Head of Sports Medicine & Athletic Training

ABOUT US:

Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals FC, Real Monarchs, and the RSL Academy are united by a shared mission of winning together through development. We are committed to building world-class teams by investing in people—developing players, staff, and leaders through collaboration, innovation, and a high-performance culture. If you’re passionate about sport, science, and leadership, we invite you to grow your career with Utah Soccer.

SUMMARY

Real Salt Lake is seeking a highly experienced, collaborative sports medicine leader to serve as the Head of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer. This individual will develop, coordinate, and administer a comprehensive medical, sports therapy, injury-reduction, and rehabilitation program for RSL. As Head Athletic Trainer, this role oversees the day-to-day operations of the athletic training room and manages the 1st-team medical staff. This will manage and facilitate all orthopedic treatments, therapy, and rehabilitation activities for athletes, while liaising closely with the Head of Physical Performance to ensure an integrated approach to player health and performance.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Lead and administer all sports medicine operations for the First Team, including training coverage, matchday medical services, recovery protocols, and daily treatment coordination.
• Provide daily injury status, availability updates, and medical insights to the Senior Director of Player Health & Performance, Sporting Director, Chief Medical Officer, and technical staff.
• Supervise and mentor medical staff across First Team, MLS NEXT Pro, and Academy levels while ensuring compliance with MLS medical standards and best practices.
• Oversee injury evaluation, treatment planning, rehabilitation programming, and return-to-play protocols in coordination with physicians and performance staff.
• Direct daily therapies and rehabilitation services while managing external providers including physical therapists, chiropractors, and specialists.
• Collaborate with the Head of Physical Performance to align rehabilitation progressions, workload management, GPS/load monitoring data, and return-to-training decisions.
• Lead interdisciplinary meetings to review injury status, coordinate care plans, and align recovery timelines and player availability projections.
• Develop and oversee injury risk reduction strategies, including screening protocols, biomechanical assessments, and preseason/postseason medical evaluations.
• Maintain accurate medical documentation and reporting in the Club’s athlete management system and ensure compliance with MLS, OSHA, and emergency action standards.
• Support roster decisions and player acquisitions through medical evaluations, risk assessments, provider network coordination, and specialist referrals.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in athletic training.
• Minimum six (6) years of professional sports medicine experience.
• Previous leadership experience as a Head Athletic Trainer or Director-level role
• Board of Certification (BOC) Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) required.
• Utah State Athletic Training licensure is required before the start date.
• Current CPR/AED certification required.
• Proficiency with electronic medical records (EMR) and athlete management systems.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-performance team environment.
• Professional discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to lead and manage a team of sports medicine staff.
• Ability to travel both domestically and internationally.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional experience working with soccer athletes strongly preferred.
• Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, or related field preferred.
• Experience implementing return-to-play and load monitoring frameworks.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Experience in MLS, elite professional sport, or high-performance environments.

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role operates in a high-performance professional sports environment and requires the ability to stand for extended periods, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, reach, and perform hands-on treatment and rehabilitation techniques. The position regularly requires lifting, moving, or assisting athletes and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds and occasionally more with assistance. Duties are performed in athletic training rooms, gym and field environments, stadium settings, and outdoor weather conditions, as well as during travel and matchday operations. The role requires the ability to respond quickly to on-field injuries and medical emergencies. Work hours include evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel based on training, competition, and team needs.

The Club provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.

Note: The need may arise to revise, supplement, or rescind portions of this job description, and the Club reserves the right to do so at any time. Employees shall be required to meet the qualifications and perform the duties of any revised job description.