About the Role

The Executives in Sport Group is supporting a professional football club in Eastern, Saudi Arabia, with the appointment of a First Team Sports Scientist. This full-time role involves working within the Men’s First Team performance department, focusing on applied sports science to optimize player performance, manage training load, enhance recovery, and support injury prevention.

Role Context

Reporting to the Head of Performance, the Sports Scientist will collaborate with coaches, medical, and performance staff. The primary objective is to translate complex physical and physiological data into actionable insights that inform daily decision-making regarding training and player readiness within an elite football environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and optimize player performance by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting GPS, heart-rate, and biometric data to assess training load, fatigue, recovery, and physical readiness.
• Provide coaches and performance staff with clear reporting based on data analysis to support evidence-based decisions for training and match preparation.
• Support individual physical development by contributing to conditioning programs tailored to player needs, positional demands, and training loads.
• Contribute to pre-season, in-season, and recovery programs to optimize aerobic and anaerobic fitness and ensure players are physically prepared for competition.
• Enhance player recovery by monitoring markers such as sleep, soreness, and readiness, and individualizing recovery strategies.
• Support injury prevention through physical testing, movement screening, and assessments to identify risk factors and areas for physical development.
• Collaborate across performance and medical departments, contributing to integrated performance plans and supporting rehabilitation and return-to-play decisions using objective physiological data.
• Stay informed on developments in sports science, player monitoring, wearable technology, and emerging performance methodologies to introduce innovation.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Sports Science, Physiology, or a related discipline.
• 5-10 years of proven sports science or physiology experience, preferably within professional football, elite sport, or with high-performance athletes.
• Strong expertise in athlete monitoring, testing, screening, and physical assessment.
• Experience working with GPS, heart-rate, biometric, and other player-monitoring data.
• Experience designing and implementing programs to optimize physical performance and matchday readiness.
• A strong understanding of training load, physical preparation, fatigue management, and recovery.
• Knowledge of the physical demands of football and their application in both gym and pitch-based environments.
• Experience managing and interpreting complex datasets, with the ability to translate information into practical recommendations for coaches and practitioners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary First Team environment.
• A commitment to continued professional development and evidence-based practice.

Work Environment and Benefits

This role offers the opportunity to work full-time within a Men’s First Team environment at a professional football club in Saudi Arabia. The position requires travel with the First Team as needed and flexible operation around the demands of a professional football schedule. A competitive international package is provided, including a tax-free salary, housing allowance, car allowance, and additional benefits. The role offers direct influence on training, recovery, player availability, and matchday performance, alongside exposure to an evolving football environment and collaboration with experienced practitioners.