Head of High Performance & Medical

Essendon Football Club is seeking a Head of High Performance & Medical to lead an integrated program optimising elite athlete health, well-being, and performance, while minimising injury risk and ensuring efficient return-to-play protocols.

About the Role

This pivotal leadership position reports to the General Manager – Football and is an integral member of the Senior Football Management Team, designing, implementing, and managing comprehensive high performance and medical strategies.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and managing multidisciplinary teams (medical, physiotherapy, strength & conditioning and rehabilitation staff).
• Optimising high-performance training environments and managing budgets.
• Ensuring adherence to medical governance and risk management standards.
• Communicating player availability, physical performance, and injury updates to key stakeholders.
• Building trusting relationships with players through empathy and expertise.

About You

You will have demonstrated success in leading high performance teams in elite sport, with a clear track record of injury reduction and performance improvement. Essential requirements include:

• Ability to design and lead integrated high performance and medical programs, with advanced understanding of periodisation, load management, and sports medicine protocols.
• Experience in managing high-performance training environments and budgets.
• Strong data-driven decision-making skills.
• Proven ability to influence diverse stakeholders through data and considered decision-making.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in sports science, exercise physiology, medicine, or a related field are essential. Advanced degrees are favourable, but not essential.

About us

The Essendon Football Club – “The Bombers” – is a professional sporting organisation in the Australian Football League, home to several teams, including AFL, AFLW, VFL, VFLW and Wheelchair Football programs. But we’re more than the game. At Essendon, unity binds us. We firmly believe that our strength comes from standing together as One Club, embracing our rich diversity, and uniting around a shared purpose. Our passion fuels every kick, every play, and every decision.

The essence of the Essendon legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of the Australian sporting calendar, through significant events such as the ANZAC Day and Dreamtime clashes, underscoring our commemoration and connection to national identity. Our heritage sets us apart, shaping our ethos and inspiring our journey. We strive to be better every day, pushing the boundaries and relentlessly pursuing excellence. But amidst the intensity of competition, respect remains paramount. We care about our impact on others, whether it’s our teammates, opponents, or our community. When we ‘Don the Sash’, we do so with unity, passion, excellence, and respect guiding our every move, Always Striving toward our next triumph on the premiership stage.

Application Process

Please submit your application as soon as possible as shortlisting will commence immediately. Please include in your cover letter why you are a great fit for this role, and why you want to work with Essendon Football Club. Cover letters should be no more than one page, outlining what you can bring to this position emphasising your experience working in similar roles in elite high performance sporting organisations. Please note that candidates who do not possess the necessary experience at the elite level will not be considered for this role.

With our commitment to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care, we undertake several screening processes to ensure this commitment is upheld. This includes ensuring all our people hold a valid employee Working with Children/Vulnerable People check and a satisfactory criminal history record check.

All applications will be treated with respect and confidentiality, and we endeavour to provide timely responses.

We politely ask not to be approached by recruitment agencies at this time.