Head Strength & Conditioning Coach

About the PWHL


The Professional Women's Hockey League delivers world-class competition and fosters meaningful connections with fans and communities through operational excellence, purposeful partnerships, and a focus on long-term sustainability. We are dedicated to cultivating a workplace and league culture rooted in integrity, innovation, and inclusion - on and off the ice.

Position Summary


PWHL San Jose is seeking a highly motivated and collaborative Head Strength & Conditioning Coach to join our high-performance staff. This full-time position plays a key role in optimizing player performance, supporting injury prevention and rehabilitation, and contributing to the overall success of our athletes throughout the season. The successful candidate will work within a multidisciplinary performance team alongside Athletic Therapists, Nutrition, Mental Performance, Coaching Staff, and Hockey Operations. This individual will be responsible for designing and implementing evidence-based training programs while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and athlete development.

The Head Strength & Conditioning Coach plays a vital role in optimizing athlete performance by leading an integrated, evidence-based approach to training, sport science, and recovery. Working within a multidisciplinary environment, this individual collaborates closely with healthcare and performance professionals to support athlete health and readiness. The ideal candidate brings strong communication skills and a performance-driven mindset to help maximize on-ice results. This posting is for a newly created position. The pay range for this position is $71,000 to $85,000 USD annually.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Supervise and direct all players, including active roster and reserve players, with respect to their strength and conditioning and rehabilitation programming, serving as the authority on player training decisions within the performance department.
• Where applicable, manage and provide direct oversight of the S&C Assistant, including day-to-day direction, task assignment, and professional development.
• Lead pre-season medical planning in collaboration with coaches and medical staff, contributing to the development of individualized athlete preparation plans prior to the start of each season.
• Develop, lead, and communicate return to play planning and protocols for injured players in collaboration with coaches and the medical team, ensuring athlete readiness is assessed and documented prior to return.
• Manage the performance department budget, including planning, tracking, and reporting on expenditures allocated to the department.
• Lead procurement and ordering for the performance department, including supplements, equipment, and related supplies.
• Design individualized training plans for players based on their physical performance profile, injury history, position, and goals.
• Collaborate with the integrated support team (IST) on a day-to-day basis, including athletic therapists, mental performance practitioners, and nutritionists, to support athlete health, performance, and wellness.
• Utilize performance-based technology to extract meaningful insights related to training, wellness, and on-ice performance.
• Clearly communicate findings and related performance-improvement strategies to athletes, coaches, and IST members.
• Lead warm-up, activation, and cool-down routines at both practices and games.
• Attend all team practices, games (home & away), and team events.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science, or a related field.
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working in high performance environments such as professional sports, national team programs, or with collegiate athletes.
• Valid CPR or First Aid equivalent.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and travel as required.
• This position is based in the United States. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The PWHL does not provide work permit sponsorship for this role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters Degree in Kinesiology or a related field.
• Experience working in professional hockey, elite amateur hockey, or national team hockey environments is strongly preferred.
• Experience with Catapult athlete monitoring systems and interpreting workload data to inform training and recovery decisions.
• Experience using athlete management systems such as Teamworks AMS for athlete monitoring, wellness tracking, injury communication and documentation.

Skills & Competencies

• Commitment to inclusivity, treating all individuals with kindness, understanding, and empathy.
• Professional integrity with demonstrated honesty, fairness, and respect.
• Commitment to accountability and taking ownership for actions and outcomes.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to proactively share information to ensure quality outcomes.
• Collaborative approach that prioritizes League and team success.
• Creative mindset with the ability to think outside the box.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Strong time-management skills.
• Experience with sports science technologies such as force plates and athlete monitoring systems.

Flexibility & Travel


Candidate must be able to work on-site, including evenings, weekends, and travel throughout the season as required.

The Professional Women's Hockey League is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or Veteran status, or any other protected class.

A background check will be conducted once a successful candidate is identified.