Head of Physical Performance - Women's Team

Lead the Physical Performance Programme for West Ham United Women’s First Team

West Ham United Football Club is seeking an exceptional and forward-thinking Head of Physical Performance to join their Women’s First Team. This is a rare opportunity to shape and lead a progressive physical development strategy for an ambitious and evolving high-performance environment in the Women's Super League (WSL).

The Impact You’ll Make

In this pivotal leadership role, you will oversee the physical performance programme for the Women’s First Team, ensuring it aligns with club-wide sports science methodology and represents best practice in elite female athlete development.

You will lead the planning, delivery and analysis of physical performance strategies, embedding yourself in the daily training environment to integrate physical preparation seamlessly into football-specific work. Your influence will extend across on-pitch conditioning, gym-based S&C delivery, testing, monitoring, injury prevention and return-to-play processes.

You will also play a crucial role in operational performance planning, contribute to the long-term evolution of the club’s Physical Development strategy, and support the progression of Academy players and staff into the First Team environment.

As a visible and proactive leader, you will manage a team of sports science professionals, collaborate closely with coaching staff, and drive innovation through applied research and partnerships - including overseeing a PhD project with Loughborough University.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of the physical performance strategy for the Women’s First Team.
• Oversee player profiling, physical testing, and performance analysis to inform individual and team development plans.
• Implement and manage monitoring systems covering workload, wellness, and neuromuscular status.
• Deliver high-quality S&C programming aligned to technical, tactical and physiological outcomes.
• Integrate sports science principles within football training through close collaboration with coaching staff.
• Design, support and track injury prevention and return-to-play strategies.
• Ensure smooth performance logistics and operational standards across day-to-day MDT function.
• Contribute strategically to the club’s long-term performance framework and the evolution of its Physical Development strategy.
• Support the development of Academy players and staff to ensure successful transitions to First Team football.
• Lead, develop and mentor sports science staff while fostering strong relationships across the MDT.
• Oversee external research partnerships, including the Loughborough University PhD project focused on youth training demands.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a collaborative, innovative, and impact-driven practitioner who can thrive in a fast-paced, elite women’s football environment and influence effectively across multidisciplinary groups.

Essential:

• MSc in Sport Science or relevant discipline
• UKSCA accreditation
• Proven experience delivering and managing sports science/S&C within an elite sports environment
• Strong evidence of physical profiling and performance programming
• Experience working with female athletes and knowledge of female-specific development and periodisation
• Demonstrable ability to lead, influence and collaborate within a high-performance MDT

Attributes:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Highly organised with strong prioritisation abilities
• Analytical thinker capable of applying data effectively to practice
• Committed to innovation, continuous learning and professional development
• A team-first approach aligned with the club’s values and high-performance culture

Why West Ham United?

West Ham United is committed to excellence across all areas of the Women’s programme. This role offers the chance to join a forward-thinking club during an exciting period of growth, working within a supportive multidisciplinary environment that prioritises player welfare, development and high performance.

This is a full-time role based at Chadwell Heath Training Ground, with travel required for matches and training camps.

The Executives in Sport Group are retained exclusively on behalf of West Ham United to manage this appointment. All direct applications will be forwarded to The Executives in Sport Group. Please submit your CV and a supporting statement outlining your suitability and motivation for the role.

Applicants are also encouraged to complete our voluntary and anonymous Diversity Monitoring form: https://forms.office.com/e/35vpdcsxq2

Due to expected application volume, we are unable to provide specific feedback to unsuccessful applicants.