Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport Placements

Every year Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport, in partnership with the School of Exercise & Health Sciences, host a variety of placements in performance support and operational roles for both our undergraduate and postgraduate students. Find out more about these placements below.

Undergraduate Placements

We offer a variety of full-time placements for undergraduates at Â鶹ֱ²¥ University undertaking a sandwich year/ year in industry as part of their course in disciplines including Performance Analysis, Strength & Conditioning, Physiology, and Operations Support. Students undertaking our placements will gain practical applied experience in an elite sporting environment under the guidance of practitioners and coaches. During the placement, there is an opportunity to build a portfolio of practical expertise, enhancing your employability.

Please include your student email address when submitting applications. If you have any issues submitting your application, please contact a.main@lboro.ac.uk 

Cycling Operations and Assistant DS Placement 2024-25

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport is committed to the development of aspiring coaches and practitioners through elite sport in the UK. Supporting around 800 funded athletes, scholars, and first team athletes across a range of sports and athletic disciplines, we provide a unique environment to develop a range of skills within an interdisciplinary sports programme.

The successful applicant will gain practical applied experience in an elite sporting environment by supporting race day operation of the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Lightning Elite Women’s Team, as well as co-ordinating a breadth of coaching and sporting activities across the performance, development and AU cycling clubs. During the 1-year placement, there is an opportunity to build a portfolio of Continued Professional Development (CPD) and practical expertise, enhancing your employability within the sports development field.

What would I be doing?

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Cycling Academy Operations - focus through full year of placement

  • Coordinating and organising squad nights alongside the team manager and coaching staff.
  • Attending regular Intra Disciplinary Team (IDT) meetings with key cycling support staff, and other wider meetings across Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport
  • Oversee squad e-training sessions in the cycling performance hub, with opportunities to develop and manage an LU based e-racing team.
  • Support the programme coaches with group-based delivery of technical sessions
  • Working alongside the Programme Manager with identifying and recruiting key athletes to the programme, including virtual and in-person recruitment events.

Assistant DS at Race Days (Lightning & BUCS squads) - main focus through summer road season

  • Assist the Programme Manager/DS with race planning, logistics and operations
  • Support with analysis of race courses
  • Driving team vehicles and riders to race venues in the UK and oversees.
  • Set-up and pack-down of race infrastructure (gazebo, warm-up stations, food, timings)
  • Provide support to riders pre-race and post-race (race briefing, debriefing, communication of information from team managers meeting.
  • In-race support at feedzone and/or team car depending on race type.
  • Support with race day media

AU / Development Squad Operations - focus through academic terms

  • Support the AU committee and development captain to plan, co-ordinate, and deliver development training sessions which integrate with the performance cycling programme to facilitate a pathway between the two squads.
  • Coordination of track bookings and logistics
  • For the right candidate, there could be opportunities to lead on some squad based coached training sessions on the road and track. This role does not include 1:1 based coaching and training prescription.

What will I get out of this opportunity?

  • Personal Development and Mentoring from the cycling programme manager and coaches
  • Portfolio of CPD and practical expertise.
  • Enhance your employability.
  • Development of soft skills.
  • Exposure to working within a high-performance cycling environment and landscape.
  • Exposure to working with coaches and practitioners in an elite sporting environment.
  • Exposure to a range of cycling disciplines and levels
  • Opportunity to attend several sporting events as an ambassador of Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport

What is Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport looking for?

  • To undertake this role, you must be a current student at Â鶹ֱ²¥ University.
  • An interest in working in cycle sport, with some prior experience is required as either a rider or supporting role.
  • An interest or experience in handling and processing data, with a keen sense of attention to detail.
  • The ability to use programmes such as Microsoft Excel to collect and analyse data.
  • The ability to communicate well, share knowledge simply and effectively.
  • Innovative thinking and willingness to try things.
  • Professional attitude and approach, respect for others.
  • Flexibility to work during evenings and weekends when required.

Additional Details

  • Paid stipend of £6,000 over 12 months
  • Start date between 1st July – 15th August.
  • 37 hours per week for a minimum of 45 weeks
  • Extensive evening and weekend work required.
  • Diploma of Professional Studies running alongside placement year.
  • Full, clean UK driving licence required (you do not require your own car)

How can I apply?
Please send a CV & Video Application to One Drive via the file request link below. It’s up to you how you choose to produce the video, the only stipulations are that it is no longer than 5 minutes and you answer all questions (with relevant detail) set out below:

Tell us about yourself:

  • Name
  • Your experiences in cycling
  • Personal sporting interests
  • Your career aspirations
  • What do you think you are like as a person, how would others describe you?

Tell us why you would like to join us:

  • Why you? Why Â鶹ֱ²¥?
  • Why are you interested in this role and what do you think you could bring to it?
  • What skills do you have, or would like to develop, that make you a good candidate for the role?

File Request Link-

Deadline for applications is Sunday 9th June 2024 at 17:00pm & Interviews will take place on 12th June 2024.

For any informal enquiries about the role, please contact Dave Nichols, Cycling Programme Manager, (D.Nichols@lboro.ac.uk)  

Postgraduate Placements

We offer a variety of placements integrated with our Masters Programmes in the School of Sports Exercise & Health Sciences (SSEHS) in disciplines including Performance Analysis, Strength & Conditioning, Physiology, and Nutrition. Students undertaking our placements will gain practical applied experience in an elite sporting environment under the guidance of practitioners and coaches. During the placement, there is an opportunity to build a portfolio of practical expertise, enhancing your employability. 

What will I get out of these opportunities?

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport is committed to the development of aspiring coaches and practitioners through elite sport in the UK. Supporting around 500 funded athletes, scholars, and first team athletes across a range of sports and athletic disciplines, we provide a unique environment to develop a range of skills within an interdisciplinary sports program. Student undertaking our placements will gain practical applied experience in an elite sporting environment under the guidance of practitioners and coaches. During the placement, there is an opportunity to build a portfolio of practical expertise, enhancing your employability:

Training and Mentoring

Access to in house specific technical training and mentoring delivered by Â鶹ֱ²¥ Sport Practitioners and Programme Managers.

Employability Skills

Develop employability skills such as communications and problem solving through hands on experience

Networking Opportunities

Opportunity to network with industry professionals