Jobs
Senior First Team Physiotherapist

Wolves

Senior First Team Physiotherapist

Salary

Competitive

Location

Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground, Compton Park with travel where required

Closing date

April 30th
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The club

We are Wolves. Progressive, determined, bright, unified and humble. A pack that is hungry for success. Wolves is one of the fastest growing professional football clubs in the UK, and also boasts one of the richest histories in the beautiful game.

Formed in 1877, Wolves was a founder member of the Football League, and was one of the country’s most successful sides in the fifties and sixties. During a two decade spell the Black Country’s most decorated side won three First Division titles and one of its four FA Cups.

Fast forward 70 years and Wolves are back among football’s European elite, but this time we will compete as a sports and entertainment business across multiple brand verticals.

As a challenger club, Wolves dare to be different, which is why creating world class propositions in Esports, Motor Racing, Fashion and Music are all part of our ambitious plans.

At Wolves, we don’t simply look to the future, we seize it.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. We expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. This means that the post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk and to ensuring that Wolves is free from discrimination and harassment.

Job purpose

To play a key role in the Performance Department for Wolves, delivering optimal injury management and risk reduction strategies to optimise player health, accelerate return from injury and increase availability for training and selection.

A minimum of 37.5 hours per week. Flexibility in this role is essential – ability to work irregular and unsocial hours as required. Work may be subject to change with less than 24 hours’ notice on occasions. Work will regularly be outside ‘normal’ working hours, in evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Attendance at consultant appointments/special events/dinners/tournaments. All annual leave is to be taken during breaks in the footballing season.

Key responsibilities

Management of injuries

  • Take a lead role in delivering first class physiotherapy services to all players in the first team, striving to return players from injury in the most efficient timeframe possible.
    Work collaboratively with the Performance team to strive for best-practice in all aspects of player injury management.
  • Driving evidence-based practice and utilise advanced clinical reasoning skills throughout the rehabilitation process.
  • Demonstrate exceptional communication with all multi-disciplinary team members in order to ensure clarity of player management.
  • To work collaboratively with the Performance team throughout the rehabilitation process, respecting appropriate roles and responsibilities.
  • Produce regular progress reports in a timely manner to the Head of First Team Physiotherapy, First Team Lead Doctor and Head of High Performance
  • To communicate clearly and effectively with the Head of First Team Physiotherapy, First Team Lead Doctor and Head of High Performance in relation to the status and progress of injured players under your care.
  • Produce an injury management plan for injured players under your care. This will demonstrate the likely evolution of the injury and take account of realistic milestones in the recovery pathway.
  • Support the other physios in the development of injury management plans- using your experience to guide and support.
  • Produce a daily treatment plan for players under your care, which is aligned with the injury management plan and take account of appropriate clinical and functional markers in order to demonstrate progress.
  • To work in manner that supports the philosophy of Shared Decision Making in injury management.
  • To accurately and comprehensively complete medical notes within 24 hours of any treatment in the Wolves Medical notes system.

Injury reduction

  • To communicate effectively each morning with the Performance Team providing information to inform individual player availability and readiness to train.
  • Work alongside the Performance team to influence the players’ pre-activation and injury prevention routines.
  • Work with players on a daily basis prior to training in order assess their functional status and implement any corrective strategies prior to training.
  • Work collaboratively with the Performance team, contributing to individualised injury prevention programmes focused on addressing relevant injury risk factors as identified following both screening and analysis of previous injury history.
  • Work collaboratively with the medical and science team to analyse injury patterns and adjust preventative programmes accordingly in order to mitigate the risk of injury.
  • To complete Periodic Health Screening as required, and contribute to injury reduction strategies as a consequence.
  • Collect and provide information as requested by the First Team Head Physiotherapist and Head of High Performance for the completion of ongoing Injury Audits.
  • To assist with post-match recovery protocols on match days, and match day +1/+2 training days as the training programme requires.

Medical provision at matches/ tours

  • To provide match day cover for the First Team at both home and away games as required by the Head Physiotherapist and Head of High Performance in order to effectively manage workloads. This may require staying overnight the day before Match days at both Home and Away games.
  • To provide pitch side trauma care at First Team matches
  • To provide rehabilitation cover for injured players who are training at Compton on Match Days.
  • To assist with Match day +1 injury clinics where required to allow effective management ofworkloads. This will be irregular and on a rota basis.
  • Attend overseas or domestic Training camps.

Pre-signing medicals/ medical consultations

  • Play an active role within the pre-signing medical of players as required by the Head of First TeamPhysiotherapy.
  • Accompany players to medical consultations at short notice (either in this country or abroad),ensuring the player receives optimal care and advice at all times.

