Chicago Fire Football Club is a Major League Soccer team that was founded in 1997 and is Chicago’s ambassador to the global sport of soccer. The Club recently returned to Soldier Field as well as opened a new 50,000 square foot office in the heart of the city. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the success of the Club in the coming years.

Job Overview:

Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Performance Scientist to join our Football Analytics team. The Performance Scientist will utilize player health and performance data with the goal of supporting player health and safety and improving performance on the field, while complying with all League Policies and Protocols. This pivotal role will leverage knowledge within the sport science, data science, and data visualization fields to facilitate conversations, create insights and develop programming for players in the areas of performance, injury prevention, medical, and return to play. Responsibilities include collecting and presenting data pertaining to player health and performance, conducting testing if certified/licensed to perform, managing and integrating performance and medical datasets into first team workflows, and leading the integration of second team and academy performance data. This role will support the first team performance staff and will report to the Director of Football Analytics.

Job Duties:

Manage all incoming sports science data streams
Manage all in-training/game tracking and other data streams, and develop reporting structures around data collection
Develop new models, dashboards, metrics, and reports to analyze the physical health of players throughout the season
Evaluate player performance through performance testing, workload monitoring, and other team-specific metrics
Provide feedback to players and staff regarding all sports science data collected
Design, modify and apply assessment protocols and methods to analyze the demands of the sport and the capabilities of first team players
Lead integration of second team and academy performance data into centralized data and reporting system
Work closely with recruitment and analytics staff on performance questions pertaining to player transactions and projections
Bridge communication between Analytics and Performance departments to better understand and analyze player and team performance
Collaborate with the Strength and Conditioning and/or Performance Specialist and Club Medical Staff in the designing and administering of individualized pre-training activation protocols and in-season strength training sessions
Educate and counsel players regarding strategies to improve performance
Manage, design, and implement weight room physical testing protocols
Collaborate with the Strength and Conditioning and/or Performance Specialist and Club Medical Staff to perform activation/regeneration sessions as needed
Support the Strength and Conditioning and/or Performance Specialist and Club Medical Staff with performing all on-field warmups for team training sessions when required
Support the Strength and Conditioning and/or Performance Specialist and Club Medical Staff with end-stage rehab sessions when required
Comply with all MLS Medical Manual and policies and procedures
Document in the League Electronic Medical Record system

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College or University in a health related or relevant field required.
Minimum three years of experience with athletes in an elite-level sports environment, preferably including soccer players
Knowledge of, and experience in, utilizing sports science technologies (e.g., GPS, optical tracking, internal load monitoring), physiological testing, strength/power testing equipment, and current athlete monitoring system platforms
Excellent analytical and data science skills including collecting, cleaning, filtering, analyzing, visualizing, and presenting data
Strong background in statistics, and an ability to conduct and implement statistical analyses
Knowledge of current data and sports science technologies, and a commitment to remain up to date with industry best practices
Certified Performance Sports Scientist (CPSS) certification by NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)
HIPAA compliance Course and Health Information Certification required
CPR and AED certification
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively using a variety of media with diverse audiences
Strong organizational and multitasking skills, with good attention to detail
Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all matches that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree or higher in sports science or related field
Proficiency in Microsoft applications and data visualization platforms required. Familiarity with R, Python, Tableau, or PowerBI
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification by NSCA and/or Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certification by the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and/or Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)
Conversational Spanish language fluency

Compensation:

This role offers a salary range of $90,000.00 - $110,000.00
Final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt
This role is bonus eligible based on club-wide goals
Additional benefits & perks: https://www.chicagofirefc.com/careers

Please note:

Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club
CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training
If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People and Culture Department at [email protected] to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information

MLS Privacy Policy:

By clicking apply, you agree to the terms of the MLS Privacy Policy.