Title: Academy Lead Sport Scientist - U9-16    

Reports to: Academy Head of Sport Science & Medicine 

Location: Various (Canford Park Arena & new training ground)

Core Hours: Full-time/Permanent

Salary: Dependant on experience

About AFC Bournemouth

Entering an exciting new chapter in its long and storied history, AFC Bournemouth is proud to retain its focus on family and community. Delivering that engagement with our loyal supporters is a passionate and integrated backroom staff, working closely together to provide a positive and lasting experience for all at Vitality Stadium.

Since its takeover by chairman Bill Foley, in a partnership including Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan, the club has seen significant investment committed towards sustaining AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, highlighted by the construction of a state-of-the-art training facility and the arrival of promising young talent from top clubs around Europe.

In the academy, there is a continued focus to become a category two academy, and this appointment will play a supporting role in that. This is a really exciting time to join the academy, as we move on to the next stage and continue to support the first team.

Academy Values:

• Players First: holding individual player development as the main intention behind decisions made as a coach and wider professional.
• Togetherness: working in a prosocial manner as part of a wider team – willing to contribute beyond own interests.
• Integrity: carrying out academy and club values in an open and honest manner.
• Accountability: willing to take responsibility for actions in a manner which allows learning, growth and reflection.

Main Duties

The current post holder will strive to develop gold standard practice within the Academy sport science department at AFC Bournemouth. This will be achieved through the understanding and implementation of best practice strength and conditioning, and appropriate level of scientific support.

Departmental Requirements

• To work and liaise effectively within the department and integrate into the club’s pursuit of increasing the category rating set by the EPPP.
• Willing to further their knowledge through continuous professional development and implement relevant knowledge into practice, of which the club will support.
• Willingness to work across a range of age groups spanning from the U9s to the U16s.

Strength and Conditioning Responsibilities

• Deliver best practice strength and conditioning coaching in line with the department philosophies, to academy squads U9-U16.
• Lead/assist in the production and delivery of gym and field-based conditioning programmes tailored for differing needs of each age group and individuals.
• Produce and lead end stage rehabilitation sessions with injured players.
• Develop and assist in all physical assessment procedures with all academy squads, and ensure all data is recorded and interpreted, with future programmes tailored to individual needs.
• Maintain a chronological database of all conditioning conducted with the players and be able to intervene and readjust programmes.
• Collaborate with the medical team ensuring best practice injury prevention methods.
• Adhere to the club movement syllabus that can be applied across different age groups highlighting key movements that players should be able to attain during certain stages of development with clear progressions as key motor skills are learnt.

Sport Science Responsibilities

• Ensure that all playing staff are offered high quality scientific support on a day-to-day basis.
• To keep abreast with sport science research development and advances and maintain an open and flexible stance about best sport science practice.
• Lead the collection of maturation data and the implementation of academy growth and maturation protocols including the academy bio-banding programme.
• Lead and monitor individual readiness and recovery strategies and implement subsequent interventions daily.
• Monitor and interpret individual and team training data whilst providing knowledgeable feedback to medical department and coaches.
• Use training data to try to offer advice on subsequent team training periodisation.
• Produce individual and team phase reports including readiness, recovery, training and conditioning data. Provide high level of interpretation, recommendation and feedback to coaches and medical department.
• Demonstrate a willingness to further personal knowledge into all disciplines of sport science including nutrition, physiology, psychology, and biomechanics, by attending relevant educational courses to positively enhance future sport science practice.
• Partake and contribute to department in service sessions on a regular basis, aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the department and ensuring best practice.
• Contribution to 6/12 weekly player reports providing individual feedback in conjunction with the medical team on players athletic profile and development.

General

• As a member of staff to ensure in all matters, you follow and actively promote the club’s mental health policies and practices to ensure an open, non-judgmental and inclusive environment for everyone engaged with the club.
• As a member of staff to ensure that you to adhere to the club’s safeguarding policies and procedures and are committed to our safeguarding values, creating a safe and positive environment for all those who interact with the club.
• Obligation to adhere to the club’s health and safety policy and procedures.
• As a member of staff to ensure in all matters you follow and actively promote the club’s equality policies and practices to ensure a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for everyone engaged with the club.

Key competencies

Required

• BSc Sport & Exercise Science (or similar).
• Extensive experience working in a Sport Science setting with youth athletes.
• Experience of working in a Football academy setting.
• Extensive knowledge of growth and maturation and its implications on youth development.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel.
• Recent & in-date DBS & FA Safeguarding Children Certificates.
• Emergency First Aid in Football (EFAiF).

Desired

• MSc in Sport Science, S&C or related discipline.
• UKSCA or NSCA accreditation.
• Experience using GPS systems.

Person specification

The club’s values are at the core of its staff behaviour and how they approach everything they do, therefore we are looking for someone is honest, inclusive, kind, hardworking, loyal and respectful.