First Team Rehabilitation Lead

Job title

First Team Rehabilitation Lead

Location

Portsmouth FC Training Ground at Pompey Health and Fitness, 442 Copnor Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth PO3 5EW with travel where required

Department

First Team

Reports to

Head of Medical

Hours of work

Full time

A minimum of 37.5 hours per week, exact hours and days to be agreed. Due to the nature of the role flexibility is essential. Attendance required at consultant appointments/special events/Off site appointments/Match Day away travel from time to time.

Remuneration

Competitive, based on experience

Join Our Team – Be Part of Pompey’s Future

Portsmouth Football Club is looking to appoint an experienced and highly motivated First Team Rehabilitation Lead to join our Men's First Team Performance Department.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and delivering the Club's rehabilitation and return-to-performance strategy, helping to establish the standards, systems and philosophy that underpin the Pompey Performance WAY.

Working closely with the Medical, Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning and Coaching teams, you will lead the rehabilitation journey of injured players, ensuring they return to full training and competitive football safely, effectively and physically prepared to perform at the highest level.

Beyond individual player rehabilitation, you will help develop a proactive, evidence-based approach to injury prevention, player robustness and long-term athletic development.

Purpose of the role

The Rehabilitation Lead will take responsibility for the delivery, strategy and progression of rehabilitation and return-to-performance within the Portsmouth FC Men’s First Team. This is a pivotal role within the Performance Department and will play a key part in establishing the rehabilitation philosophy, standards and identity that underpin the Pompey Performance WAY.

The role sits at the interface of medicine, pathophysiology, rehabilitation, athletic development and performance, leading players through their rehabilitation journey from injury onset through to a safe, effective and timely return to full team training and competitive performance. The focus is not simply on returning players to availability, but ensuring they are robust, prepared and ready to perform at an elite level.

The role requires the development of clear rehabilitation, return-to-performance and injury prevention frameworks, policies and processes that create consistency, clarity and accountability across the Performance Department. Working closely with Medical, Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning and Coaching, the role will ensure rehabilitation is individualised, evidence-led and aligned to the demands of elite football.

A key responsibility will be to use meaningful KPIs to measure the effectiveness of the rehabilitation programme, with a focus on improving player availability, reducing injury recurrence and developing individualised injury prevention and athletic development strategies. These strategies will progressively build player capacity and robustness as they transition from rehabilitation into full team training and beyond.

The role will help shape a high-performance rehabilitation culture at Portsmouth FC, establishing the standards, systems and behaviours required to deliver excellent rehabilitation, develop robust players and consistently return players ready to perform as part of the Pompey Performance WAY.

Key Responsibilities

Three overarching responsibilities

1. Return to Performance
Getting players back safely, effectively and ready to perform.

2. Robustness & Prevention
Using rehabilitation and individual development to make players more resilient and reduce recurrence.

3. Building the System
Creating the philosophy, frameworks, KPIs and standards that become the Pompey Performance WAY.

How

o   Lead the rehabilitation and return-to-performance programme for the Portsmouth FC Men’s First Team, ensuring injured players receive high-quality, individualised and progressive rehabilitation from initial injury through to full competitive performance.

o   Develop and embed the Portsmouth FC rehabilitation philosophy, establishing clear standards, principles and processes that contribute to the Pompey Performance WAY.

o   Design and implement individualised rehabilitation programmes that integrate medical management, pathology, physical rehabilitation, athletic development and the specific demands of the player’s position and role.

o   Own the transition from rehabilitation to performance, ensuring players are progressively exposed to the physical, technical and tactical demands of full team training before being considered ready for competitive selection.

o   Develop and implement return-to-performance frameworks, criteria and decision-making processes, providing clear evidence and recommendations to support collaborative return-to-training and return-to-play decisions.

o   Work collaboratively across Medical, Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, Coaching and other key performance disciplines to ensure an integrated and consistent approach to player management.

o   Lead the development of injury prevention strategies, using injury trends, player profiling, screening and individual risk factors to identify opportunities to improve player robustness and reduce injury occurrence and recurrence.

o   Use rehabilitation as an opportunity for athletic development, identifying and developing individual physical qualities, movement competencies, capacity and robustness that support long-term player performance.

o   Establish and monitor key rehabilitation and performance KPIs, measuring the effectiveness, efficiency and outcomes of the rehabilitation programme, including player availability, recurrence rates, rehabilitation timelines and successful return to performance.

o   Maintain accurate and comprehensive rehabilitation records and documentation, ensuring clinical and performance information is captured consistently and supports effective communication, governance and decision-making.

o   Contribute to the development of departmental frameworks, policies and Standard Operating Procedures, ensuring rehabilitation practices are consistent, evidence-led and aligned with the wider Performance Department strategy.

o   Provide clear and regular communication to key stakeholders, ensuring players, coaches, medical staff and senior performance leadership understand rehabilitation progress, objectives, timelines, risks and readiness.

o   Build strong relationships with players, creating an environment of trust, accountability and ownership while ensuring players understand and take responsibility for their rehabilitation and development.

o   Support the ongoing development of the Performance Department, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement, curiosity, collaboration and high standards.

o   Stay current with developments in rehabilitation, sports medicine, athletic development and performance science, translating relevant evidence and innovation into practical application within the Portsmouth FC environment.

o   Contribute to the education and development of wider Performance Department staff, sharing knowledge, developing capability and promoting consistent rehabilitation principles across the department.

