The Women’s team are seeking a physiotherapist to join the team.

The purpose of this role:

• Support the performance ambitions of the programme by leading and delivering best practice physiotherapy and professional care to players.
• To lead a best practice approach to mitigating injury risk.
• To ensure that optimal return-to-play strategies and delivery are in place to minimise time away from training and playing.
• Develop positive and productive relationships with players.
• Play a role in developing and sustaining a culture of high performance, safer working, and respectful behaviour.
• Be an advocate and guardian of the women’s and girls' game.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attendance at all training sessions and matches throughout the competition season and pre-season, as well as providing treatment during the off-season.
• Delivery of high-level injury rehabilitation and pitch-side first aid/emergency care.
• In collaboration with the Head of Medical & Performance, ensure that medical processes are properly defined, supported, documented, and reviewed.
• Responsible for delivering assessments and diagnostics to ensure relevant treatment and return-to-play plans are created for individual players.
• Consult with players to gather information about health and injury and devise and deliver individualised rehabilitation/treatment plans.
• Use developed clinical reasoning skills to review and evaluate patient progress and current condition.
• Maintain up-to-date record keeping on KitMan Labs in line with HCPC/CSP standards and ensure effective systems and processes are in place to aid the coordination of the multidisciplinary team.
• Collaborate with sports science, nutrition, performance, and technical teams to provide a comprehensive medical service.
• Provide injury reports and updates to the Women’s technical staff, Women’s Head of Performance, and wider MDT meetings.
• In collaboration with the Team Doctor, arrange and perform player medicals as and when required.
• Accompany players to appointments with specialists where necessary.
• Ensure medical equipment is maintained to a high standard.
• Contribute to in-house staff CPD when required.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• BSc/MSc in Physiotherapy (Essential)
• Registration with the HCPC (Essential)
• Member of the CSP (Essential)
• Full UK driving licence (Essential)
• FA Safeguarding Certificate (Essential)
• Clear enhanced DBS check (Essential)
• Experience of working in football/elite sport (Desirable)
• Experience of working with female athletes (Desirable)
• ATMMiF pitch-side first aid qualification (or willingness to obtain) (Essential)
• Knowledge of EPPP framework (Desirable)
• Competent use of KitMan Labs software (Desirable)
• Strong communicator with a high level of empathy who can demonstrate resilience, with the ability to remain calm under pressure (Essential)
• A natural collaborator able to work across a multidisciplinary team, with the ability to design and implement return-to-play protocols (Essential)

WHO ARE WE?

Just over 130 years ago, there was an exhibition match at Portman Road, played by two women's teams who had travelled from London to play in front of 2,000 fans. It has been a long road to our current full-time professional status, but women’s football is at an all-time high now and is continuing to grow, and we aim to be a major part of that.

During the First World War, there are records of an Orwell Works Ladies Team, representing a huge waterfront factory that had been repurposed from making farming machinery to making weaponry.

As far as the current side is concerned, our roots go back to 1985, a completely amateur set-up, and so it remained until recently. But our players were talented and utterly committed. Linda Curl joined us in 1988, shortly after scoring twice for England v Italy in the final of the Mundialito, a forerunner of the World Cup.

We have an unbroken FA Cup record back to 1989 and had competed in the Cup as early as 1986. In 1991, the inaugural Premier League was set up, and we were included, twice finishing sixth before being relegated in 1994. The players were unpaid, had to take time off work to train and play, and the time and cost involved in playing at a national level took its toll.

But our FA Cup record remained impressive, quarter-finalists for four consecutive years (1989/90–1992/93), and semi-finalists in 1995/96.

We continued playing in regional football, gradually dropping down to the fourth tier in 2010. It became clear, though, by the mid-2010s, that there was a pathway to match our ambitions, even as an amateur club.

Year on year, we improved our league position and looked towards promotion, as the top league turned fully professional in 2018/19. The modern era of women's football in England effectively dates from this time. In 2020, we made headlines as the first fourth-tier side to play in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

After finishing top of the league in two Covid-abandoned seasons, the team were awarded promotion to the third tier in 2021. We competed well, always part of the promotion picture, and narrowly lost an FA Cup quarter-final to West Ham United Women in 2021/22.

After several near misses, we were promoted to Barclays Women’s Super League 2 as Champions in 2024/25.

Stadium regulations meant that we had to leave our seaside home in Felixstowe, but we have quickly settled into our new home at JobServe Community Stadium, the home ground of Colchester United.

Our fanbase is already impressive, but still growing. We are attracting some of the highest crowds in WSL2, and the link between players and fans is as important now as ever before.

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IF THIS IS YOU

If you are interested in applying for the role, please complete an online application form detailing why you are the ideal candidate for this position. Please note that CVs will not be accepted for this role.

Closing date for applications: 20 June 2026

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, only those successfully shortlisted for the role will be personally contacted. Therefore, if you haven't heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.

SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

Ipswich Town Women is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk and requires all employees to share this commitment and promote the welfare of these groups.

Applicants will be asked about any previous convictions, cautions, or reprimands, including those that are considered "spent" as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amended 2013).

Appointment to this role is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check (with children's barred list check) and references.

EQUALITY STATEMENT

The successful candidate must ensure a positive commitment towards equality and diversity by treating others fairly and not committing any form of direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation, or harassment of any description, and by promoting positive working relationships between all internal and external stakeholders.