Strength and Conditioning Internship

Internship Details

Closing Date: 9am Tuesday 27 June 2023

Interview Date: Monday 10 July 2023

Start Date:

Week commencing 21 August 2023 (or as soon as possible thereafter): Induction with Sport & Physical Activity – Performance programme
Week commencing 11 September 2023: MSc induction at University of Derby

Person Specification

Please read the following information in full before applying. Emails requesting information contained within this specification will not be answered.

Department: Sport and Exercise Science / Sport & Physical Activity

Role title: University of Derby Internship (Strength & Conditioning)

Fees: £8500 – 50% funded - £4250 (applicant will need to fund the remaining 50% - £4250)
Due to visa restrictions, this opportunity is only available to UK students.

Responsible to: Performance Sport Manager (Sport & Physical Activity) / Postgraduate Coordinator (Sport and Exercise Science

Start Date: Performance Sport Programme Induction with Sport & Physical Activity – w/c 21 August 2023
MSc enrolment will be week commencing 11 September 2023

Ref: MSc S&C

Sport & Physical Activity (Performance) and the Sport and Exercise Science department at the University of Derby are providing a partial bursary award toward postgraduate fees as part of an ongoing initiative to enhance athletic performance support within the University.

In this unique opportunity, the successful candidate will support the delivery of Strength and Conditioning to performance athletes and competitive teams primarily within the University’s Performance Sport Programme.

The candidate will be required to collect data to support their MSc Independent Research project and will be able to use the experience to contribute towards their compulsory placement.

The candidate will operate under the supervision of the Sport & Physical Activity S&C Coach (Discipline Lead) and the Performance Sport Manager as well as being supported in their studies on the MSc programme.

This opportunity is designed to support career development and will ensure that the necessary skills needed to progress into Strength and Conditioning roles are developed.

As part of the internship, the successful applicant will:

Gain valuable experience of working with athletes and providing S&C support
Be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and contribute to team meetings where appropriate
Be able to collect data for their Independent Research project
Have the opportunity to engage with additional CPD opportunities where available

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be expected to

Fully commit to the MSc course, attending modules of study and meeting expectations of attendance throughout
Engage in up to 15 hours of internship activity and delivery of S&C support to athletes/coaches per week
Help coordinate and mentor the associated undergraduate workforce in S&C, which represents an opportunity to develop additional leadership skills
Conduct a dissertation linked to their internship - Dissertation topic to provide value to the University’s Performance Sport Programme. Sport & Physical Activity to be acknowledged in the research outputs
Attend monthly update meetings with the Performance Sport Manager
Attend monthly update meetings with the Discipline Lead
Review progress with the Discipline Lead and Performance Sport Manager at the end of each semester
Share key findings from their research with the internship provider if requested
Support the production of an internship case study to support future recruitment activities and showcase the MSc opportunity
Support the end of year Sport & Physical Activity workforce recognition event

Criteria for the role

Our tables show you whether criteria are essential or desirable for this role and whether evidence of this is required on application and/or at interview.

Qualifications: vocational, professional, academic

Criteria	Essential or desirable	Evidence required on application	Evidence required in interview
A minimum 2:1 BSc Hons degree in Sport and Exercise Science or related subject	Essential	Yes	Yes
Willingness to pursue UKSCA Accreditation	Desirable	Yes	Yes
Coaching Qualification	Desirable	Yes	Yes
IELTS 6 (if non-English speaking)	Essential	Yes	No

Experience and knowledge

Criteria	Essential or desirable	Evidence required on application	Evidence required in interview
Experience of delivering S&C support to athletes	Essential	Yes	Yes
Experience of undertaking academic research, research methods and data analysis	Essential	Yes	Yes
Experience of working in elite sport or undertaking research in an elite sport environment	Desirable	Yes	Yes
Experience and knowledge in one or more of the following areas 1. Strength and Conditioning 2. Coaching 3. Academic Study & Research Skills	Essential	Yes	Yes

Skills and abilities

Criteria	Essential or desirable	Evidence required on application	Evidence required in interview
Excellent written and oral communication skills	Essential	Yes	Yes
Excellent inter-personal skills	Essential	No	Yes
Competency in a range of laboratory and practical skills as relevant	Essential	Yes	Yes
Competency in relevant IT skills	Essential	Yes	No

Applicant Information

Please read the following information very carefully.

Application

There are two tasks to complete as part of your application:

1. Interested applicants are required to complete the MSc application form available through the course page by the closing date detailed above. Please ensure evidence of undergraduate degree classification is appended to the application where available.

2. Interested applicants must also email a copy of their personal statement to Dr Charlotte Chandler (details below) by the closing date. Applicants should quote the reference MSc S&C at the start of their personal statement; failure to do so will invalidate your application.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted and invited to interview as outlined above.

Selection

Shortlisted candidates will be required to present their research topic to the panel as part of the interview process. Further guidance will be made available within interview invites.

The panel will endeavor to make decisions on the interview date and inform successful applicants accordingly.

If you require any further information regarding the MSc programme and content, the internship position, or the research project, please contact:

Dr. Charlotte Chandler

Postgraduate Coordinator (Sport and Exercise Science)

Tel: 01332 593373

E-mail: c.chandler@derby.ac.uk