Vacancy: Academy lead sport scientist U9s-U16s

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.
• To be 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 under-9s to the under-16s.

Strength and conditioning responsibilities 

• Deliver best practice strength and conditioning coaching in line with the department philosophies, to academy squads between the under-9s and under-16s. 
• Assist in the production and delivery of gym and field-based conditioning programmes tailored for differing needs of each age group and individuals within those teams. 
• 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 are conducted.
• 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 in the academy 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.