o   Support the wider development of the Pompey Performance WAY, helping establish a clear identity and consistent approach to how Portsmouth FC develops, rehabilitates, prepares and returns players to performance

o   Support the medical team with treatment/intervention delivery.  If within the scope of professional background and qualification deliver first class, evidenced based therapy services, manual/passive modalities to all players in the first team, striving to return players from injury in the most efficient timeframe possible.

o   Establish and help co-create the prescription library of grass-based rehabilitation sessions that builds in loading design, coaching integration and theme alignment.

o   Visualise performance data from testing, field-based metrics and rehab progress/forecasting into effective report structures for the Performance Director.

o   Lead and establish the performance department rehab meeting space in conjunction with the HOM and PD. Drive collaboration, oversee and discuss other practitioners rehab cases. Chair the meeting and provide actions following. Be creative in this space, ? invite players or stakeholders. Have a forum of creative high challenge and support. Establish quality control in our work and safeguard on blind spots.

o   Collaborate and establish our wider rehabilitation network outside of Portsmouth FC. This could be leading specialists around the world, tech and innovation integration, conferences and networking. Also, how we partner with different providers to extend our reach and scope…this could be facility based or practitioner/analysis based.

o   Work closely with the HOM on our injury audit and establish monthly reports with insights and analysis to the Performance Director. Identify trends or forecast performance issues building that we can create strategies to get ahead of. Understand from working with the performance department what our players data and trends look like and how we can mitigate injury.

o   Continual Professional Development. Take responsibility for your own continued professional development, ensuring that you attend regular courses/conferences and keeping an up-to-date portfolio of achievements. Strive to advance working practices both within the Performance Department and in the wider rehabilitation setting by promoting and performing research or encourage innovation where possible.

o   Match Day. Attendance at all home games to support the performance department is essential unless required elsewhere from time to time. Travel to and support at away fixtures from time to time.

QUALIFICATIONS

ESSENTIAL

DESIRABLE

Undergraduate Degree Level in Physiotherapy, Sports Therapy/Rehabilitation, S&C or a similar Performance related field.

x

MSc in a relevant Performance field (Completed or working towards)

x

Leadership Qualification

x

FA ATMMiF Pitch Side 1st Aid Qualification

x

Full Driving Licence and Car

x

EXPERIENCES

ESSENTIAL

DESIRABLE

Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the elite sports setting. Diversity of sport setting welcomed.

x

Evidence of developing, implementing and evaluating rehabilitation programmes for elite football players or athletes.

x

An understanding of working within a professional football environment or elite sporting setting.

x

Experience of developing and implementing innovative ideas and putting them into practice

x

Experience of clinically assessing, diagnosing and rehabilitating a wide range of neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions in elite athletes

x

Experience of developing evidence-based protocols for areas of medical treatments.

x

Ability to prioritise own workload and that of colleagues

x

Experience of modifying training and rehabilitation programmes to address an individual’s needs.

x

Can do ‘attitude’, collaborative and driven to improve

x

Bring energy and high professional challenge with an awareness of high empathy/support

x

Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills whilst working in a pressurised situations

x

Excellent time keeping and organisational skills

x

Personal integrity and the ability to invoke trust and respect from others

x

Read to lead the way?

The Club will not consider applications via third parties.

To apply send your CV and cover letter to Lina Small hr@pompeyfc.co.uk no later than 5pm on Friday 6th November 2026.

If you don’t hear from us within 7 days of the closing date, please consider that your application was unsuccessful.

Given the hours of work in this role, the successful candidate should live within close travel proximity to Portsmouth or be willing to relocate to within close proximity to the city.

At Portsmouth Football Club we are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and we aim to build an accurate picture of the make-up for our talent pools. Therefore, we ask that you submit the information on the below link to ensure we are always attracting a broad and diverse range of exceptional talent from all areas of society. Responses are anonymous and the data gathered will be used to inform our future initiatives but filling in this form is voluntary

https://forms.gle/H7NmjG95fgLSaWPD7

General information

We promote an equal, diverse, and inclusive workplace and we are committed to providing the best experience for our colleagues. As a business we aim to be as representative of as many sections of society as possible, and for each colleague to feel respected and able to give of their best every day. We ensure that we treat people the right way, promote respect and believe that making the most of our differences is the key to the success of our business.  

We take a robust approach to modern slavery and human trafficking and our organisation is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in our corporate activities, and to ensuring that our supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.

Safeguarding
Portsmouth Football Club is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are committed to ensuring that any club related activity will be in a safe environment where children, young people and adults at risk are protected from harm or abuse whilst under our care.

We acknowledge that every child, young person, or adult at risk who plays or participates in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse. Portsmouth Football Club recognises that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in our club.

We must always respect the dignity and spirit of all people, including children, young people and adults at risk. Treat everyone fairly, encourage a supportive and positive environment to promote healthy competition, skill development, fun and achievement. Avoid contact or conduct that may be interpreted or defined as inappropriate.

Health and Safety

Portsmouth Football Club is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all employees, contractors, visitors, and others who may be affected by our operations.

As part of this commitment, you are expected to take reasonable care for your own health and safety, as well as that of others. You must comply with the company’s health and safety policies, procedures, and any legal requirements relevant to your role. Together, we aim to maintain a safe and supportive environment that promotes the welfare and security of everyone involved in our activities.

Data Protection

The Club process all personal data collected during the recruitment process in accordance with complies with Data Protection Act (2018) and GDPR. Data collected as part of the recruitment process is held securely and accessed by, and disclosed to, individuals only for the purposes of managing the recruitment exercise effectively. All data that is deemed unnecessary will be disposed off at the end of recruitment process in line with our GDPR procedure