Performance Coach, Academy

About the Club

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is an MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. LAFC is dedicated to building a world-class soccer club that represents the diversity of Los Angeles and is committed to delivering an unrivaled experience for fans. LAFC’s ownership group comprises local leaders and innovators with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise, and success in entertainment, sports, technology, and media. The club is invested in the world’s game and Los Angeles, constructing and developing the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium and a top-flight training center on the campus of Cal-State Los Angeles.

About the Role

The Performance Coach, LAFC Academy, is responsible for enhancing and supporting player fitness, health, safety, and performance on the field while complying with all MLS, MLS NextPro, and MLS Next league policies and protocols. This role utilizes research-based best practices and data tracking to maximize performance on the field and in the gym, facilitating conversations, creating insights, and developing programming for players and academy teams in performance, injury prevention, and return-to-play. This role reports to the Performance Manager.

Responsibilities

• Lead strength & conditioning coaching of Academy players, in alignment with the Club’s strength development curriculum
• Conduct on-field performance coaching, including position-specific speed, agility, and movement skills, and return-to-play training protocols
• Implement training session-specific preparation & activation in alignment with LAFC’s Training Methodology
• Perform and oversee all match-related performance aspects, including pre-match activation, team warm-up & technical preparation, substitute preparation, and post-game physical loading requirements
• Manage all data streams including Catapult GPS, Vald Performance Testing Hub, and oversee in-training and game tracking
• Collaborate with the Performance and Medical teams in designing and administering individualized pre-training activation protocols
• Collaborate with Performance Manager to implement and monitor Academy team & individual player periodization in alignment with the Club’s methodology
• Perform activation and regeneration sessions as needed
• Manage, design, and implement weight room physical testing protocols
• Evaluate player performance through performance testing, workload monitoring, and other team-specific metrics
• Utilize team-specific collected performance data to educate, counsel, and provide feedback to staff and players regarding strategies to improve performance, training, recovery, and injury prevention
• Design, modify, and apply assessment protocols and methods to analyze the demands of the sport and the capabilities of the Academy athletes
• Maintain accurate records of performance metrics, training loads, and recovery data
• Stay current with sports science research and advancements to ensure best practices are applied
• Support the development of a data-driven approach to athlete management and performance enhancement
• Travel with the team to away games and tournaments, supporting the Academy staff in managing players and upholding LAFC standards
• Other duties and tasks as designated by Supervisor/Management

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College/University in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical Education, or related field (or National Federation’s equivalent) required; Master’s Degree preferred
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role required, at an elite/professional sports team or MLS Academy preferred
• Certified Strength and Conditioning certification by the NSCA, UKSCA, ASCA, or equivalent internationally recognized certification
• CPR certified
• Previous experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary sports medicine and sports science department is a plus
• Experience in utilizing sports science technologies, such as Catapult GPS, FirstBeat, and Vald Performance
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to quickly build trust and relationships with players and staff
• Ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information
• Ability to translate data information and communicate effectively and efficiently in English—both verbal and written
• Flexible work & travel schedule with the ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays as required by the event calendar
• Must be able to obtain or have a valid and current U.S. passport and travel with the team as needed

Pay

The compensation range for this role is $72,000 - $75,000 per year. At LAFC, we carefully consider a wide range of factors to determine a fair and equitable compensation package, including skill sets and relevant experience and training.