About the Victorian Institute of Sport:

The Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) was set up to assist the development of Victoria’s best athletes. It was established in 1990 by the State Government as a private trustee company, with its Board of Directors appointed by the Victorian Minister for Sport.

The VIS is located at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park. The VIS headquarters completed a renovation in February 2023, providing a brand new workspace for athletes and staff.  It is a non-residential institute, which utilises Melbourne’s outstanding sporting facilities, to allow high performance athletes to live and train in Melbourne, the sporting capital of Australia.

The VIS operates in partnership with National Sporting Organisations and State Sporting Associations to deliver high performance daily training environments (DTEs) for sports and athletes in support of the National High Performance Sport Strategy outcomes. Our facility and staff help prepare and support future and current Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth Games and World Champion athletes. 

Employee Benefits:

The Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) provides a support work environment for you to be your best whilst supporting Victoria's best athletes. In addition, all employees have access to:

• 2xu gear to proudly represent the VIS brand
• Friday Staff Sport - to get that competitive energy out and socialise with all staff
• Heavily subsidised access to St Ali barista coffee and Albert Park parking
• Professional development opportunities 
• Newly renovated office with ergonomic sit/stand desks and plenty of natural light & open windows 
• Free access to gym, boxing classes and pool/recovery facilities 

The Role:

The Physical Preparation Coach is responsible for the physical preparation of athletes within the VIS Women’s Hockey Program and athletes in the VIS Para Unit.

The primary purpose of this role will be: 

• Supporting VIS scholarship holders & identified Para athletes to improve their sporting performances.
• Supporting Head Coaches, Program Managers and program staff achieve their program KPI’s
• Work with performance support teams to provide an inter-disciplinary approach to improve performance and athlete health and wellbeing
• Support the Para Sport unit on projects that support para athlete development and increase the number of categorised Para athletes in Victoria

Job responsibilities may include but not limited to: 

• Design individual physical preparation plans and programs to maximise athletic development and performance in consultation with the coaches and other support staff
• Support Talent Identification and talent development for para-athletes through a thorough understanding of impairment and performance in para - sport.
• Measure and monitor key performance related strength and conditioning variables/data to demonstrate progression and identify key areas for athletic development
• Attend regular meetings with coaches and support staff to discuss progress of individual athletes relating to performance and athlete health status
• Work independently and as part of the Physical Preparation team to ensure VIS adopts cutting edge practices, in athlete preparation, coaching, planning, and evaluation of physical preparation services
• Ensure all support is provided within an ethical framework and based on sound quality assured, evidence-based, best practice scientific principles
• Provide support within the daily training and competition environments
• Actively promote, support, and implement the National Quality Standards and AIS Best Practice Guidelines, to give confidence that athlete performance data collected and used to inform decisions is valid, accurate, reliable and comparable nation-wide

Required qualifications/ experience

• Degree in Sports Science or equivalent
• A minimum of 2 years working within a high performance (HP) sport environment
• ASCA Professional L2 Coaching Accreditation
• Current Working with Children / Working with Vulnerable People Check
• Sports Integrity Australia relevant courses - Level 2 Anti-Doping, Match manipulation, Child safeguarding
• Current First Aid and CPR
• Current Driver’s License
• Proven success in utilising knowledge and skills for planning and supporting athletes to contribute to successful outcomes and performance progression
• Demonstrated experience working within an interdisciplinary team with HP staff, coaches, and athletes
• Developed problem identification and solving skills with a capacity to deal with complexity
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, time management, and planning skills

The VIS is committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive space for all, celebrating our differences where everyone is valued, included and supported. Guided by our motto 'Success in Sport & Life’, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, identities, ages, and abilities including those who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and people with a disability. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable opportunities for all, including making reasonable adjustments in recruitment and workplace processes to ensure everyone can perform at their best.