Head Athletic Trainer
Washington Spirit
Leesburg, VA, USA
Posted on Dec 16, 2025
The Washington Spirit Head Athletic Trainer will be responsible for leading the day-to-day coordination of athletic training needs, while supporting the management of all injuries, illnesses and emergency care. Possessing “gold standard” clinical and manual skills for diagnosis, treatment and pre/rehabilitation, they will be capable of working autonomously to ensure an individualized, female athlete, elite performance focus.
In close conjunction with the Director of Medical they will be detailed and thorough with all administration, record keeping, documentation, consultant communication and league mandates/requirements.
They will work holistically and collaboratively with the wider MDT and Technical streams – prioritizing clear, concise and transparent communication with a common understanding of the individual athlete. Supporting all streams of Performance and Medicine where required on VMOST, Project work and where directed by their line manger.
In close conjunction with the Director of Medical they will be detailed and thorough with all administration, record keeping, documentation, consultant communication and league mandates/requirements.
They will work holistically and collaboratively with the wider MDT and Technical streams – prioritizing clear, concise and transparent communication with a common understanding of the individual athlete. Supporting all streams of Performance and Medicine where required on VMOST, Project work and where directed by their line manger.
Key Responsibilities:
Oversee and coordinate the day-to-day and match day delivery of athletic training requirements:
Oversee and coordinate the day-to-day and match day delivery of athletic training requirements:
- Coordinate all relevant services and staff to ensure a robust and thorough program of injury and illness prevention/management and individual medical care at the home facility/when travelling throughout the season (pre/during/post).
- Lead on all Athletic trainer administration requirements for club, 3rd party communication, consultants, league mandates and required paperwork for external providers – with detailed SOPs and relevant training.
Support evidence-based prehab and early-stage rehab performance plans:
- Tailored to individual player and team needs across the season they will be aligned with the overall philosophy of the P&M Department and documented accordingly – under the remit of the VP P&M and SDPS.
Emergency care and facility safety:
- Deliver the front facing emergency care and ensure all legal requirements are met for SOPs, facility safety and equipment use/storage and maintenance.
Administration & Medical compliance:
- Operate with all club and league mandates to ensure medicolegal compliance and
Injury & Individual Strength & Conditioning:
- Support the Lead S&C Coach with training, conditioning sessions, and individual programs for players in conjunction with Medical, RTP and Women’s Performance staff.
Performance Monitoring:
- Support Performance staff to utilize sports science tools (GPS tracking, force plates, heart rate monitors) to assess and track players’ physical outputs where liked to medical or RTP.
Injury Mitigation:
- Collaborate with RTT/RTP Performance coach, physical therapists and other medical staff to develop injury prevention strategies and return-to-play protocols.
Nutrition & Recovery:
- Support the club nutritionist’s guidance on nutrition, hydration, and recovery techniques to support high-performance demands.
Testing & Reporting:
- Lead on the conduction, reporting and interpretation of all relevant medical screening/profiling - including daily injury reports/annualized testing. Support the SDPS with all Performance testing and reporting.
Player Education:
- Support and where applicable lead on educating athletes on best practices for injuries, illnesses, strength, conditioning, and self-management of physical health.
Collaboration:
- Work closely with technical coaches and wider MDT to integrate physical performance/rehab objectives into football-specific training sessions.
Key Performance Indicators :
- Collaborate with the Director of Medical and work closely and directly to deliver cutting-edge bespoke management, monitoring and development plans for training on and off the pitch.
- Provide specific front facing prehab/rehab and training management support – including first aid, SOPs and relevant application use
- Support the programming and delivery of gym-based strength and conditioning, as well as specific requirements for Women’s Health.
- Collaborate with the wider MDT on the programming and delivery of on-field conditioning, warm-ups, individual requirements, as required.
- Collaborate with the Director of Medical Services/Head ATC to ensure all players receive individual physical programs, monitoring and management to track player development and manage any prehab/rehab.
- In collaboration with the Performance and Medical staff create and monitor off-season training programs.
- Work collaboratively with the Director of Medicine and/or other Directors to provide Multi-Disciplinary support by implementing and monitoring optimal female health, wellbeing, recovery, physical profiling, strength and conditioning, training and match load monitoring, nutrition, psychology, and return to play strategies.
- Communicate concisely, clearly and correctly with the wider MDT – in particular ensuring that comms are translated to coaches in a timely manner and representative of the MDT agreement - “one voice”.
- Mentor PhD students, undergraduate student volunteers, and interns.
- Manage Spirit gym facilities by identifying new equipment, maintaining facility cleanliness standards, managing supplier relationships, and organizing DC United facility access.
Licenses or Certifications:
- NATABOC (or CATA) Certified Athletic Trainer.
- In good standing with NATABOC and a member of the NATA (or CATA).
- Licensed to practice in the State of Virginia
- Current professional CPR certification.
- Possess personal professional liability insurance.
Key Skills & Attributes:
- Bachelor’s degree required in a related field.
- Master’s degree in health-related field preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience in the field of sports medicine.
- Collaborative approach with multidisciplinary staff (coaches, medical team, analysts).
- Adaptability to evolving schedules, travel demands, and high-pressure environments.
- Commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion within the sport.
- Enthusiastic and energetic team player, with experience of working as part of a Multi-Disciplinary team.
- Good self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills.
- Possess a strong work ethic and friendly demeanor.
- Knowledge of NWSL and women’s professional soccer preferred.
- Medical soccer experience preferred (exception may be granted for experience in other professional sports).
- Experience working with female athletes, and an understanding of female physiology.
- Possess exceptional organizational skills with a strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize/multi-task.
- Ability to work non-traditional hours, including scheduled games that can/will be weekends, evenings and perhaps Holidays.
- Strong PC skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), and experience of data visualization software such as Tableau, Power BI, etc. Preferred.
Compensation:
- Washington Spirit offers a competitive compensation package, medical, dental, vision, disability insurance, life insurance and 401k retirement plan.
All applicants must pass a pre-employment background check.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Washington Spirit is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.