First Team Physiotherapist

Job Location Training Ground BR3 1RJ
Contract Type Full-time
Salary/ ROP Competitive
Who we are:
We are Crystal Palace Football Club, a Premier League Football Club with more than 160 years of proud history. Spread across three different sites - brand new main offices at Selhurst Park Stadium, our London office, and our Training Ground/Academy, we offer the best atmosphere and culture for our fans and our employees.

We strive for excellence in the workplace with a philosophy of high standards, professionalism, and a strong work ethic from our employees. We are constantly trying to grow, diversify and build with not only our team on the pitch, but also our team in the offices and on the ground.

About this role:
Crystal Palace FC is seeking an experienced First Team Physiotherapist to provide exceptional physiotherapy services to our Men's First-Team players through:

• Progressing individual return-to-play pathways, ensuring optimal player recovery and reducing risk of re-injury (orsecondary injury) amongst injured players
• Maintaining high player availability through the accurate assessment, treatment, and individual programming of non-injured players

Responsibilities:

• Lead the planning, delivery, and rehabilitation of Men's First Team players, ensuring a safe and effective return to training and competition.
• Design and implement individualised short, medium, and long-term rehabilitation programmes tailored to the player's stage of recovery and position-specific demands, ensuring integration of the broader interdisciplinary team to enhance player experience and drive performance outcomes.
• Collaborate across the interdisciplinary team to establish and refine individualised injury prevention strategies for players.
• Conduct objective testing and data‑informed assessments to monitor player progress across key health and performance variables.
• Actively participate in and contribute to departmental research initiatives aimed at improving medical outcomes for Crystal Palace Football Club, and the broader football medicine community.
• Support, mentor, and collaborate across the Crystal Palace Football Club interdisciplinary team, especially with respect to medical care.
• Communicate effectively with the Head of Medical to ensure they are kept up to date on all medical matters relating to Men's First Team players.
• Design and deliver daily tailored rehabilitation sessions—both one-to-one and small-group—in the gym and on the pitch for injured players.
• Liaise closely with all Sport Science and Medical team members to ensure the delivery of a service which inspires player performance through individualised care and positive connection.
• Lead and support continual enhancement of injury prevention strategies, rehabilitation protocols, ensuring alignment with evidence-informed best practice in elite sport.
• Produce phase-specific rehabilitation plans (daily, weekly, medium/long term) and share with key stakeholders.
• Review and provide your clinical opinion on the management of all Men's First Team injuries as required by the Head of Medical.
• Lead on the rehabilitation of injured players as required by the Head of Medical.
• Accompany players to medical appointments as required.
• Carry out departmental administration tasks as required.
• Produce daily and weekly rehabilitation plans for sports science and medicine staff
• Develop the rehabilitation hub of the Crystal Palace Football Club athlete data management system.
• Maintain the highest standards of clinical governance within a sporting environment, including (but not limited to) the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date clinical notes in keeping with HCPC regulations, participating in After-Action Reviews for all significant events, and updating medical processes in line with evidence-based practice.
• To facilitate and participate in a programme of Continuing Professional Development specific to the needs of Premier League medical and sports science staff.
• Attend all fixtures as required (according to the staff rota and department needs).
• Other duties and responsibilities as required by line manager.
• Uphold and promote the Club's policies and procedures, including Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities policies and procedures.

Experience, Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years' post-graduate experience
• BSc in Physiotherapy
• Postgraduate qualifications in Sports Medicine / Strength & Conditioning / Sport Science (MSc/PhD) – or working towards.
• HCPC and CSP registration
• Up-to-date ATMMIF qualification
• Proven ability to design and deliver individualised return‑to‑play programmes for elite athletes.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the full rehabilitation process from acute injury through to return to competition.
• Experience of working within an interdisciplinary environment in a professional sports setting, preferably football
• Significant experience in the assessment, treatment and management of professional athletes, preferably including football players
• Significant experience of planning and delivering gym-based rehabilitation strategies
• Significant experience of using clinical and pitch-based objective measures to inform clinical decision making in rehabilitation
• Knowledgeable of current sports injury research
• Knowledgeable in the assessment, treatment and diagnosis of sports injuries
• Comprehensive knowledge of rehabilitation and injury reduction strategies
• Be flexible to support evening, weekend, and match‑day rehabilitation and recovery needs when required.

Benefits:

• Complimentary match day ticket
• Reward and Discount Scheme through our Tech Scheme and Simple Health app
• Health and Wellbeing benefit scheme
• 20% Discount in our Retail Stores
• Discounts in various gyms through GymFlex
• Volunteering Day - 1 Workday off to support a charity of your choice.
• Travel Season Ticket loan
• Holiday allowance that increases every year of service

Our commitment to Equality
At Crystal Palace Football Club, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion is spirited and continues to grow due to the working environment, which makes all staff feel appreciated and welcomed. Crystal Palace Football Club do this by encouraging good relations and practices towards different groups and are committed to promoting employment opportunities that celebrate diversity.

We are committed to attracting, recruiting, and retaining the most talented candidates and the club intends to ensure that everyone who wishes to engage with the club, whether as matchday fans, staff, players, board members, participants in Foundation programmes and any other person engaged with the club's activities, has a real and equal opportunity to do so.

Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. We guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role, ensuring equitable opportunities for everyone.

If you require disability-related adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact (DLO inbox is for disability-related queries only, if you wish to gain further information regarding this vacancy, please contact cpfc. ). We are here to help you through the whole recruitment process including trying to apply for a vacancy, getting in touch with us through the process, and/or helping with access in case you are required to come in for an interview.

Safeguarding
Crystal Palace Football Club is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the welfare and protection of children and vulnerable people and expects all staff to share this commitment. As such, the post holder will be required to undergo any relevant security checks, including a comprehensive background check, Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure the safety and protection of children and vulnerable individuals.