Academy Physical Performance Coach (U9s - U16s)

Post Title

Academy Physical Performance Coach (Under 9s – Under 16s).

Department/Location

Huddersfield Town AFC Academy, the Millers Oils High Performance Complex.

Reports To

Academy Manager.

Academy Lead Physical Performance Coach.

Purpose of the Role

Predominantly, but not exclusively, working with the U13-U16 age group, the post holder will be responsible for designing and delivering the athletic development strategies for the group as a whole and for designing specific programmes to suit the needs of each individual player.

Functional Links

Internal:       Academy Manager.

                    Strategic Advisor – HTAFC Academy.

                    Sporting Director.             

Football Administration Manager.

                    Performance Services Team.

                    Academy Coaching Team.

                    Staff and Managers throughout the Club and Foundation.

External:      Other Clubs’ Performance Services Staff.

Premier League and English Football League.

                    Football Association (FA).

                    League Managers Association (LMA).

                    Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).                        

Key Performance Indicators

·       Demonstrable improvement in players’ strength & power markers.

·       Demonstrable improvements in GPS markers on the pitch (increase in maximum speed, increase in ability to hit high-speed metres in matches).

Role Specific Responsibilities

(Predominantly but not exclusively with the Youth Development Phase and Foundation Phase players.)

The post holder will:

·       Lead in the delivery of physical development sessions both in the gym and on the pitch with the Youth Development Phase squads.

·       Attend and support Academy fixtures, both home and away, as required.

·       Assist in managing testing databases and reporting systems.

·       Assist in delivering all Academy testing and screening strategies.

·       Assist in delivering the Academy performance nutrition strategy.

·       Manage gym areas in conjunction with other members of the Academy Physical Performance staff team to ensure an appropriate and safe working environment.

·       Assist in the daily education of physical performance.

·       Ensure all sessions and targets are recorded correctly using FiP, enabling individual programmes to be monitored, discussed in End of Cycle Meetings, and developed as necessary.

·       Contribute to all IDP meetings for U9-U16 players.

·       Lead in the physical assessment of all U9-U16 trialist players that enter the Club.

·       Assist in writing and continually updating the department’s standard operating procedures.

·       Execute additional tasks as required to meet the Club and Academy’s changing priorities.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and the post holder is required to undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Academy Manager, Lead Academy Physical Performance Coach, and/or any other senior leader within the Club.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Up to £25,000 per annum

Full-time (35+ hours per week, including both home and away match days)

Permanent

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Academy Physical Performance team for a suitably qualified and experienced candidate to contribute to designing and delivering the athletic development strategies for Academy players, with a focus on the Under 9 to Under 16 age groups. The post holder will design specific programmes to suit the needs of each individual player.

You will fulfil a range of duties, including GPS monitoring and data analysis, delivering testing and screening strategies, educating players on physical performance, and assisting on match days as required. You will also contribute to players’ individual development plans and support the Academy Coaches to maximise players’ potential.

Candidates must have previous, proven experience of providing strength and conditioning support to youth athletes, and experience of working within and supporting a multi-disciplinary team. 

Applicants must be educated to degree level or equivalent in Sports Science or other relevant discipline.  Additional qualifications and professional membership, for example BASES and/or UKSCA, would be advantageous.

This role requires flexibility and a willingness to work non-standard hours in accordance with the Academy’s needs and those of the wider Club.  Passionate about making a difference through sport, the successful candidate must be able to form positive relationships with players and other team members.

If you have the specified qualifications and personal attributes, and are enthusiastic about the variety and opportunities that this role offers, we would love to hear from you.

We receive a high volume of applications for our vacancies and as such, we encourage you to fully consider the job description and person specification, and ensure that your application details how you feel you match our requirements. The volume of applications received prevents us from being able to provide feedback at short-listing stage.  Please ensure that your application is:

·       Fully completed

·       Tailored for the requirements of the role – Section 6 of the application form should reflect how you meet the ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ criteria for the position as detailed on the person specification (please follow the instructions on the application form)

·       Accurate in terms of content and presentation

·       Submitted by the specified deadline

Please also highlight any factors that you would like us to consider, for example, if you have a disability or health condition that may require us to make reasonable adjustments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and other stakeholders to share this commitment.  

As this role is likely to involve the supervision of and work with children and young people or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will require clearance to work in football and an Enhanced Criminal Records Check (CRC) through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). 

Applicants must disclose all previous convictions including spent convictions in accordance with the associated legislation.  The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot consider them.

Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed is available on the Ministry of Justice website.

Equality and Inclusion

Huddersfield Town AFC is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where everyone can be themselves and in which everyone feels valued, included, and supported to achieve their full potential.  We offer a range of family-friendly and inclusive employment arrangements, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. 

We are committed to the redress of any inequalities by taking positive action where appropriate. 

We are a Disability Confident Leader and welcome applications from disabled candidates.  We are also seeking to diversify our workforce, particularly by gender and ethnicity.

Further information about the Company and working with us is available from the Careers section of our website:

https://www.htafc.com/club/careers/

To apply, please download an application form from our website.  Please note that we do not accept CVs.

Please send your completed application by email to jobs@htafc.com by 9:00am on Monday 16th September 2024.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Interviews are likely to take place in late September 2024.