Applied Sports Scientist

ABOUT US

Utah Royals FC, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and the RSL Academy are united by a shared mission of winning together through development. We are committed to building world-class teams by investing in people—developing players, staff, and leaders through collaboration, growth, and a high-performance culture. If you're passionate about sport and motivated to grow your career in a purpose-driven organization, we invite you to join us. SUMMARY Real Salt Lake is seeking a technically proficient and applied Performance Scientist to support the collection, integration, analysis, and communication of performance data within the First Team environment. Reporting to the Director of Data Science and Performance Innovation, this role fulfills the MLS-mandated Performance Scientist designation and requires

NSCA CPSS

certification. The Performance Scientist serves as the embedded data lead for the First Team, working closely with the Head of Physical Performance and Head of Sports Medicine to translate data into clear, actionable insights that inform training, recovery, injury prevention, and return-to-play decisions.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

Serve as the embedded Performance Scientist for the First Team, supporting all training sessions and matches (home and away) and overseeing real-time data collection and monitoring (GPS, HR, wellness, RPE). Build and maintain integrated performance data systems, including ETL pipelines, databases, and reporting tools aligned with club data architecture. Deliver clear daily/weekly reports and dashboards on training load, readiness, fatigue, and availability. Develop internal readiness metrics, injury-risk models, and workload benchmarks using longitudinal data. Support physical testing and profiling protocols across the season, including data capture, analysis, and integration. Monitor squad and individual load trends, identifying elevated injury risk or underperformance and communicating proactively. Partner with Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation staff to support data-informed return-to-play processes. Integrate match data (tracking/event data) with training load to inform coaching and performance planning. Maintain data governance standards, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and MLS compliance. Administer and optimize the Athlete Management System (AMS). Support player evaluation and recruitment analysis through physical profiling and benchmarking. Participate in MLS-required meetings, reporting, and continuing education. Contribute to performance science alignment across First Team, Monarchs, and Academy. Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Data Science, or related field (Master's preferred). Minimum three (3) years of experience in applied sports science with elite athletes (professional, collegiate, or Olympic). NSCA Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) certification. Experience with GPS/wearable technologies and athlete monitoring systems. Strong data analysis and visualization skills (R, Python, Power BI, Tableau, or similar). Experience with athlete management systems (e.g., Kitman Labs, Smartabase). Ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for coaches and staff. Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work evenings, weekends, matchdays, and travel as required. CPR/AED certification (or ability to obtain). Ability to pass a background check and obtain SafeSport certification.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Master's or Doctorate in Sports Science, Exercise Physiology, or related field. Experience in MLS or professional soccer. Experience building data infrastructure and reporting pipelines. Familiarity with optical tracking/event data (e.g., Second Spectrum, Opta, StatsBomb). CSCS or additional performance certifications. Spanish language proficiency.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The job requires regularly lifting/pushing up to 50 pounds, occasional lifting/pushing/exerting heavy force (ability to demonstrate exercises, ability to act as a weightlifting spotter). The job involves running, standing, stooping, bending, lifting, pushing, typing, etc. Real Salt Lake provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.

Note:

The need may arise to revise, supplement, or rescind portions of this job description, and RSL reserves the right to do so at any time. Employees shall be required to meet the qualifications and perform the duties of any revised job description.