Assistant Athletic Trainer

Role overview

The Assistant Athletic Trainer supports the Head Athletic Trainer/Head of Medical in running the Club’s daily sports medicine functions. This role focuses on injury prevention, assessment, care, and rehabilitation for players, and works in close coordination with the Head Athletic Trainer/Head of Medical and the Head of Human Performance.

When needed, the Assistant Athletic Trainer may step into the Head Athletic Trainer/Therapist responsibilities if that person is unavailable or at the discretion of the Head Athletic Trainer/Therapist and/or Head of Human Performance.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain an athletic training program suited to San Diego FC athletes.
• Deliver first aid, evaluate injuries, provide treatment, guide rehabilitation, and support reconditioning for players.
• Cover home matches and training sessions throughout the year, including preseason duties.
• Help organize the annual mandatory physical exams with the medical team.
• Keep ongoing communication with team physicians about player health status and the most appropriate treatment and rehab plans.
• Work with the coaching staff to assess and apply sport-specific conditioning approaches that improve performance and reduce injury risk.
• Update players and relevant stakeholders on injury care and recovery plans, offering practical guidance and support.
• Prepare and submit all required injury and incident documentation, ensuring records are accurate and current.
• Maintain a daily rehabilitation and treatment record to monitor recovery progress and player well-being.
• Ensure teams are supplied with the necessary medical gear and consumables for training and competition.
• Promote a safer playing environment by watching for and addressing environmental hazards such as field quality and weather-related risks.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree of at least four years is required.
• A master’s degree in a health-related discipline is preferred.
• Must hold certification from the National Athletic Trainers Association.
• CPR certification is required.
• Completion of a HIPAA-compliant course and understanding of health information handling are required.

Experience

• At least 2 years of experience in elite soccer or a comparable high-performance sports environment.
• Strong background in rehabilitation and manual treatment of soccer players.
• Comfort working across varied travel conditions, including time zone changes and climates such as heat, cold, and altitude.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
• Ability to use and integrate medical technology tools.
• Experience working with medical data management systems for secure collection, storage, and front-end use of information.
• Solid medical knowledge with practical application in soccer settings.
• Excellent planning, organization, and time management skills.
• Spanish-English bilingual ability or other language skills are an advantage.

Equal opportunity

The employer considers all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.