Head of Sports Psychology

Leads and delivers an integrated, evidence-informed sport psychology service within the club's Men's First Team environment. It supports individual and collective performance, player wellbeing, development and availability by embedding psychological expertise into daily training, competition, rehabilitation and the wider high-performance programme. The post-holder operates as an integrated member of the Medical and Performance multidisciplinary team, working closely with the Head Coach, coaching staff and the Men's First Team leadership group.

• Provide confidential one-to-one sport and performance psychology support to Men's First Team players, tailored to individual performance and development needs.
• Develop and review individual psychological performance plans aligned with player objectives, coaching priorities and the wider interdisciplinary performance plan.
• Build players' psychological skills in areas such as confidence, focus, emotional regulation, decision-making, coping with pressure, preparation and performance routines.
• Support players through selection and non-selection, injury, rehabilitation, return to performance, loss of form, major fixtures, career transitions and other high-demand periods
• Maintaining clear professional boundaries and facilitating timely referral where specialist clinical mental-health or other support is required.
• Design and deliver squad interventions across the season in response to identified team, performance and competition needs, and embed practical psychological principles within training design, competition preparation, matchday processes, recovery and post-match learning.
• Support leadership, communication, cohesion, collective resilience and role clarity, working closely with the Head Coach and coaching staff to translate psychological concepts into relevant, practical and football-specific approaches.
• Provide psychologically informed support during periods of intense fixture congestion, decisive competition phases, change and heightened external scrutiny.
• Provide trusted sport psychology consultation to the Head Coach, coaching staff and members of the Men's First Team leadership group, and operate as an integrated member of the Medical and Performance multidisciplinary team, contributing to player, availability
• Rehabilitation and performance meetings.
• Collaborate with Medical, Physical Performance, Nutrition, Performance Analysis, Coaching and Player Care colleagues to deliver coordinated player support, and provide education
• Guidance and practical resources that increase the capability of coaches and staff to create psychologically informed learning and performance environments.
• Contribute psychological expertise to player development, readiness and return-to-performance discussions while protecting consent, confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Support the Director of Medical and Performance and wider First Team leadership in developing a psychologically informed, player-centred high-performance environment, promoting effective communication, accountability, learning, psychological safety and appropriate professional behaviours.
• Contribute to the development of player leadership, ownership and self-regulation, and build credible, trusted relationships across a diverse, international playing and staff group, adapting communication to different cultures, experiences and needs.

• Postgraduate qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology, or an equivalent relevant discipline.
• Current HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist, with appropriate competence to practise in sport and exercise psychology, and relevant professional accreditation or chartered status where applicable.
• Demonstrable experience supporting elite athletes individually and delivering team-level interventions in high-pressure performance environments.
• Experience working effectively with senior coaches and within multidisciplinary medical and performance teams.
• Strong working knowledge of professional ethics, confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding, record keeping, clinical referral pathways and information governance.
• Evidence of ongoing professional supervision, reflective practice and continuing professional development.
• Ability and willingness to work flexibly around the demands of elite football, including training, matchdays, travel, evenings and weekends as required.
• Subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

• Applied experience within men's professional football, preferably in a First Team environment.
• Experience supporting players through injury rehabilitation and return to performance in collaboration with medical and physical performance practitioners.
• Additional training or demonstrated competence in evidence-based psychological approaches relevant to elite sport.
• Experience designing, monitoring and evaluating an integrated psychology service across a full competition season.
• Research experience or established links with higher education and applied sport psychology networks.
• Substantial applied experience delivering sport psychology within elite or high-performance sport, ideally in a senior or lead practitioner capacity.

• 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to an additional 5 days.
• Contributory pension scheme matching up to 5.5%.
• Life assurance cover.
• Free financial guidance and mortgage advice.
• Car salary sacrifice scheme for affordable driving.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Purchase season ticket loans for easier commuting.
• Exclusive shopping discounts and cashback with top retailers.
• Will Writing Service for future planning.
• Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support.
• Medicash Health Cash Plan for everyday healthcare needs.
• Volunteering opportunities to give back to the community.