Location: Oriam, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS
Scottish Rugby is seeking a visionary Head of Athletic Performance to lead the strategic design, delivery, and continual evolution of the Scotland National Team’s athletic performance programme.
In this pivotal role, you will shape and sustain a world-class athletic performance model that empowers Scotland’s players to excel on the international stage. You will work in close partnership with professional teams to support player-centred development, ensuring seamless monitoring, communication, and return-to-play planning for identified athletes. Within the national team environment, you will drive consistency in physical preparation, performance monitoring, and performance processes, helping to create a high-performance culture that underpins long-term success.
What you will be doing:
- Design and deliver a world-class athletic performance model that enables Scotland players to perform at international level
- Consistent physical preparation, monitoring, and performance processes within the national team environment
- Deliver an integrated athletic performance and monitoring system aligned with Scottish Rugby’s performance model
- Close collaboration with Pro Teams to support player-centered development, monitoring, and return-to-play planning for identified players
What we’re looking for:
- Degree in sport science, human performance, strength and conditioning, or related field
- Significant experience leading athletic performance programmes in elite/professional rugby (or equivalent high-performance sport)
- Deep understanding of the physical, technical, tactical, and psychological demands of international rugby
- High-level expertise in profiling, testing, and monitoring athlete physical qualities
- Strong leadership skills and the ability to manage people and performance environments