Director of High Performance

U.S. Soccer Overview 

We are U.S. Soccer and we are the future of the sport in the United States.  Our mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States.  We embrace diversity, technology, and global connections to drive the growth of our sport and by supporting members, impacting players, and serving fans.  We seek motivated, passionate, skilled people who can think, create, and work on a team.

U.S. Soccer is a growing company that looks for team members to grow with it. U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, a casual work environment, an inclusive culture, and an atmosphere for professional development.

Position Description 

The High Performance Director is responsible for creating and delivering a High Performance strategy that enhances the performance environment of all National Team Players. This person will lead, integrate, and provide all National Teams high performance requirements for player injury prevention, strengthening, and conditioning programs. This individual will manage and oversee all staff under the High Performance Department. In addition, he/she will contribute to the performance programs from Coaching Education and Refereeing.

Primary Responsibilities 

• Create the overall high performance strategy, policies, and procedures for U.S. Soccer

• Manage High Performance full-time/part-time staff and specialists/experts

• Partner with the Sporting Director, General Managers, Chief Medical Officer, Technical Development Director, Head Coaches, and Technical Staff to support and maximize the athletic potential of players in line with U.S. Soccer’s Mission and Technical Plan

• Lead organization-wide programming (nutrition, sleep, recovery, strength, and conditioning, mental conditioning, etc.) and collaborate with experts in their field to oversee the implementation of this programming

• Responsible for analyzing and reporting on all performance data

• Oversee development of recommendations for specific performance issues (altitude training, time zone adjustment, etc.)

• Serve as High Performance content creator and educator for Coach Education, Player Development and Referee programs

• Provide support to meet the diverse needs of both senior teams and youth national teams

• Lead all aspects of the team’s athletic performance assessment and monitoring processes.

• Oversee regular physiological and biomechanical assessments

• Interpret player data along with general movement observations to build detailed strength training, conditioning, and injury prevention training requirements

• Analyze and interpret complex information to share with Technical Staff, Head Coaches, and players

• Collaborate with the Chief Medical Officer, develop and execute fundamental sport science and sport medicine processes, including monitoring and management of player workloads and recovery

• Contribute to the development and communication of corrective, rehabilitation and return-to-play programs

• Assist in the evaluation of player movement performance and proficiency

• Manage upkeep of performance training, sport science, and sport medicine equipment and technology

• Develop soccer oriented practical solutions based on individual and team data-analysis (GPS, wellness, testing, etc.)

• Monitor player nutrition as guided by the National Teams nutritionist

• Plan and deliver scientifically based optimal recovery strategies post-practice and post-game

Minimum Qualifications 

• Ph.D. in Exercise/Sport Physiology, Sport Science, Exercise Science or Strength, and Conditioning or Masters in a related field

• Minimum of 10 years experience in High Performance

• Significant work in soccer at the professional club or Federation level (multiple teams from within one organization)

• Previous role in managing high performance programs

• Track record of performance enhancement resulting in improved/successful outcomes

• Excellent analytical and communication skills

• Balance of theoretical and applied experiences

• Able and willing to travel up to 25% of the year

• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including evenings and weekends as needed

• Experience contributing to applied sports performance research and development initiatives

• Possess an NSCA – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification or European Equivalent (UKSCA (United Kingdom strength and conditioning association) and BASES (British association of sport and exercise science) Accreditation- all FB academies in England require for their sport science staff

• The ability to work independently and in a team/collaborative work environment is required along with strong organizational, interpersonal, analytical and planning skills

Desired Qualifications

• First Aid and CPR certification

• Proven history of providing world-class feedback, reporting, and analysis across various projects

• Vast knowledge of medical equipment, technology, and performance aspects within soccer

• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook), Athlete Management System, GPS, and Video Editing

• Strong verbal, written, in-person presentation, and communication skills

• Excellent organizational, data collection, planning, and leadership skills

• Experience working in collaboration with sport science, sport medicine, and other support staff

• Previous experience working with multi-stakeholder projects, data and research

• Ph.D. in Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology, or a related field

• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook) and Video Editing

• Bilingual (English and Spanish)

Working at U.S. Soccer is a unique opportunity. Employees who work at U.S. Soccer have the following attributes: 

• Adopt a company-centric approach—Serve the Player and the Fan

• Embrace and see learning as a lifelong pursuit

• Possess a growth mindset—keeps an open mind and seeks new challenges

• Practice self-assessment and self-reflection

• Open to criticism and does not make excuses

• Possess a tireless work ethic

• Wants to be part of a team that wins

• Has the ability to be firm but fair

• Communicate in a direct, open and honest manner

• Build relationships through genuine interpersonal skills

MORE INFO HERE