Athletic Trainer

Washington Spirit • Leesburg, VA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Athletic Trainer is a core member of the Washington Spirit’s Medical and Performance (M&P) department, responsible for leading the day-to-day coordination and delivery of athletic training services for the First Team. Reporting to the Director of Medical Services (DoMS), the Athletic Trainer brings gold-standard clinical and manual therapy skills in injury assessment, treatment, and pre- and post-rehabilitation, and is capable of operating autonomously to deliver individualized, female-athlete-centered care. The Athletic Trainer works in close coordination with the DoMS on all administration, record-keeping, documentation, consultant communication, and NWSL league mandate compliance. This role also collaborates across the full multidisciplinary team (MDT) and technical staff, contributing to the department’s Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategy, and Tactics (VMOST) framework and supporting project work as directed, with clear, concise, and transparent communication as a defining standard.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field required
• NATABOC (or CATA) Certified Athletic Trainer, in good standing with NATA (or CATA)
• Licensed to practice as an Athletic Trainer in the State of Virginia
• Current professional CPR/AED certification for healthcare providers
• Personal professional liability insurance required
• SafeSport certified or capable of obtaining SafeSport certification prior to hire
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in sports medicine, with meaningful experience in a professional or elite sport environment
• Experience working with elite female athletes, including demonstrated understanding of female-specific physiology, injury risk patterns, and clinical considerations
• Demonstrated knowledge of ACL prevention protocols, female-specific injury risk, and evidence-based rehabilitation programming relevant to elite women’s soccer
• Familiarity with the NWSL CBA requirements related to medical staffing, player welfare, and compliance obligations, and a commitment to upholding these standards
• Proficiency with sports science and medical monitoring technologies, athlete management systems, and EMR platforms
• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-performance environment
• Strong PC skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Collaborative approach with multidisciplinary staff and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Must be able to work long hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, with travel required throughout the NWSL season.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a health-related field strongly preferred
• Medical soccer experience strongly preferred
• experience in other professional sports environments will be considered
• experience with data visualization software such as Tableau or Power BI preferred

Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate all day-to-day and match day athletic training services, including injury and illness prevention and management, individual medical care, internal/external communication, modified/additional sessions and emergency coverage at the home facility and when traveling throughout the season.
• Lead all athletic trainer administration requirements for the club, third-party communications, consultants, NWSL league mandates, and required documentation for external providers, with detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and relevant staff training.
• Deliver front-facing emergency care, ensuring all legal requirements and are met for SOPs, facility safety, and equipment use, storage, and maintenance.
• Responsible for the coordination and administration of all injury rehabilitation and prehabilitation programs for players, working in close coordination with the DoMS, Physical therapist and the Return-to-Play (RTP) Performance Coach.
• Ensure all rehabilitation programs are tailored to individual player and team needs across the season, aligned with the P&M department’s philosophy, and documented accordingly.
• Operate within the matrix management structure in collaboration with the Director of Women’s Health & Individual Performance (DWHIP), Senior Director of Performance Services (SDPS), and their direct reports to ensure integrated, holistic rehabilitation support.
• Lead all off-season rehabilitation needs and contribute to off-season training programs developed in collaboration with the performance and medical staff.
• Operate in full compliance with all club and NWSL league mandates to ensure medicolegal compliance, attending all mandated training and sessions and submitting all required documentation in coordination with the DoMS.
• Lead the conduct, reporting, and interpretation of all relevant medical screening and profiling, including Spiritweb, daily injury reports, and annualized testing.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date player medical records in compliance with applicable privacy laws and NWSL regulations – including collation, uploading and ensuring relevant storage.
• Support the performance staff in utilizing sports science tools, including GPS tracking, force plates, and heart rate monitors, to assess and track players’ physical outputs where linked to medical care or RTP.
• Ensure alignment of joint monitoring and shared medical information, as required, across the MDT, maintaining appropriate confidentiality standards throughout.
• Support the SDPS and their direct reports with training, conditioning sessions, and individual programs for players that require medically informed variations.
• Manage Spirit medical facilities (Inova Performance Center, Audi Field), including identifying new equipment, maintaining facility cleanliness and safety standards, managing supplier relationships, and coordinating DC United facility access where required.
• Lead on coordination of medical equipment movement, tracking, inventory, warranties and storage both at home and away.
• Support the club’s nutrition strategy around fueling, hydration, and medical or doping education concerns, and support recovery SOPs under matrix management of the DWHIP.
• Collaborate with the wider MDT to develop SOPs related to injury prevention strategies and return-to-play protocols.
• Contribute to the club’s evidence-based injury prevention programming, including ACL prevention protocols, neuromuscular training, and load management strategies specific to female soccer players.
• Work closely with technical coaches and the wider MDT to integrate rehabilitation and medical objectives into the training environment, communicating concisely, clearly, and consistently with all stakeholders.
• Support the DoMS in providing multi-disciplinary support by implementing and monitoring optimal female health, wellbeing, recovery, physical profiling, load monitoring, nutrition, and RTP strategies.
• Educate athletes on best practices for injury management, illness, strength and conditioning, and self-management of physical health.
• Mentor PhD students, undergraduate student volunteers, and interns within the M&P department.
• Abide by all local, state, and federal laws and all applicable NWSL and club policies and procedures.
• Attend all activities, meetings, and programs as required by the NWSL.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required by the DoMS.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior