Performance Scientist / Human Performance Coach

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

Proprioceptive Solutions is seeking three Performance Scientists / Human Performance Coaches to join the Human Performance division of its Movement Hospital™ model in La Jolla, California.

This is an advanced, graduate-level applied performance science position designed for professionals whose preparation extends substantially beyond the conventional personal training model.

The Performance Scientist / Human Performance Coach operates within an interdisciplinary environment integrating clinical physiology, orthopedic rehabilitation, movement science, strength and conditioning, metabolic health, recovery, and human performance. The position requires the ability to translate contemporary scientific evidence, objective assessment data, provider-directed clinical considerations, and established return-to-performance criteria into sophisticated exercise and performance programming.

Candidates must possess a minimum of a master’s degree in a relevant discipline and hold the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential. Doctoral preparation is strongly preferred.

The successful candidate will demonstrate advanced knowledge of exercise physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, motor control, tissue loading, periodization, return-to-sport principles, special-population programming, and the interpretation of human-performance data.

This position carries no sales quota or individual revenue-generation responsibility. Performance Scientists are evaluated on scientific rigor, interdisciplinary execution, professional practice, documentation, program quality, and patient/athlete outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Practice Model

Performance Scientists at Proprioceptive Solutions do not practice in isolation.

They function as members of an interdisciplinary team under established departmental leadership and in coordination with the licensed providers responsible for applicable clinical care.

Performance Scientists are expected to exercise advanced professional judgment within their education, credentialing, assigned responsibilities, and lawful scope. When an individual is transitioning from rehabilitation or remains under the care of a licensed provider, performance programming must remain aligned with the applicable provider’s plan, precautions, restrictions, and established clinical objectives.

The Performance Scientist does not independently diagnose medical conditions, establish medical treatment plans, modify provider-directed rehabilitation orders, or represent performance services as licensed healthcare services unless the employee is separately licensed, credentialed, and specifically authorized to perform those services in that capacity.

This distinction is fundamental to the Movement Hospital interdisciplinary model.

Core Responsibilities

The Performance Scientist / Human Performance Coach will:

• Design, implement, document, and progress evidence-based strength, conditioning, movement, and human-performance programs.
• Translate provider-directed rehabilitation objectives into appropriate performance progressions when individuals transition from rehabilitation toward unrestricted activity.
• Conduct structured human-performance assessments and use objective findings to guide exercise selection, loading, progression, regression, and reassessment.
• Apply advanced principles of exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning, neuromuscular adaptation, strength and power development, periodization, fatigue management, recovery, and load management.
• Understand and appropriately apply load-acceptance progressions, return-to-sport protocols, graded exposure, tissue-loading principles, and objective readiness criteria.
• Recognize pain, swelling, altered movement, physiological responses, functional deterioration, or other findings requiring modification, escalation, or referral to the appropriate provider.
• Participate in interdisciplinary case review and communicate relevant performance findings to clinical and performance team members.
• Work effectively with individuals transitioning from formal rehabilitation as well as healthy and high-performance populations.
• Maintain objective longitudinal performance data and use reassessment to inform programming decisions.
• Maintain professional documentation consistent with institutional standards.
• Critically evaluate peer-reviewed literature and translate scientifically defensible findings into applied practice.
• Participate in protocol development, case conferences, continuing education, student education, data collection, quality improvement, research initiatives, academic collaborations, and other scholarly activities.
• Maintain strict professional boundaries among performance coaching, rehabilitation, and regulated healthcare practice.

Applied Performance Science & Technology

Candidates should possess experience with, or sufficient scientific and technical preparation to become proficient with, technologies and methodologies including:

• HUMAC NORM isokinetic dynamometry
• OptoGait
• VALD and/or comparable force-platform and performance-testing systems
• Force plate assessment
• Force-velocity and force-power profiling
• Metabolic and cardiorespiratory testing
• Body-composition assessment
• Unloading and body-weight-supported exercise
• Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), as appropriate to professional role
• Blood flow restriction/occlusion training within applicable professional scope and institutional protocol
• Objective strength, power, asymmetry, gait, and movement assessment
• Load-acceptance and progressive loading strategies
• Return-to-sport and return-to-performance testing

Candidates are not expected to arrive with experience on every specific device. Understanding the underlying measurement principles and demonstrating the ability to competently interpret and apply objective data are more important than familiarity with a particular manufacturer’s equipment.

Populations Served

The successful candidate must demonstrate the professional maturity and scientific competence necessary to work across heterogeneous populations, potentially including:

• Competitive, collegiate, professional, and recreational athletes
• Individuals transitioning from orthopedic rehabilitation
• Healthy adults pursuing advanced physical performance
• Older adults
• Individuals with neurological or neuromuscular considerations
• Individuals with cerebral palsy
• Individuals with multiple sclerosis
• Individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or other hypermobility presentations
• Individuals with hyperkyphosis and other age- or condition-associated movement considerations
• Individuals requiring modified loading, unloading, or graded return to physical activity

Experience with every population listed above is not required. Candidates must, however, demonstrate the ability to recognize when a presentation requires provider direction, interdisciplinary consultation, modification, or referral rather than exceeding their professional role.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must possess:

• Master’s degree or higher in Exercise Physiology, Sport Science, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Human Performance, Strength and Conditioning, Rehabilitation Science, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, or a closely related discipline.
• Current Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential.
• Minimum three years of qualifying post-graduate applied experience in human performance, sport science, strength and conditioning, clinical exercise physiology, rehabilitation-to-performance, or a comparable setting.
• Demonstrated competency in evidence-based program design and progression.
• Strong scientific literacy and ability to critically appraise peer-reviewed research.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary professional team.
• Current CPR/AED certification or ability to obtain it as a condition of employment.

Qualifying experience may include appropriately substantive graduate assistantships, collegiate strength and conditioning appointments, residencies, fellowships, doctoral research with significant applied components, and comparable supervised professional experiences .

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates possessing:

• PhD, DHSc, DPT, OTD, DAT, or another relevant doctorate.
• Advanced preparation in sport science, clinical exercise physiology, biomechanics, or rehabilitation science.
• ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP), ACSM exercise physiology credential, or relevant advanced ACSM certification.
• Strength and conditioning credentials or professional development through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa).
• Licensed or credentialed backgrounds in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or comparable rehabilitation disciplines combined with substantive performance experience.
• Collegiate, professional, Olympic, tactical, or high-performance sport experience.
• Research, teaching, laboratory, publication, conference presentation, or academic collaboration experience.
• Demonstrated experience transitioning individuals from rehabilitation into unrestricted performance.

Evidence-Based Practice Standard

This is an evidence-based practice position .

Performance Scientists must be capable of locating, critically appraising, interpreting, and applying contemporary peer-reviewed literature. Programming decisions should be defensible through an integration of scientific evidence, objective assessment, professional expertise, provider direction when applicable, and the characteristics and goals of the individual being served.

Candidates should expect to discuss scientific rationale during interdisciplinary case review and should be comfortable modifying a previously held position when objective findings or higher-quality evidence warrant doing so.

Professional Scope & Regulatory Expectations

Employment as a Performance Scientist / Human Performance Coach does not independently authorize the diagnosis or treatment of disease or injury or the performance of services reserved by law to a licensed healthcare profession.

Professional licensure held by an applicant does not automatically expand the assigned scope of this position. Licensed services may be performed only when appropriately authorized, credentialed, and assigned by Proprioceptive Solutions and within the individual’s lawful professional scope.

All employees are expected to comply with applicable professional regulations, institutional protocols, privacy requirements, documentation standards, provider direction, and established escalation procedures.

Application Requirements

A curriculum vitae is required. Applications submitted solely with a general fitness résumé may not be considered.

Candidates should submit:

• Curriculum vitae
• Relevant professional credentials and certifications
• Graduate education and degree information
• Relevant clinical, sport-science, strength and conditioning, research, teaching, or scholarly experience

Applicants will also be asked to respond briefly to the following professional scenario:

Describe how you would approach the transition of an athlete from completion of formal rehabilitation into unrestricted performance training. Identify the objective information you would seek, how the treating provider’s plan would inform your decision-making, and how you would determine appropriate progression of loading and performance demands.