The Chicago Fire Football Club (Chicago Fire FC) is an American professional soccer club that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top U.S. domestic league. Founded on October 8, 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Club began play in 1998 as one of the League’s first expansion franchises. The Fire have won six major domestic titles, including the 1998 MLS Cup; the 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups; as well as the 2003 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
The Club recently announced plans to build a $650M+ privately financed downtown stadium in Chicago in 2028. The stadium will anchor Chicago’s newest neighborhood, the 78, a 62-acre development and entertainment district located along the Chicago River just south of Roosevelt Road. For more information on our bold plans, visit
DearChicago.com.
Additionally, the Club recently opened the state-of-the-art $100M Endeavor Health Performance Center in March 2025 that has set the standard for North American training facilities. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the company in the coming years.
At Chicago Fire FC, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.
Position Overview:
The Lead Senior Performance Coach for CFFC II and Academy plays a central leadership role in bridging the Academy and second team and preparing players for the 1st Team environment. This position ensures players are physically and mentally prepared to perform at elite levels through evidence-based training, cutting-edge wellness practices, and close collaboration with coaches, medical staff, and performance coaches.
The role combines strategic leadership, hands-on delivery, and technological expertise—overseeing performance monitoring, player programming, and holistic wellness services. This leader will be a key architect within the Academy and second team’s performance plan, ensuring alignment with the Club’s long-term player development vision. A successful candidate will possess excellent communication skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Job Responsibilities:
- Leadership & Management
- Contribute to the overall vision, mission, and values of Chicago Fire FC
- Lead the Physical Performance & Player Wellness for CFFC II within the Academy, ensuring alignment with the Club’s strategy.
- Reports directly to the Director of PPPW & Head of Academy Physical Performance & Player Wellness while supporting Academy, CFFC II and 1st Team coaches in all matters of player health, performance, and wellness.
- Promote a high-performance culture rooted in continuous learning, staff development, and accountability.
- Help mentor and lead part-time staff and interns within the CFFC II and Academy, linking professional development pathways to wider Chicago Fire partnerships and staff development strategies.
- Communicate effectively with players, staff, and parents, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with the Club’s vision.
- Manage and track budgets, ensuring responsible allocation of resources.
- Always maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and professionalism.
- Completion of other duties as assigned.
- Physical Performance & Player Wellness Delivery
- Design, implement, and monitor strength, conditioning, and recovery programs tailored to individual players and the team as a whole for CFFC II athletes.
- Collaborate with the Academy, CFFC II & 1st Team coaching staff to align fitness and performance strategies with tactical objectives and training loads.
- Lead warm-ups, mobility, activation, and conditioning sessions, both on-field and in the gym, with Academy and CFFC II players.
- Develop and monitor individualized training programs, ensuring long-term athletic development, injury prevention, and peak performance.
- Analyze player movement patterns and competencies, strength, and physical output to optimize individual and team performance.
- Collaborate closely with medical staff on rehabilitation and return-to-play protocols, ensuring safe and efficient reintegration.
- Conduct and participate in regular performance assessments (strength, speed, agility, endurance, movement mechanics) across Academy and CFFC II players.
- Educate players on recovery strategies, including sleep, nutrition, hydration, and regeneration techniques.
- Collaborate with nutrition staff and Club chefs to ensure food planning supports high performance.
- Travel with CFFC II and Academy teams when required, providing direct performance and wellness support.
- Technology & Data Integration
- Lead the use of performance technologies (StatSports, PlayerData, Kitman Labs, VALD, 1080 Sprint, VueMotion, Vald, Output Sports and others) to monitor loads, track player progress, and optimize decision-making.
- Utilize data analytics and performance technology to assess player performance during training and matches
- Manage athlete management systems, ensuring accurate and timely input of performance, training, and wellness data.
- Generate regular reports and dashboards for coaches and leadership to guide training decisions and development pathways.
- Explore emerging technologies and science-based innovations to futureproof the Academy and CFFC II performance model.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in a similar role
- Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, or a related field
- Proven experience working as a performance coach or strength and conditioning coach
- Strong understanding of injury prevention, rehabilitation techniques, and sports performance training methodologies
- Experience with performance analysis software and wearable technology
- In-depth knowledge of soccer-specific fitness requirements, including endurance, strength, power, agility, and flexibility
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, capable of building relationships with players and internal & external stakeholders
- Must display a strong work ethic and desire to build a career in professional sports
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Positive attitude, growth mindset, and proactive approach to problem-solving
- Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment
- Travel and ability to work weekends/flexible hours required
- Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all home games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Sports Science, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, or a related field
- Experience working for a professional Soccer team
- Additional certifications in sports rehabilitation, injury prevention, or recovery (e.g., First Aid, CPR, TPI, FMS)
- Conversational Spanish language fluency
Compensation:
- This role offers a salary range of $70,000-$80,000
- Final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt
- This role is bonus eligible
- Additional benefits & perks: Official Chicago Fire FC Website
Please note:
- Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
- CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
- If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People & Culture Department at [email protected] to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.
MLS Privacy Policy:
