Department: Performance
Report to: Head of Academy Performance
Location: Heart of Midlothian Football Academy, Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS
Salary: Competitive salary plus excellent staff benefits.
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, includes evenings and weekends.
Closing Date: 24th July 2024 – Close of Play
Hearts Women are a leading Club in the SWPL, dedicated to excellence both on and off the pitch. The Club are committed to supporting and promoting Women's football and developing talent at all levels of the game. Last season, Hearts finished fourth in the top-flight and reached the Scottish Cup Final. The Club are looking to build on this success in the 2024/25 season and have an exciting opportunity for a Sport Scientist to join the team.
The Women’s First Team Sport Scientist will lead a programme of sport science support services including on-pitch and gym-based delivery, GPS load monitoring and fitness testing with our Women’s first team players. We are looking for a candidate who is highly motivated and passionate about working with and developing female players. In addition, we are seeking someone who can develop good working relationships with a variety of groups including fellow practitioners, coaches, and players. The successful candidate will be joining a team of forward thinking and ambitious staff who are dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Contribute to the design of daily, weekly and monthly training session planning in combination with the Women’s First-Team Manager, coaching staff and Head of Academy Performance.
- Maintain data management systems for player monitoring relating to GPS and fitness testing results, adopting a conscientious approach to data entry and judicious interpretation and dissemination of results.
- Design and deliver gym-based training sessions.
- Design and deliver on-pitch warm-ups on training and match days, and conditioning drills.
- Provide off-pitch match day support to first team players designed to enhance their physical readiness and preparation.
- Design and deliver regular fitness testing throughout each season, both pre- and in-season.
- Contribute to the rehabilitation of injured players and work collaboratively with the Women’s First Team Physiotherapist to progress injured players through a structured return to play process.
- Liaise with members of the club’s Performance Department and the Women’s First-Team Manager, as appropriate, to assess players’ health status and contribute to informed professional decision-making on players’ fitness and readiness to train and play.
- Establish and maintain regular communication with academy sport scientists to facilitate a smooth transition process for young players entering the full-time training environment.
- Facilitate and proactively contribute to applied research projects as directed by the Head of Performance.
- Any other reasonable activities requested by a senior member of the Performance Department or Women’s First Team Manager.
Essential Qualifications & Experience:
- Previous experience providing sport science support services to athletic populations, preferably within a professional women’s football club.
- Undergraduate degree in sport science or related discipline
- UKSCA accredited or ability to apply within a period of 6 months.
- BASES accredited or working towards via supervised experience pathway (Desirable).
- ISAK level 1 accredited (Desirable).
- Able to evidence Legal right to work in the UK.
Essential Skills & Abilities:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Conscientious and committed to attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Able to operate within a high-pressure working environment and put forward your point of view.
- Confident IT user.
- Critical thinking and analytical mindset.
- Displays honesty, openness and an approachable demeanour.
- Committed to professional development.
- A high standard of professionalism and confidentiality.
The role will have regular contact with children, and it is therefore required by law to have a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check through Disclosure Scotland as a condition of employment.
How to apply:
If you think that you are suitable for the position and meet the criteria above, please send a covering letter and CV to Recruitment@homplc.co.uk.
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN FOOTBALL CLUB IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER AND FULLY COMMITTED TO THE SAFEGUARDING AND WELFARE OF VULNERABLE GROUPS. HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN IS A LIVING WAGE ACCREDITED COMPANY.