DEPARTMENT: Athletic Performance
CONTRACT: Full-time (35 hours per week). Some matchday (weekend) work will be required.
SALARY: Competitive
LOCATION: cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, NN5 5BG. Travel as required to fulfil duties.
REPORTS TO: Academy Manager & Head of Athletic Performance
MAIN PURPOSE:
The aim of the role is to lead and support the physical development for all Academy players from Senior to Under-18 age groups and below in line with Northampton Saints Academy physical development pathway. The ultimate goal of the pathway is to provide players physically capable of performing for Northampton Saints and England Rugby.
You will be required to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team with coaching, medical and support staff, to provide an integrated approach to player development and performance enhancement.
The expectations for the role include achieving a genuine, measurable impact on the physical characteristics of our players, while also providing a positive contribution to the academy as a whole.
REMIT:
- Lead planning, delivery and review of physical development pathway for all Senior Academy players in line with Northampton Saints Academy physical development pathway.
- Lead daily gym based and pitch based physical development sessions for the Senior Academy.
- Assist the u18 Strength & Conditioning coaches in small groups OR one-one physical development sessions based at schools within Northampton Saints Academy region for EAP player group.
- Collect & monitor key physical characteristics from EAP players & whole playing group throughout the season in line with Academy methods and report this appropriately to staff and players.
- Monitor training load through effective use of GPS
- Support Lead Academy Physiotherapist with the design and implementation of effective return to play programmes for injured players.
- Work in collaboration with technical coaching staff to maximise individual player development plans throughout the season through effectively planning physical and technical components of training.
- Assist in match day physical preparations for U18 age groups.
- Design & implement regular educational material for players around lifestyle on and off the pitch (Infographics, Presentations, talks etc) throughout the season.
- Liaise and communicate effectively with England Rugby age groups to effectively prepare players for upcoming camps, tournaments, fixtures etc.
- Attend Junior Academy training days, residential camps, and tours when deemed necessary.
- Maintain up to date personal education within Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science.
- Any other duties which may be reasonably required by Northampton Saints RFC.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum BSc or equivalent in Strength & Conditioning/Sport & Exercise Science.
- Previous experience leading and delivering both pitch based and gym-based sessions for whole squads, small groups, and individuals.
- Previous experience working with elite developmental athletes.
- Experience utilising physical profiling to inform training.
- Ability to plan, programme and deliver Strength & Conditioning which leads to a meaningful performance impact.
- Effective and appropriate communication/relationship building skills
- Understanding of periodisation and planning for developing athletes
- Effective computer skills (Excel, Power-point, One Drive etc)
DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS:
- Emergency First Aid
- Experience of leading/managing others
- Experience of using GPS, Timing Gates, Force Plates etc
- Sound understanding of growth and maturation
APPLICATION:
To apply for the Academy Strength & Condition Coach at Northampton Saints Rugby, please click here.
Closing date: Sunday 11 May, 2025 – please note, the role may close sooner if there is a high volume of applications.
Northampton Saints is an equal opportunities employer and would welcome applications from a fully diverse range of candidates, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.
Any CVs, contact details or other personal data shared with Northampton Saints RFC in relation to this position will be processed for recruitment purposes only. We are storing this data in line with our privacy policy, and any information will only be shared internally as required to undertake shortlisting and interviews with those directly connected to the recruitment process. We would like to keep this data until this position is filled. When that period is over, we will delete your data unless we specifically inform you that we will keep it on file for future roles.
To see a copy of our privacy policy or if you have any queries relating to how we manage personal data, please contact [email protected].
