Head of Rehabilitation

San Diego Wave Fútbol Club; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

San Diego Wave Fútbol Club seeks a Head of Rehabilitation to lead clinical management and return-to-performance pathways for long-term injuries. You will develop individualized plans, coordinate with medical, performance staff, and surgeons, and drive evidence-informed rehabilitation in a high-performance soccer setting.

You will oversee RTP processes, integrate mental and nutritional considerations, and ensure patient confidentiality while maintaining compliance with league policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• DPT required.
• Minimum five years of licensed physical therapy experience.
• Minimum three years in a team sports RTP leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Lead rehabilitation for long-term, postoperative, and complex injuries.
• Develop and apply evidence-informed rehab protocols and RTP criteria.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary team meetings to update player status.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication

Flexibility/hours

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Tools

EMR systems

VALD Performance technology

Job description

San Diego Wave Fóó t Club is on a mission to build a world class home for players and fans. We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking individual to join our mission to share our story, win championships, increase, and delight our fans. We’re making memories and engaging our community through this beautiful game.

Position Summary

The Head of Rehabilitation is the senior rehabilitation leader responsible for the clinical management, rehabilitation, and return-to-performance pathway for all long-term and mid-term injuries. They will help lead the club’s rehabilitation philosophy and day-to-day delivery of evidence-informed rehabilitation services, with the objective of maximizing player health, availability, performance, and long-term career durability while supporting the wider medical operations day to day. Working within an integrated Medical & Performance environment, the Head of Rehabilitation will oversee the assessment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, develop individualized rehabilitation and return-to-play/return-to-performance plans, and coordinate the transition of injured players from medical care through performance pathways and ultimately back into full team training and competition. The position will work closely with the Director of Medical, Performance staff, Team Physician/Chief Medical Officer, Athletic Training staff, Nutrition, Mental Health, coaching staff, and external medical specialists. The successful candidate will combine exceptional clinical expertise with strong leadership, communication, organizational, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills. This person must be comfortable operating in a high-performance professional soccer environment where clinical decisions, player welfare, competitive demands, workload, and return-to-play considerations must be integrated thoughtfully and ethically.

Responsibilities

• Lead the rehabilitation process for long-term, postoperative, and complex musculoskeletal injuries through comprehensive physical therapy evaluations and establishing individualized plans of care
• Help establish and maintain the Club’s rehabilitation philosophy, standards, clinical pathways, and evidence-informed protocols – including objective criteria and testing batteries to support clinical decision-making and progression
• Lead multidisciplinary meetings to update player status, review injury processes, evaluate impact and effectiveness of implemented programs, and roundtable player needs with core staff and determine next phases at regular and timely intervals
• Manage any offsite or specialist care included/required in the RTP Process
• Progress players through clearly defined stages of rehabilitation from acute injury through unrestricted training and competition, in alignment with the club’s RTP philosophy
• Perform evidence-based, objective testing using available technology and apply appropriate clinical interpretation of test data
• Frequent and productive collaboration with the performance staff to optimize the rehabilitation process and coordinate transitions of rehabilitative care
• Identify barriers to rehabilitation progress and proactively modify treatment plans
• Coordinate postoperative rehabilitation with surgeons and external medical providers
• Lead sharing of quality and relevant soccer research to high performance staff at periodic intervals – (i.e. In-service)
• Assist with the delivery of activation, injury prevention, recovery and gym-based gym-based strength and conditioning sessions as required
• Create holistic plans that include monitoring any changes in mental, psychological, nutrition status, and physical health of the Players during their rehabilitation and discuss with/refer to appropriate Team Staff as indicated
• Comply with OSHA standards regarding blood-borne pathogens
• Provide up-to-date physical therapy evaluation, plan of care, progress notes, and discharge notes maintained in the League’s EMR system
• Demonstrate interpersonal skills required to work effectively with other High Performance Team members, Players, Coaches, other Team personnel and League staff
• Maintain professional liability insurance
• Comply with all League medical policies and protocols
• Abide by all local, state, and federal laws and regulations specific to their profession, codes, and standards of their governing bodies, and all applicable League Rules and Team policies (e.g., informed consent, medication management, etc.)
• Attend all activities/meetings/programs as required by the League
• Perform other duties as assigned or required by the Club or League

Qualifications & Requirements

• Minimum four (4) year college/university bachelor’s degree
• Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT)
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience as a physical therapist since receiving licensure
• Minimum three (3) years’ experience in a similar role in a team sports environment leading RTP for elite-level athletes (i.e. Collegiate, Professional, Olympic)
• State license in California or ability to be licensed in a timely manner
• In good standing with California or current state licensure board
• CPR + AED certification in Basic Life Support
• Residency Trained
• Board-certified as a Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS)
• Strong understanding of the physical and medical demands of soccer
• Ability to work extended, non-traditional, and variable hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding player medical information
• Passion for the success of Women’s Professional Sports

Preferred

• Additional recommended/preferred certifications: Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), BOC Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Corrective Exercise Specialization (NASM-CES) and/or Performance Enhancement Specialization (NASM-PES)
• Experience working with professional or elite female athletes
• Experience with soccer-specific rehabilitation and return-to-performance programming
• Experience working with VALD Performance technology
• Experience collaborating within a multidisciplinary high-performance environment
• Bilingual communication skills – English, Spanish, Portuguese
• Experience working with international athletes and complex travel schedules

Our people are our club. We believe different backgrounds and experiences bring new ideas and perspectives. We encourage talented candidates from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to apply. We’re excited to welcome new members of our team who share our passion.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.