Academy Medical & Performance Practitioner

Role overview

This position supports the complete health, readiness, and athletic growth of Academy student-athletes. It blends sports medicine, rehabilitation, and human performance into one integrated role, with the goal of keeping players healthy, available, and progressing in line with the Right to Dream philosophy and the San Diego FC performance model.

The ideal candidate may come from an athletic training or physical therapy background, but should also bring hands-on experience in athletic development, sports performance, and return-to-performance planning. The role operates under the guidance of the Head of Human Performance and the Head Athletic Trainer/Head of Medical.

Core responsibilities

• Build and manage a medical support program designed specifically for Academy student-athletes.
• Deliver first aid, assess injuries, provide treatment, guide rehabilitation, and support reconditioning for student-athletes.
• Coordinate smoothly with key stakeholders on each athlete’s physical status, including performance coaches, football coaches, parents, physicians, and specialists.
• Provide full coverage for home matches and training sessions across the season, including preseason, and travel away from home when needed and approved by the line manager.
• Create and run rehabilitation plans, and lead return-to-performance work on the field and in the gym.
• Contribute to strength and conditioning work, speed development, and injury-prevention initiatives.
• Use objective testing to help guide return-to-play decisions.
• Assist with organizing annual physical examinations in coordination with the wider medical team.
• Keep regular communication with team doctors regarding athlete care, treatment plans, and rehabilitation recommendations.
• Support coaches in assessing and applying sport-specific conditioning methods that improve performance and reduce injury risk.
• Discuss injury care and treatment updates with student-athletes and relevant stakeholders, offering clear guidance and support.
• Complete all required injury and incident reports, keeping records accurate and current.
• Maintain a daily treatment log to monitor rehabilitation progress and athlete health status.
• Ensure medical stock is kept current so each team has suitable equipment and supplies for training and competition.
• Promote a safe playing environment by monitoring environmental risks such as field conditions and weather concerns.
• Work with the Academy Performance Coach to ensure student-athletes complete anthropometric checks and regular fitness/physiological testing throughout the season, helping build profiles and track training adaptation.
• Support the residential program as part of the broader Academy football department.
• Partner with the Head of Nutrition and Head of Mental Performance to support the holistic development of student-athletes.
• Contribute to research and innovation efforts.

Qualifications and experience

• Minimum of a four-year bachelor’s degree.
• Preferred master’s degree in a health-related discipline.
• Board-certified athletic trainer (BOC) with state licensure.
• Certification from the National Athletic Trainers Association, or a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) qualification.
• Current CPR certification.
• HIPAA-compliant training and knowledge of health information handling.
• At least 3 years of experience in elite soccer, a relevant sport environment, and youth athlete settings.
• Background supporting growth, maturation, and long-term athlete development.
• Experience in soccer rehabilitation, manual treatment, and working across varied travel schedules, time zones, and climate conditions such as heat, cold, and altitude.

Knowledge, abilities, and other requirements

• Strong grounding in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and athletic development.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with athletes, families, and multidisciplinary staff.
• Understanding of long-term athlete development principles.
• Experience using and integrating medical technologies.
• Familiarity with medical data management systems for secure collection, storage, and front-end use of information.
• Solid medical knowledge applied to soccer.
• Strong organization and time-management skills.
• Ability to speak Spanish and English, or other languages, is a plus.
• This is an equal opportunity employer role, and all qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

Additional information

This is a full-time, onsite position in San Diego, CA. The posting does not specify salary, benefits, number of openings, start date, or application deadline.