PERFORMANCE PHYSIOLOGIST / PERFORMANCE SCIENTIST
IMULAB Performance Centre
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire
Full Time | £38,000-£43,000 DOE
THE OPPORTUNITY
IMULAB is developing a new performance centre in Blackburn, bringing together advanced physiological testing, blood biomarkers, athlete monitoring, performance assessment and recovery technologies within one facility.
We are looking for a Performance Physiologist / Performance Scientist to become our first senior scientific hire within the centre and help shape how the service develops.
You will have the opportunity to help build a comprehensive athlete assessment and monitoring service from the ground up, working with athletes, teams and coaches across a range of sports. The role combines hands-on testing with data interpretation, athlete consultation, report writing, service development and responsibility for the scientific delivery of the Performance Centre.
THE ROLE
Your primary responsibility will be the delivery and development of high-quality physiological and performance testing.
You will lead assessments including:
- VO₂max / VO₂peak testing
- Respiratory gas analysis
- Blood lactate testing and lactate profiling
- Identification of physiological and ventilatory thresholds
- Individual training-zone prescription
- Submaximal physiological testing
- Running and cycling performance assessment
- Heart-rate response and recovery
- Spirometry and respiratory assessment
- Body composition assessment
- Hydration and sweat assessment
- Strength, power and neuromuscular testing
- Force plate and jump testing
- Athlete readiness and recovery monitoring
As the centre develops, you will also help evaluate and introduce additional testing methodologies where they provide meaningful value to athlete performance.
INTEGRATED ATHLETE ASSESSMENT
A central part of the IMULAB Performance model is bringing different areas of athlete data together.
You will work alongside the IMULAB clinical and laboratory team to combine physiological testing with relevant blood biomarker information, helping us build a more complete understanding of athlete performance, recovery and change over time. You will not be expected to provide medical diagnoses. Clinical interpretation will remain within the appropriate medical and laboratory governance structure.
Your role will be to understand how this information relates to performance and to help translate it into meaningful athlete monitoring and testing strategies.
ANALYSIS & REPORTING
Testing is only useful if the results can be understood and acted upon.
You will be responsible for:
- Analysing physiological and performance data
- Producing clear, high-quality athlete reports
- Delivering athlete and coach consultations
- Identifying meaningful changes between baseline and repeat assessments
- Developing individual testing and monitoring strategies
- Translating complex physiology into practical information
- Supporting evidence-led performance and recovery recommendations
- Developing longitudinal athlete profiles
- Maintaining high standards of data quality and scientific integrity
PERFORMANCE & RECOVERY TECHNOLOGIES
The Performance Centre will also provide access to a range of performance and recovery technologies.
These will initially include:
- Hyperbaric oxygen
- Photobiomodulation / red-light therapy
- Pneumatic compression
- Additional recovery and performance technologies as the centre develops
You will be trained in the safe operation of relevant equipment where required. More importantly, we want the centre to take an evidence-led approach to these technologies.
The objective is not simply to provide recovery modalities, but to understand when an intervention may be appropriate, why it is being used and, where possible, whether it is producing a measurable result.
DEVELOPING THE PERFORMANCE CENTRE
As our first senior performance science hire, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the centre itself.
This will include:
- Helping develop IMULAB performance testing protocols
- Establishing standard operating procedures
- Maintaining and calibrating scientific equipment
- Establishing testing quality-control procedures
- Helping design athlete assessment packages
- Supporting the development of sport-specific testing protocols
- Contributing to repeat-testing and athlete monitoring programmes
- Supporting relationships with professional teams, coaches and partner organisations
- Supervising and developing a Performance Assistant
- Helping evaluate new technologies and testing methodologies
- Contributing to the continued development of the IMULAB Performance model
We want someone who is interested not only in delivering an established service, but in helping us build a better one.
COMMUNICATION & CONTENT
Being able to communicate science clearly is important to us. You should be comfortable speaking directly with athletes and coaches and explaining complex performance information in straightforward language.
You should also be comfortable contributing to educational content, including occasional filmed testing, interviews and explanations of sports science concepts for IMULAB and our partners. You do not need to be a content creator or presenter.
ABOUT YOU
We are looking for someone with a strong grounding in applied exercise physiology and experience working directly with athletes.
Essential
- Degree in Sport & Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology or a closely related discipline
- Strong practical knowledge of exercise physiology
- Demonstrable experience conducting physiological testing
- Experience conducting and interpreting VO₂max / respiratory gas testing
- Experience with blood lactate testing and threshold assessment
- Strong data-analysis and interpretation skills
- Ability to produce clear, professional reports
- Experience working directly with athletes or physically active populations
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong understanding of research and evidence-based practice
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of a performance testing service
- High standards of scientific integrity and attention to detail
Highly Desirable
- MSc in Exercise Physiology, Sport & Exercise Physiology or a related discipline
- CASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist, or working towards accreditation
- Three or more years' experience within an applied performance environment
- Experience working with elite or professional athletes
- Experience with force plates and neuromuscular testing
- Experience with body-composition assessment
- Experience with athlete monitoring and longitudinal data
- Experience working within a multidisciplinary performance team
- Experience developing testing protocols or services
UKSCA accreditation or experience within Strength & Conditioning would be advantageous but is not essential.
THE PERSON
We're particularly interested in someone who asks questions. Someone who doesn't simply accept that an intervention works because it is commonly used in sport. Someone who is interested in why an athlete's performance has changed, what the data tells us, what we still don't know and what we should measure next.
You should enjoy working with athletes but also enjoy the science behind performance. You will be joining at an early stage and will have considerable opportunity to influence how IMULAB Performance develops.
For the right person, this is an opportunity to help build something rather than simply inherit it.
Pay: £38,000.00-£43,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
