Academy Physical Performance Coach

Complementary Training; London Colney; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned football club is seeking an Academy Physical Performance Coach to oversee and enhance the athletic development of players. This role involves collaborating within a multidisciplinary team to optimize player performance and mitigate injury risks. The ideal candidate will hold an MSc in Strength and Conditioning and have extensive experience in elite football. Responsibilities include planning gym programs, providing matchday support, and maintaining high standards of professionalism. This position offers a competitive benefits package and opportunities for personal development.

Benefits

Reward and recognition scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Internal learning programs

Priority access to match tickets

Health and wellbeing benefits package

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts with partners

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in elite football, particularly within academy football.
• Proven track record of implementing athletic development services.
• Experience working as a specialist within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and track key preparations and individualise gym programming.
• Plan, conduct and report on physical profiling.
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop individual development plans.
• Provide matchday strength and conditioning support.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Strong teamwork

Attention to detail

Proactive approach

Ability to influence and motivate

Education

MSc in Strength and Conditioning or equivalent

Job description

Location

London Colney, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Position

Academy Physical Performance Coach

We are looking for an Academy Physical Performance Coach to be responsible for the athletic development of players within the Professional Development Phase (P), including diligently planning, delivering, and evaluating both on-pitch and gym-based athletic development.

In this exciting role, you’ll be entrusted to optimise player potential by enhancing availability, maximising physical performance, and mitigating the risk of injury; you’ll be embedded in a multidisciplinary team and will collaborate with a multitude of colleagues to optimise health, physical capacity and on-pitch application of our Academy players.

Who We Are

We are one of the most famous clubs in world football, with a rich heritage and history of success – read more about our history, here.

Beyond that, we are passionate about our local community and, behind the scenes, we have a wide variety of opportunities and career paths for all. We have a very defined purpose: to act for a winning team, culture and community. We achieve this by ensuring we are courageous in the pursuit of progress, we champion our community and each other, and that we do the right thing (even when no one is looking).

Responsibilities

• Oversee and track key preparations – design and lead individual and team pre‑training preparation, individualise and periodise gym programming, track and monitor gym exposure and volume loads.
• Prioritise physical profiling and athletic development – plan, conduct and report on physical profiling, periodise, prepare and deliver on‑pitch athletic development.
• Operate as part of a multidisciplinary team – collaborate with colleagues to develop physical profiles and individual development plans (IDPs).
• Provide matchday support – lead our strength and conditioning matchday provision.
• Assist with reviews and sessions – contribute to micro, meso and macrocycle reviews, support neuromuscular fatigue monitoring, deliver recovery sessions and assist with rehabilitation when requested.
• Demonstrate a forward‑thinking mindset – stay up to date with best practices in athletic development, youth‑to‑senior transitions, injury prevention and applied performance data analytics to support continuous program evolution.
• Act as an ambassador for the club – adhere to confidentiality, uphold club standards, comply with safeguarding, health & safety and equal opportunity codes.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in elite football, particularly within academy football at an elite level and a proven track record of implementing athletic development services.
• Hold an MSc in Strength and Conditioning (or equivalent) and UKSCA accreditation.
• Experience working as a specialist within a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills – ability to build professional relationships, influence and motivate change, and communicate complex information simply.
• Strong teamwork – integrate and collaborate in a team environment with humility, discipline and respect.
• Forward‑thinking mindset – demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and a proactive approach to achieving outcomes.
• Exceptional attention to detail and professionalism – highly organised, detail‑oriented, proficient in producing clear, concise reports, and maintain confidentiality.

Benefits

• An exciting reward and recognition scheme.
• Generous holiday allowance increasing with length of service.
• Great internal learning and development programmes.
• Priority access to match tickets.
• A competitive health and wellbeing benefits package.
• A leading Employee Assistance Programme.
• Great discounts with partners.

Arsenal for Everyone

Arsenal for Everyone is our commitment to promoting and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, so that everyone connected to the club feels like they belong to the same Arsenal family. We believe that diversity of background, skills and experience drives our success on and off the pitch.

Disability Confident Leader

We are a Disability Confident Leader. We actively welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and long‑term health conditions. If you need disability‑related adjustments to the recruitment process, please indicate this in your application. Eligibility for the Disability Confident Scheme will be confirmed during the application process.

Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring that our environments for children, young people and adults at risk remain safe and inclusive. Successful candidates will be required to complete a DBS check and other essential background checks prior to starting employment. Depending on the role responsibilities, a DBS will be either a basic, standard or enhanced check.

Application Closing Date

Sunday 4th January 2026

We reserve the right to close the position early if application volumes are particularly high. Please apply as soon as possible.

Updates on the status of your application will be sent via email; please routinely check your spam and junk folders.