About the Women's Team:
Our team is committed to fostering a supportive environment that empowers female athletes to showcase their skills and reach their full potential.
We prioritise player development through tailored training programs that focus on technical skills, tactical understanding, and physical fitness.
The SAFC Women’s Football Team benefits from strong collaboration with our Coaching and Analysis teams, ensuring that our strategies and training sessions are informed by the latest insights and best practices.
The Opportunity:
This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in supporting the physical development, performance and wellbeing of Sunderland AFC Women’s First Team players.
You will design, deliver and monitor gym-based and on-field strength and conditioning programmes, ensuring that individual and team plans are evidence-informed, appropriately periodised and aligned to the demands of training and competition. Working closely with coaching, medical and performance colleagues, you will help deliver an integrated player support model that reflects the specific demands of elite women’s football.
The role will involve daily sports science monitoring, including the collection, analysis and communication of GPS and training-load data, alongside physical performance testing and the maintenance of accurate performance records. You will use this insight to inform programme design, support injury-risk reduction and contribute to late-stage rehabilitation and return-to-play plans.
You will also support player education in areas such as nutrition, hydration, sleep and recovery, helping to foster a positive and inclusive environment that prioritises both physical and mental wellbeing. This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about high-performance sport and wants to make a meaningful contribution within a progressive Women’s First Team environment.
What We Ask For:
We are looking for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Strength and Conditioning professional with a BSc degree, or equivalent, in Sports Science or a related discipline. You will hold the UK Strength and Conditioning Association Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach (ASCC) credential, or be working towards it, and have the Football Association Emergency First Aid qualification, or be willing to gain this. You will also have completed, or be willing to complete, the UK Anti-Doping Introduction to Clean Sport course and FootballHER training.
You will have a demonstrable understanding of physical development principles for female adult and youth athletes, alongside experience of providing physical performance support within elite sport. You will be confident delivering gym-based work in a team sport environment and using monitoring technologies and performance diagnostics to inform programme design and player development.
You will be able to work closely with coaching, medical and performance colleagues to deliver an integrated training programme, while managing competing priorities in a busy, high-performance setting. Excellent communication, organisation and attention to detail are essential, alongside a proactive approach to professional development and a genuine commitment to player wellbeing.
This position is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check and the successful candidate must be in possession of up-to-date FA Safeguarding Qualification.
