Head of Medical

The role

Lead the medical provision of an ambitious professional football club, helping shape the health, availability and performance of its players.

Sheffield United Football Club are looking to appoint a Head of Medical to provide senior leadership across the Club’s medical function, while acting as the senior doctor for the Men’s First Team.

This is a significant opportunity for an experienced football doctor to take greater ownership of a medical department, combining elite clinical practice with leadership, medical governance and strategic responsibility.

Working closely with the First Team Manager, Head of Performance and wider multidisciplinary team, you will lead the delivery and continued development of medical, physiotherapy and rehabilitation provision, while helping create consistency in medical practice across the Men’s First Team, Boys’ Academy, Women’s First Team and Women’s Academy.

For an established medical leader, it offers the opportunity to shape a department at a club with clear ambitions. Equally, Sheffield United are open to an outstanding senior doctor ready to step into their first Head of Medical position, bringing strong clinical foundations and the leadership potential to grow with the role.

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The impact you’ll make

• Act as Head of Medical and senior doctor for the Men’s First Team, providing expert assessment, diagnosis and management of player injury, illness and complex clinical cases.
• Lead, manage and develop the First Team medical department, including physiotherapy and rehabilitation provision, creating a collaborative, accountable and high-performing environment.
• Shape and continually develop the Club’s medical strategy and clinical governance framework, ensuring robust standards across policies, protocols, documentation, audit, safeguarding and assurance.
• Provide clinical leadership and guidance to doctors across the Boys’ Academy, Women’s First Team and Women’s Academy, helping establish consistency and alignment in medical practice across Sheffield United.
• Build trusted relationships with the First Team Manager, coaching staff and senior Club leadership, providing clear, evidence-based advice around player health, welfare and availability.
• Work in close partnership with the Head of Performance and wider MDT across injury prevention, load management, rehabilitation, return-to-play and player availability.
• Lead pre-signing medicals, screening, referrals, investigations and specialist consultations, building a trusted external network and ensuring appropriate clinical and financial decision-making.
• Oversee medical provision for First Team training and fixtures, travelling with the squad and providing matchday medical support where required.
• Lead and develop the medical team through feedback, objective setting, education and CPD, creating an environment where people are encouraged to challenge, communicate and continually improve.
• Take ownership of the Medical department’s budget, staffing, equipment, medication, external medical expenditure and CPD resources, balancing outstanding player care with responsible financial management.

What’s in it for you?

• The opportunity to hold a senior medical leadership position within an ambitious professional football club, with genuine influence over how medical provision develops.
• A role that keeps you clinically connected to the Men’s First Team while giving you broader responsibility for leadership, strategy and governance.
• The opportunity to inherit and lead an established First Team medical structure, including a recently appointed Head of Physiotherapy, three further First Team physiotherapists and soft-tissue provision.
• The chance to work alongside an established Head of Performance and multidisciplinary team, with expertise across sports science, strength & conditioning, nutrition and psychology.
• A genuine step-up opportunity for a high-calibre First Team Doctor, Lead Doctor or senior medical practitioner who is ready to take greater ownership of a department and develop as a medical leader.
• Join a club whose ambition is to achieve sporting success sustainably, with a track record of competing towards the top end of the Championship and ambitions to return to the Premier League and establish itself there.
• The opportunity to have input into the future of the Club’s medical environment, with Sheffield United investing in a new dedicated First Team and U21 training centre, with plans encompassing enhanced medical facilities, a high-level gym and hydrotherapy provision.
• Access to established facilities and performance technology, alongside external relationships with specialist medical providers and Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre.
• Dedicated departmental and wider Club support for continued professional development, allowing you and your team to continue developing professionally.

Your skills and experience

We’re interested in speaking with experienced doctors who combine excellent clinical judgement with the communication, leadership and professional standards required within elite football.

You will ideally bring:

• Full GMC registration and a current licence to practise in the UK.
• A postgraduate qualification in Sport & Exercise Medicine, such as a Diploma, MSc or equivalent.
• A current FA Advanced Trauma Medical Management in Football (ATMMiF) qualification or recognised equivalent.
• Previous experience within professional football, ideally as a First Team Doctor, Lead Doctor, Head of Medical or equivalent senior medical practitioner.
• Significant experience working with elite athletes and managing complex clinical cases.
• A strong understanding of clinical governance, including medical records, confidentiality, safeguarding and professional and football regulatory requirements.
• The ability to lead and develop people, creating a medical environment built around accountability, collaboration and high professional standards.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to provide clear medical advice, influence senior stakeholders and challenge appropriately when required.
• A strong understanding of how medicine, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, sports science and strength & conditioning integrate within an elite football environment.
• The ability to combine excellent player care with a broader strategic and managerial mindset, including financial and budgetary responsibility.

Experience of providing strategic or clinical oversight across multiple teams or squads would be advantageous, as would previous responsibility across wider performance functions. MRCGP, MFSEM or another relevant postgraduate membership or fellowship would also be beneficial.

How to apply

If you are an experienced football doctor looking to take the next step in your career – or an established medical leader attracted by the opportunity to shape a department within an ambitious professional football club – we would be delighted to hear from you.

The Executives in Sport Group are retained on behalf of Sheffield United Football Club to appoint an Academy Doctor. 

To apply, please email your CV and a covering letter to br@eisg.com

Click here to see full Job Description

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