Senior Performance Psychologist - Maternity Cover

British Cycling UK; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Cycle toWork Scheme

Generous Holidays (25 days + bank +)

Holiday purchase scheme

Life Assurance

Pension

Job summary

British Cycling seeks a Senior Performance Psychologist for the Great Britain Cycling Team to provide applied sport psychology expertise and oversee the psychology team. The role supports athletes preparing for LA 2028, with on-site work at the Manchester Velodrome.

The position requires post-graduate qualifications in sport psychology, HCPC registration, and experience in elite sport, multi-disciplinary teams, and mental health strategies. Fixed-term, 0.6–1.0 FTE, based at Manchester.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate qualification to PhD or Masters level in sport and exercise psychology (or equivalent).
• Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (Psychology).

Responsibilities

• Provide world-class, applied sport psychology expertise to support GB’s LA 2028 success.
• Support performance management of the psychology team and delivery of mental health strategies.

Education

PhD or Masters in sport and exercise psychology

HCPC Registration (Psychology)

Job description

Salary: Up to £51,000 pro rata (dependent on experience)
Contract: 12 month Fixed-Term (0.6-1.0 FTE person dependant)
Location: The National Cycling Centre, Manchester
Start Date: December 2026

About British Cycling

British Cycling exists to bring the joy of cycling to everyone.

We have embarked on an exciting new journey, with a modernised commercial and events offering grounded in social impact and storytelling, harnessing the spotlight and inspiration of our athlete’s performance on the world stage, and our growing portfolio of major events.

We are working towards our three key priorities outlined in our strategy; to support and grow the sport to make cycling more inclusive and accessible, to lead on the world stage by winning and winning well, and to drive social impact by tackling inequalities through providing opportunities.

Great Britain Cycling Team

The Great Britain Cycling Team (GBCT) is the country's most successful Olympic and Paralympic team in history, with high ambitions to continue this legacy at LA 2028 and beyond.

We are a highly driven and motivated team of skilled and passionate individuals working together to support athletes across seven cycling disciplines, to achieve their full potential and deliver world-beating performances on the biggest stages.

We work hard to support delivery of British Cycling’s vision which includes striving to inspire Britain to be a great cycling nation and sharing the joy of cycling with everyone.

Now is an incredibly exciting year to join the Great Britain Cycling Team, fresh off the back of winning 11 Olympic and 22 Paralympic medals at the most recent Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, as well as having recently celebrated 20 years of the GBCT pathway.

What will you be doing?

As a Senior Performance Psychologist in GBCT, you will have responsibility to provide world-class, applied sport psychology expertise to support GB’s success in LA 2028, alongside the performance management of the psychology team.

This role involves working as part the Performance Support Team and within one of four integrated interdisciplinary sub-teams, referred to as the Personal Performance Team. This team consists of performance psychologists, clinical psychologists and performance lifestyle practitioners to enhance athletes mental performance, resilience, and overall well-being as well as continuing to embed the philosophy of ‘happy head, fast legs’ into the GBCT performance culture. This role will support the GBCT riders as they enter the critical qualification period for the LA 2028 Olympics, and as such will have a direct impact on how riders prepare for, manage and perform under intense, international competition demands.

What we’re looking for:

Essential:

QUALIFICATIONS

• A post-graduate qualification to PhD or Masters level in sport and exercise psychology (or equivalent).
• Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (Psychology)

EXPERIENCE AND PRACTITIONER SKILLS

• Supported a sport at elite level in preparation for a major event.
• Supported an international / multisport event.
• Development, delivery and monitoring of sport psychology strategy within a sport.
• Supported on the development and delivery of mental health strategies.
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of performance psychology services to high performance athletes.
• Existence of a specialism with a broad scope of modes and methods of sport psychology delivery and clinical awareness and understanding.
• Adaptability of approach to inform behaviour change.
• Ability to connect performance impact with psychological approaches and interventions.
• Right to work in the UK, ability to be on‑site at Manchester Velodrome.

Desirable:

• A PhD delivered within a sport psychology context.
• Experience of working with remote or decentralised athletes.
• Experience building relationships and working with neuro‑diverse adults.

What are the perks?

• Competitive Salary
• Cycle toWork Scheme
• Generous Holidays (25 days + bank holidays)
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Life Assurance
• Pension

Applications close: Sunday 27th September

Interviews: Tuesday 6th October, National Cycling Centre, Manchester