Academy Rehabilitation Fitness Coach

About the role

Liverpool FC Academy are looking for a Rehabilitation Fitness Coach who will design and implement evidence-based rehabilitation programs for all long-term injured Liverpool FC Academy players to ensure they return to training in a safe and timely manner.

​What will you be doing?

• Design and implement evidence-based reconditioning programmes to our U18 and U21’s age group players alongside the physiotherapists, medical staff, and fitness coaches.
• Return players to pre-injury levels of fitness/athleticism and where possible improve these qualities
• Develop any underlying area that may have predisposed player to injury
• Continue to develop athleticism (as per the talent development pathway) in rehabilitation
• Design pitch-based football specific fitness exercises and sessions that are enjoyable and based on each player’s individual development plan in collaboration with the football and fitness coaches. 
• Implement a progressive overload stimulus for acute and chronic external load on the pitch to reintegrate players back into training and matches safely.
• Coordinate testing to design and evaluate rehabilitation programmes to progress through injury and player specific exit criteria.
• Oversee the reconditioning of youth development phase players.
• Attend regular meetings with youth development phase physiotherapists and fitness coaches to plan and evaluate rehabilitation. Mentor the Youth Development Fitness & Rehabilitation Coach
• Where necessary, work alongside the psychologist/performance coach to develop short term and long terms goals for the rehabilitation process that fit the individual’s development pathway.
• Co-ordinate multi-disciplinary player development plans in order to enhance performance 
• Adapt relevant sports science techniques to player training, monitoring, assessment and skill acquisition
• Communicate regularly with fitness, medical and coaching staff concerning all relevant Sports Science and rehabilitation issues
• Attend sports science and medicine departmental meetings
• Assist in the management of the training facilities and equipment to ensure they are maintained in proper working order and that players show the required respect of facilities available to them
• Contribute to the Club’s Sports and Exercise Medicine research strategy
• Undertake Continued Professional Development organised by the Club
• Promote an elite environment for long-term injured Academy players to thrive and develop in their rehabilitation back to training.
• Build rapport with players to influence changes in behaviour.

Who are we looking for?

The successful candidate will have a minimum of two years’ experience providing reconditioning following injury ideally in elite youth football players (U16-21’s). Hold a post graduate degree in sports science (or relevant discipline) from a recognised university and will have a football playing and or coaching background. A strength and conditioning qualification (UKSCA) or demonstrable ability to complete the accreditation within an appropriate timeframe.

They must have excellent anatomical knowledge and be able to understand the adolescent mind to engage and inspire our young player. We are looking for a specialist fitness and reconditioning coach who understands how growth and maturation effects physical performance and risk of injury. The ability to design and deliver progressive on and off pitch conditioning programs throughout the rehab of developing football players is essential.

Furthermore, the candidate must have excellent knowledge of the demands of the game and how to individualise programmes based on each players development plan. The ability to communicate effectively and create the right development environment demonstrating role model behaviour is essential. An understanding of the requirements around EPPP and the safeguarding of young players and to provide for the players emotional needs is also important for this role.

Why should you apply?

This is a full-time permanent role working on a 5 out of 7 days arrangement and is based in Liverpool Football Club Academy Kirkby working in the evenings and weekends.

To reward your hard work and commitment we offer a competitive salary and a contributory pension scheme.

You will have access to our benefits kit bag where you can get high street discounts, and a selection of benefit schemes you can join.  There are opportunities to get involved with volunteering through our LFC Foundation to give back to the local community.

We aspire to be the most inclusive club in world football - providing fair and appropriate opportunities to as many people from different backgrounds as possible, being welcoming and meeting their needs as best we can. We are committed to hiring great people representative of a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, not just because it`s the right thing to do, but because we believe it makes our Club stronger. If you share our enthusiasm and passion for inclusivity, then we want to hear from you.

Liverpool FC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all Colleagues and Volunteers to share this commitment. Safer recruitment methods are applied (inc. DBS disclosures) to all appointments with vulnerable groups. This role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.