At Manchester United, our focus is to create a high-performance environment where everyone can be their best, working together towards our common goal of football success. We believe the key to achieving this goal is connection and collaboration. Everyone coming together, working from one of our Manchester United office locations every working day to share skills, knowledge and ideas, building on the best of what we already do and looking at where we need to change and innovate.

We are committed to the continual growth and development of colleagues through access to skills platforms such as LinkedIn Learning. We also offer a range of wellbeing support, including an employee assistance programme, access to health checks, digital GPs & nutritionists through Aviva Digicare+ Workplace, enhanced family leave, plus schemes such as Cycle 2 Work and holiday purchasing, where you can buy up to 10 extra days of additional leave. You’ll have access to a complimentary lunch and parking every day, alongside gym facilities and regular colleague socials.

From a reward perspective, in recognition of high performance, all colleagues are entitled to an annual performance bonus. As a member of our team, you’ll also gain access to an exclusive range of club and partner discounts via our benefits platform, United Rewards.

The Purpose:

Manchester United are now hiring a new Head of Academy Physiotherapy, responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and delivery of rehabilitation services across the academy teams. As such, they will be responsible for working closely with the department heads to ensure strategic alignment on the short-, medium-, and long-term objectives for the club, while communicating regularly with the Head of Sports Medicine on process and insight updates

The Role:

Oversee the management and development of a team of academy physiotherapists.
Develop, lead, implement, and drive the physio and rehab Long-Term Athletic Development strategy for the Manchester United Academy, working closely with the Head of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation.
Lead and oversee the prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of all injured players within a multidisciplinary environment, maintaining regular communication with senior management.
Coordinate the daily treatment and provision of physiotherapy services tailored to individual player needs.
Create and maintain effective relationships with key departments (i.e coaching, physical performance staff) while communicating regularly regarding player availability.
Ensure compliance with professional, clinical, and integrated governance standards, actively participating in clinical audits and quality assurance processes.
Assess and enhance existing processes and systems, providing recommendations as needed to enhance delivery and departmental effectiveness.
Perform regular auditing, analysis, feedback and action points of the injury patterns and trends throughout the Academy. Whilst communicating this throughout specific Academy departments.
Manage, lead, and oversee all aspects of departmental hiring (e.g., interviews, onboarding).
To create relationships with players, their parents, and coaches to support players' physical development needs.
Manage the department budget, collaborating with the Football Finance Manager to ensure effective delivery of physiotherapy services.
Develop and present business cases for departmental needs (e.g., resources, technology) aligned with the football strategy, demonstrating clear ROI for the club.
Collaborate as part of an integrated and forward-thinking multidisciplinary team, prioritising player development optimisation.
Oversee and facilitate research projects to ensure the department remains abreast of clinical, scientific, and technical innovations, maintaining high standards of player care.
Ensure implementation of the club’s health and safety, safeguarding, welfare, and equality policies to foster a safe working environment for all staff.

The Person:

Bachelor's in Physiotherapy.
Membership in the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Advanced Trauma Medical Management in Football (ATMiFF) qualification.
Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Demonstrated leadership experience in a similar role, with a proven track record of developing high-performing teams.
Deep understanding, experience and practical delivery of Long-Term Athletic Development pathway within youth sport.
Previous experience of working with youth athletes within a high-performance sporting setting across various age ranges.
Previous experience and deep understanding of youth maturation and different presenting injuries & rehabilitation within this specialist area of sport.
Previous experience in a professional football club or other elite sporting environment.
Expertise in physiotherapy and sports medicine, focusing on injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of inspiring and motivating others.
Collaborative and inclusive leadership style, appreciating diverse perspectives and contributions.
Passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of young athletes, dedicated to their long-term success.
Passionate about making a difference in the lives of young athletes and dedicated to their long-term success.