Position Summary

The Director of Medical and Performance will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of all medical, physical performance, rehabilitation, nutrition, and mental performance/psychology services within Bay FC. Qualified as an athletic trainer, physical therapist, or performance specialist, the role will report to the General Manager with a dual reporting line to the Chief Medical Officer.

The Director of Medical and Performance will design and embed an integrated, evidence-informed medical and performance strategy to underpin decision-making and optimize player availability. The postholder will ensure players are supported through robust medical governance, high-quality interdisciplinary practice, and a culture of excellence, aligned to the club’s high-performance vision.

Bay FC and Bay Collective are committed to building a world-class medical and performance program in women’s professional soccer, and this role is central to that ambition. The Director of Medical and Performance will also have a unique opportunity to shape thinking and share best practice at the Bay Collective multi-club level.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as the professional lead for all medical and performance services, ensuring the highest standards of ethical, player-centered practice underpin every aspect of the department.
• Provide oversight of the planning, coordination, and quality assurance of all medical and performance services, maintaining consistently high delivery standards across the club.
• Drive effective interdisciplinary collaboration, embedding the medical and performance department within coaching and operational functions across the club.
• Establish unified performance standards and monitoring frameworks across youth programs, ensuring a coherent and progressive pathway into the first team environment.
• Cultivate strong working relationships with national federations, fostering a collaborative approach to player monitoring, workload management, and performance planning.
• Work in close partnership with the Chief Medical Officer and Bay Collective’s Global Director of Performance and Research to shape and progressively evolve player health and performance frameworks across the organizations.
• Hold budget responsibility for the medical and performance department, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and business cases for investment are made with rigor.
• Lead recruitment and selection processes for medical and performance staff, building a department of exceptional capability and character.

Player Health and Medical Care

• Drive initiatives that maximize player availability, reduce injury risk, and support each player’s long-term physical development and performance progression.
• Oversee the delivery of high-quality medical care across injury assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation, ensuring a consistently interdisciplinary approach.
• Develop and oversee evidence-informed return-to-train and return-to-play protocols, coordinated across the medical and performance department.
• Ensure specialist understanding of the unique health and physiological needs of elite female athletes is embedded across all medical and performance practices
• Work in close collaboration with the CMO and medical team to oversee specialist medical referral pathways, ensuring players receive timely access to the highest quality external medical expertise.

Integrated Performance

• Oversee the club’s approach to load management, using data and interdisciplinary insight to drive performance planning and proactive risk management.
• Establish a performance environment that aligns with the coaching staff’s tactical objectives, where physical preparation and recovery strategies serve the team’s broader sporting goals.
• Ensure female-specific performance, recovery, and health considerations are central to the club’s integrated performance model.
• Contribute medical and performance expertise to each player’s Individual Development Plan, ensuring physical and health considerations are appropriately represented.
• Provide strategic oversight of the club’s nutrition services, so that fueling and recovery strategies are woven into the performance model and tailored to individual players.
• Champion a culture of psychological wellbeing alongside physical excellence, so that mental performance support sits at the heart of how the department operates.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and develop the medical and performance team, setting clear expectations and performance standards that foster a high-achieving and collaborative department culture.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships across coaching and operational functions to advance the team’s sporting objectives.
• Cultivate relationships with player-appointed external practitioners and specialists, built on aligned treatment approaches, consistent messaging, and shared priorities.
• Champion a culture of reflection and learning across the department, regularly reviewing processes and workflows to ensure alignment with the evolving landscape of best practice.

Governance, Data, and Performance Insight

• Oversee departmental compliance with all relevant medical, safeguarding, data protection, and governing body regulations, ensuring the highest standards of clinical governance are maintained throughout.
• Oversee accurate and secure medical record keeping, ensuring best practice in data management.
• Harness data and performance insight to evaluate departmental effectiveness and drive evidence-informed improvements across medical and performance services.
• Lead regular audit and review processes across medical and performance services.

THE BAY WAY

• Team-first approach that prioritizes collective success and contributes to a high-performance culture
• Leads with respect, fostering collaborative and inclusive environments
• Demonstrates strong self-awareness, seeks feedback and adapts constructively
• Builds trust and is sought out for credibility and reliability
• Shows resilience and persistence in building strong networks and relationships

REQUIREMENTS

Education and Qualifications

• Degree in Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology/Exercise Science or related field; Master’s or Doctorate strongly preferred
• BOC Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and/or licensed Physical Therapist (PT/DPT) and/or Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) or equivalent
• Current CPR/AED certification (BLS preferred)

Experience

• Substantial high-performance professional sport experience, ideally within soccer or a comparable team sport
• Significant senior leadership experience with direct responsibility for medical and performance services
• Proven track record building and leading interdisciplinary medical and performance teams, ideally within women’s sport
• Experience designing evidence-informed injury risk reduction, rehabilitation, and return-to-play protocols
• Experience managing load monitoring systems and translating data into performance and medical decisions

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong working knowledge of sports science technology and performance monitoring tools
• Ability to work collaboratively within a high-performance coaching environment
• Excellent communication skills across all levels of a sporting organization
• Proficiency in data analysis and translating insight into strategic decisions
• Sound understanding of medical governance, safeguarding, and data protection in professional sport
• Experience in applied research and innovation in high-performance sport is advantageous
• Committed to advancing women’s sport and understanding the specific needs of elite female athletes

Compensation:
The anticipated salary for this role starts at $175,000. Starting pay may vary based on a range of factors which can include experience, skills, and scope.

Background

Bay FC is the first NWSL team in the Bay Area. Co-founded by four U.S. Women’s National Team legends—Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, and Leslie Osborne—in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street, Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. Beginning play in the 2024 season, we are building a squad that will play the beautiful game with power, passion, energy, and creativity.

Bay FC is a team that defies convention and transcends culture. We are proud to represent the Bay Area with its tapestry of different ethnicities, languages, climates, and ideas. Our team will be a uniting force, building a culture of belonging and shared pride. We will become a beacon of hope and connection, welcoming and embracing all fans. Our stadium will be a home for people of all backgrounds and identities. We will be the bridge that unites the Bay’s diverse communities. Through our actions and our love of the game, we will inspire and improve the lives of others.

While our community is our foundation, our love of football is our reason for being. We have the fire to be the best, and we will show up on the field every day with intensity, competitiveness, passion, and a drive to win.

Bay FC is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.