Head of Physical Performance

Real Salt Lake; Herriman (UT); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Real Salt Lake in Utah is seeking a Head of Physical Performance to lead physical preparation for the Real Salt Lake first team, including strength and conditioning, load management, and recovery. This is a first-team-only role reporting to the Senior Director of Player Health & Performance, with close alignment to the Head Coach's game model.

The ideal candidate is a credible, hands-on leader with deep professional soccer experience who can manage staff, partner with coaching, medical, data

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• 7+ years in elite or professional sport with leadership of a performance staff.
• Proven experience delivering physical preparation in professional soccer.
• CSCS, UKSCA ASCC, or equivalent certification.
• Experience with GPS wearables, force plates and athlete management systems.
• Ability to collaborate with medical staff on return-to-play.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop first-team physical performance staff.
• Develop and implement a Tactical Periodization model with leadership.
• Deliver on-field conditioning, warm-up, activation, and gym work.
• Manage load monitoring with data science and analytics.
• Produce dashboards and reports on training load and testing.
• Oversee preseason, in-season testing and a longitudinal database.
• Individualize preparation by position and minutes.
• Partner with Head of Sports Medicine on return-to-play criteria.
• Oversee equipment, tech, and facilities for performance.
• Collaborate with Academy Performance on player transition.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Presentation of complex information

Education

Master's degree in Exercise Science

Master's degree in Sport Science

Master's degree in Strength & Conditioning

PhD in Sport Science

Tools

GPS / Wearables

Force plates

Athlete management systems

Power BI / Tableau

Job description

Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and the RSL Academy are united by a shared mission of winning together through development. We are committed to building world-class teams by investing in people: developing players, staff, and leaders through collaboration, innovation, and a high-performance culture. If you are passionate about soccer, sport science, and athlete performance, we invite you to grow your career with Utah Soccer.

SUMMARY:

The Head of Physical Performance leads physical preparation for the Real Salt Lake first team, including strength and conditioning, sports science, load management, and recovery. This is a first-team-only position. The role reports to the Senior Director of Player Health & Performance and sits lateral to the Head of Sports Medicine / Head Athletic Trainer.

This position integrates physical preparation with the Head Coach's game model through a Tactical Periodization framework, using training load, testing, and match data to optimize player availability and performance.

The ideal candidate is a credible, hands-on leader with deep applied experience in professional soccer who can deliver on the field, lead a performance staff, and partner closely with coaching, medical, data science, and academy leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Lead, manage, and develop the first-team physical performance staff, including Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Sports Scientists, and performance fellows and interns.
• Develop and implement a Tactical Periodization model with the Senior Director of Player Health & Performance, aligning training structure, intensity, and volume with the Head Coach's game model and positional demands.
• Deliver and oversee on-field conditioning, warm-up and activation, and gym-based strength, power, and reconditioning programs.
• Manage daily and weekly external and internal load monitoring with the Director of Data Science and Performance Analytics to assess readiness and inform training modifications.
• Deliver clear, actionable reports and dashboards on training load, physical testing, match demands, and availability projections to the coaching staff and sporting leadership.
• Oversee pre-season, mid-season, and post-season physical testing and maintain a longitudinal database of player physical profiles.
• Individualize physical preparation based on position, injury history, physiological profile, and competitive minutes.
• Partner daily with the Head of Sports Medicine on return-to-play criteria, load-modified training, and end-stage rehabilitation.
• Oversee the procurement, maintenance, and strategic use of performance technology, equipment, and facilities.
• Collaborate with the Head of Academy Performance to align physical development philosophy and support player transition from the Academy to the first team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in Exercise Science, Sport Science, Strength and Conditioning, Exercise Physiology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of applied experience in elite or professional sport, including at least 3 years leading a performance staff.
• Demonstrated experience delivering physical preparation in professional soccer required.
• Current NSCA CSCS, UKSCA ASCC, or equivalent strength and conditioning certification.
• Working knowledge of Tactical Periodization or comparable game-model-based training methodologies.
• Proficiency with GPS and wearable systems, force plates, and athlete management systems.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with medical staff on return-to-play and end-stage rehabilitation.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly to coaches, players, and executives.
• Availability for evenings, weekends, holidays, and first-team travel.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD in Sport Science, Exercise Physiology, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading physical performance in MLS, NWSL, or a top European league.
• Data analysis skills in R, Python, or SQL, and experience with Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
• Experience with training and competing at altitude.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The job requires extended periods of standing, walking, and demonstrating exercises on training fields and in the gym, and regularly lifting or moving equipment up to 50 pounds. Work is performed outdoors in varying weather and altitude conditions, as well as in office and match-venue settings, with frequent domestic and international travel.

The Club provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Individuals with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.

Note: The Club reserves the right to revise, supplement, or rescind portions of this job description at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.