Continual professional development

  • Work towards designated SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed) targets for personal development and departmental progression in collaboration with Head of Medical Services.
  • Keep a Personal Development Plan (PDP) which highlights areas for development and allows us toafford you the time and resources to work towards these objectives wherever possible.
  • To meet with Head of Physiotherapy on 3 monthly basis to discuss and review SMART Targets.
  • Undertake the required training in line with the FAPL rules for ATMMIF training (this will be fundedby the club).
  • Take responsibility for your own continued professional development, ensuring that you attendregular courses/conferences and keeping an up to date portfolio of achievements. Appropriate funding will be available for courses / conferences – this is to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be linked to your Personal Development Plan/ SMART Targets.
  • Strive to advance working practices both within the Medical Department, and in the wider sports physiotherapy setting by promoting and performing clinical research

Any other duties

  • Actively support and champion the Performance and Medicine Strategy
  • Lead and support strategic projects as directed by the Head of Physiotherapy, including formulatingproject plans, communicating with stakeholders and meeting deadlines as required.
  • Attend and contribute to all routine and ad hoc meetings as directed by the Head of Physiotherapy.
  • Attend and be an active participant in internal CPD opportunities as directed by the Head of Physiotherapy.
  • To assist with pitch-side trauma cover during training sessions when requested by Head of First Team Physiotherapy.
  • You may at time be required to carry out additional tasks / reasonable duties not outlined in this job description.

General responsibilities

  • Compliance with Club policies
  • Compliance with the Club’s health and safety procedures
  • Compliance with the Club’s safeguarding policies
  • To promote the Club’s values
  • To work consistently to embed equality & diversity into the Club
  • To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected
  • To maintain professional conduct at all times

Safeguarding

This role involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults in a Regulated Activity (or in closed proximity to children and/or vulnerable adults). This means that the post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable people.

Key relationships

  • Head of First Team Physiotherapy
  • Head of High Performance
  • 1st Team Doctor

Person specification

Knowledge: the level and breadth of knowledge to do the job e.g. understanding of a defined system, method or procedure, legal or regulatory frameworks etc

Essential

  • Knowledge of Physiotherapy
  • Knowledge of injury management in elite sports
  • Knowledge of advanced pitch side trauma care

Technical/work-based skills: skills specific to the job e.g. language competence, typing skills, coaching skills etc:

Essential

  • Ability to communicate fluently (in English), demonstrating advanced communication skills
  • Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills whilst working in pressurised situations
  • Highly motivated individual that demonstrates a pro-active attitude towards service development and demonstrates a passion for working as part of an MDT in professional sport
  • Personal integrity and the ability to invoke trust and respect from others
  • Open minded individual with a view of adopting new practices
  • Advanced personal commitment to continuous professional development
  • Excellent time keeping and organisational skills

General skills and attributes: more general characteristics e.g. flexibility, communication skills, team working etc:

Essential

  • Ability to prioritise own workload and that of colleagues
  • A positive attitude to information technology
  • Understanding of how to work safely with children and/or vulnerable adults and uphold generally accepted practice when working with those participants
  • Promote, adhere to and implement the Club’s Equality Policy and to work consistently to embed equality and diversity within Club
  • Exceptional communication skills using various mediums.
  • An ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines.
  • An ability to respect roles and responsibilities of other practitioners.
  • To have a problem solving attitude that is open to change and innovation.

Experience: proven record of experience in a particular field, profession or specialism:

Essential

  • Significant experience in the provision of physiotherapy to elite athletes
  • Evidence of developing, implementing and evaluating physiotherapy programmes for elite footballers
  • Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team in a professional sporting environment
  • An understanding of working in the football environment with previous experience of working as a physiotherapist in an elite sport setting
  • Experience of developing and implementing innovative ideas and putting them into practice
  • Experience of clinically assessing, diagnosing and rehabilitating a wide range of neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions in elite athletes
  • Experience of modifying training and rehabilitation programmes in order to address an individual’s needs, demonstrating advanced clinical reasoning skills
  • Experience of implementing profiling and screening methods for elite athletes
  • Experience of utilising injury prevention strategies in a professional sporting environment

Desirable

  • Working with children and/or vulnerable adults

Qualifications: the level of educational, professional and/or occupational training required:

Essential

  • MSc in Physiotherapy
  • Membership (or working towards) of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (MCSP) andregistration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • FA ATMMiF trained
  • Full UK driving license and car
  • Post-holder will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level and cleared by the Wolves Safeguarding Manager

Desirable

  • Additional European languages

How to apply

Please complete our Application Form and Diversity Monitoring Form, then email them to jobs@wolves.co.uk 

Please include the job reference code (Ref: PH-01-10042025) and the job title in the subject line. 

Please note, we reserve the right to close any advertised vacancy before the stated closing date. We recommend applying to our vacancies early, to avoid any disappointment.

For safeguarding reasons, we are unable to progress candidates who have not applied with our application form. Thank you.

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