Job Description

Be You. Be Bold. Choose Duke.

Sports Performance Coach, Olympic Sports

Be You.

At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives that each member of our community brings. As a Sports Performance Coach, you will play an integral role in helping Duke student-athletes maximize their athletic potential through innovative training, performance enhancement, and recovery programs. You'll join a collaborative team dedicated to developing championship-level athletes while fostering an environment of excellence, integrity, and inclusion.

Be Bold.

As a Sports Performance Coach, you'll have the opportunity to make a direct impact on the success, health, and development of Duke student-athletes. Working closely with coaches, athletic trainers, sports medicine professionals, and athletics leadership, you'll design and implement evidence-based performance programs that enhance strength, speed, endurance, mobility, and sport-specific performance.

What You'll Do:

• Design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive sports performance programs for assigned varsity athletic teams and student-athletes.
• Develop individualized and team-based strength and conditioning plans that support athletic performance goals.
• Create and oversee recovery, mobility, and physical development programs that reduce injury risk and improve overall athletic readiness.
• Collaborate with sports medicine staff and athletic trainers to support student-athlete rehabilitation and return-to-play protocols.
• Monitor athlete progress and adjust training programs based on performance data, assessments, and sport-specific needs.
• Assist in scheduling and coordinating team training sessions to ensure efficient use of sports performance resources and facilities.
• Help oversee daily operations of sports performance training facilities, maintaining a safe, organized, and high-performance environment.
• Manage assigned administrative responsibilities and special projects that support departmental objectives.
• Build positive relationships with student-athletes and coaches while promoting a culture of accountability, resilience, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure full compliance with NCAA, conference, university, and departmental policies, procedures, and regulations.

What You'll Bring:

• Knowledge of strength and conditioning principles, athletic performance development, and injury prevention strategies.
• Ability to design and implement performance training programs tailored to a variety of sports and athlete populations.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with student-athletes, coaches, and interdisciplinary partners.
• Experience monitoring athlete performance and utilizing data to inform training decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced collegiate athletics environment.
• Commitment to student-athlete well-being, safety, and holistic development.
• Understanding of NCAA compliance standards and collegiate athletics operations.

Choose Duke.

At Duke, you'll be part of a nationally recognized athletics program and one of the world's leading academic institutions. You'll work alongside passionate professionals who are committed to excellence, innovation, and student success. Duke provides an environment where you can grow your career, contribute to meaningful outcomes, and help student-athletes perform at their highest level both on and off the field.

Ready to Make a Difference?

Apply now and help Duke student-athletes achieve peak performance while contributing to a culture of excellence, integrity, and success.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Health Sciences or related field
• 5 years as a sports performance coach at the collegiate or professional level
• Additional relevant certifications (e.g. USAW, FMS, etc)

How to Apply:

Interested Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and list of three references online at https://hr.duke.edu/careers/apply.

Please also email Dan Perlmutter at dan.perlmutter@duke.edu or Will Stephens at wws@duke.edu directly with a cover letter, resume, and list of three references as one document.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Health Sciences or related field.

Experience

Minimum of two years as a sports performance coach at the collegiate or professional level; Current NSCA CSCS or CSCCa SCCC certification; Current CPR/First Aid Certification

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.