk (vulnerable groups). We therefore require all successful applicants to complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment. Depending on the role, successful applicants may also be required to undergo other child protection screening where appropriate.