Assistant Sports Scientist (Contract Position)

Overview

Join Auburn Athletics and help drive performance, recovery, and return‑to‑play through sports science.

The Assistant Sports Scientist will support the Olympic Sports Performance Department by assessing, monitoring, and enhancing student-athlete performance across 17 Olympic Sports Programs. This role is responsible for managing performance monitoring technologies, collecting and analyzing athlete data, supporting return to play protocols, and assisting in the day-to-day implementation and coordination of sports science initiatives within the sports performance department. The Assistant Sports Scientist will collaborate with performance coaches, sports medicine staff, and interns to ensure evidence-based decision-making across all sport programs.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Assistant AD/ Olympic Sports Performance, or designee, with the daily operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of performance monitoring technologies, including GPS (Catapult), Vald systems (ForceDecks, ForceFrame, NordBord, Dynamo, SmartSpeed), and 1080 Sprint/VBT equipment.
• Support the department in designing and conducting performance testing protocols in collaboration with performance coaches and medical staff, assessing strength, power, speed, conditioning, and movement quality.
• Conduct, interpret, and report physical performance testing, including jump assessments, isometric/dynamic strength tests, and sprint profiling.
• Develop concise, actionable reports and dashboards tailored to the needs of coaching, medical, and performance staff.
• Assist in maintaining the Athlete Management System (AMS) via Teamworks with accurate, up to date records, contribute to new feature development, and provide ongoing support for lead performance coaches.
• Support evidence-based decision making through applied research, statistical analysis, and literature review.
• Assist with return to play (RTP) processes through objective data analysis, reporting, and collaboration with sports medicine staff.

Overview

Join Auburn Athletics and help drive performance, recovery, and return‑to‑play through sports science.

The Assistant Sports Scientist will support the Olympic Sports Performance Department by assessing, monitoring, and enhancing student-athlete performance across 17 Olympic Sports Programs. This role is responsible for managing performance monitoring technologies, collecting and analyzing athlete data, supporting return to play protocols, and assisting in the day-to-day implementation and coordination of sports science initiatives within the sports performance department. The Assistant Sports Scientist will collaborate with performance coaches, sports medicine staff, and interns to ensure evidence-based decision-making across all sport programs.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Assistant AD/ Olympic Sports Performance, or designee, with the daily operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of performance monitoring technologies, including GPS (Catapult), Vald systems (ForceDecks, ForceFrame, NordBord, Dynamo, SmartSpeed), and 1080 Sprint/VBT equipment.
• Support the department in designing and conducting performance testing protocols in collaboration with performance coaches and medical staff, assessing strength, power, speed, conditioning, and movement quality.
• Conduct, interpret, and report physical performance testing, including jump assessments, isometric/dynamic strength tests, and sprint profiling.
• Develop concise, actionable reports and dashboards tailored to the needs of coaching, medical, and performance staff.
• Assist in maintaining the Athlete Management System (AMS) via Teamworks with accurate, up to date records, contribute to new feature development, and provide ongoing support for lead performance coaches.
• Support evidence-based decision making through applied research, statistical analysis, and literature review.
• Assist with return to play (RTP) processes through objective data analysis, reporting, and collaboration with sports medicine staff.
• Assist in supervising and mentoring interns and coaching assistants, guiding their involvement in training, testing, and data collection to ensure high quality support for departmental initiatives.
• Maintain, inventory, and ensure proper functioning of all sports science related equipment.
• Explore and recommend emerging technologies to enhance athlete performance and health monitoring.
• Support on field and gym based training sessions, providing hands on support and coaching as needed.
• Educate student athletes and staff on wellness and performance insights derived from research and data.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science, Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, or related field.
• Previous experience working in a collegiate or professional sports program
• Proficiency with GPS systems, force plates, and athlete monitoring platforms.
• CPR/AED certification.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Sports Science, Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, or related field.
• 2 or more years of experience in a professional, collegiate, or elite sport environment.
• NSCA- Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) or other relevant certifications
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC), or an equivalent professional certification.
• Proven ability to develop and scale sport science systems across multiple teams to ensure consistency, efficiency, and high-performance outcomes.
• Experience leading and optimizing the integration and daily use of Teamworks AMS to streamline athlete monitoring and data workflows.

• Strong data analysis and modeling skills; Proficiency in Excel, R, Python, Power BI etc. for data analysis and reporting.

• Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.

• Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.

• We’re Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.

• Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.

• A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.

• Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!

It is our policy to provide equal employment and education opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance's website to learn more.

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