Head of Physical Development

San Diego FC (San Diego FC) is the newest member of the Major League Soccer family. As part of the unique Right to Dream model and the Sycuan Tribe’s deep roots, we are proud to be building a San Diego-centric soccer organization that honors our history and celebrates emerging excellence.

SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Director of Human Performance, the Head of Physical Development will manage and oversee all strength and conditioning coaches, sport scientists and performance coaches in the provision of the physical development support for San Diego FC 1st team. This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and supporting all areas of team periodization, load management, gym programming, individual player development, physical testing and performance data management. The head of physical development will work closely and build collaborative relationships with the Head of Medical/CMO to ensure holistic athlete development, athlete health and performance optimization across San Diego FC 1st team.

RESPONSIBILITES:

• Oversee, manage and lead the day to day physical development needs of the SDFC 1st team.
• Support the recruitment, development and evaluation of all full-time, part-time and contractor SDFC strength & conditioning coaches, performance coaches and sport scientists.
• Oversee the delivery and implementation of a modern soccer specific periodization and load management philosophy for all SDFC 1st team players.
• Provide oversight to ensure that all performance and science data is consistently and accurately collected in line with the department standards.
• Oversee the management of all individual physical development plans for the SDFC 1st team players including individual training, strength and conditioning and fitness development.
• Deliver all pre-season, in season and post season physical testing requirements in line with SDFC and RTD global standards.
• Working closely with the data science and insights staff, provide guidance on the automation and data visualization of the performance and science data.
• In collaboration with the head of medical/CMO, develop and deliver support to all players during prehab, activation and rehab.
• In collaboration with other key department staff, ensure that post training and game recovery strategies are implemented, delivered and optimized.
• Develop and influence all travel and away game performance optimization strategies.
• When required, attend and travel to home games, away games and other competitions.
• Provide regular feedback and communication with the SDFC 1st team players on their physical development and support them in any needs requested.
• Other duties as assigned by the SDFC director of human performance and the global director of human performance.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates can meet the requirements with a combination of experience in the following areas:

• Master’s degree or higher in Exercise Science, Sports Science or similarly related field
• Professional certification from a recognized body (CSCS, NSCA, ASCA)
• 3 years experience managing a department in elite soccer
• 5 years working within the S&C or performance sector delivering directly to athletes in elite sport
• Experience building and formalizing department process and procedures
• Experience with managing different travel schedules (time zones) and climate conditions (heat, cold, altitude)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge and experience utilizing and integrating performance and science technologies
• Experience of overseeing data management systems to ensure the secure and efficient collection, storage and front-end utilization
• Strong scientific knowledge and its application to soccer
• Strong organizational and personnel management skills
• Bi-lingual (Spanish/English) or multi-lingual skills

ABOUT SAN DIEGO FC:

Our VISION is to be the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America

Our MISSION is to create opportunities for talent to flourish and San Diego to shine

We value community, diversity, and acting with purpose. We are looking for leaders at all levels to co-create the culture of a new organization that is built on the premise that you can discover, understand, and re-define excellence by nurturing talent and creating opportunity anywhere – specifically though soccer.

Globally, Right to Dream partners with talented young people to give them a nurturing environment to flourish and thrive. We do this through a holistic model of athletic development, where young people grow as human beings and great footballers. RTD’s promise is set out in their Manifesto: a set of 8 commitments which will be central to the San Diego FC ethos from the front office to the field, when games start at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025.

This is an opportunity to be a part of a great team building something meaningful for San Diego. We offer excellent benefits including health coverages with generous company contributions, over 40 days of paid time off, and a 4% company match on your 401(k). Soccer is humanity and together, we can make a meaningful impact both on and off the field, fostering a culture that embraces excellence and equal opportunities. SDFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We encourage all individuals who share our commitment to community and soccer to apply. Soccer is humanity and together, we can make a meaningful impact both on and off the field, fostering a culture that embraces excellence and equal opportunities. SDFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.