PURPOSE

The England and Wales Cricket board supports the whole game including men’s, women’s and disability international teams and respective development pathways. In addition, it works with all professional teams across the game, ‘The Hundred’ franchises and the recreational game to maintain standards across the game. There is a Managing Director and Performance Director for each pathway and in relation to its clinical activity and governance across the whole game, there is a Chief Medical Officer.

The Performance, Science and Medicine Department supporting the England Men’s pathway is primarily focused on providing medical care, injury prevention/management and increasing the physical performance to its elite cricketers. The support comes from a multi-disciplinary team comprising of doctors, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, psychologists, researchers, and other complementary disciplines. This multi-disciplinary team looks to address all elements of player care and welfare.

The purpose of this role is to lead clinical care and decision making, including injury, illness, and wellbeing, across the England Men’s pathway. The role will include touring duties shared across a medical panel and will be expected to work closely with other leadership roles within the pathway including the Head of Performance Science and Medicine and the National Lead for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.

The role will look to:

• Maximise player availability and minimize impact of injury and illness by ensuring the highest standards of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation of injuries and operating a proactive approach to player care and performance.

• Ensure confidence of players and staff in supporting welfare / mental health, injury and illness management.

• Uphold the highest standards of clinical practice, governance and ethics, in line with the General Medical Council (GMC) and all relevant stakeholders

WHO WE ARE

The England and Wales Cricket Board is the national governing body for all cricket in England and Wales, supporting the game at every level – from grassroots to professional.

We believe cricket is a force for good that can have an enduring impact on everyone’s lives and we have an ambitious strategy to inspire a generation to say ‘cricket is a game for me’. It provides great entertainment. It teaches important skills, both physical and social. It can help inclusion and social cohesion, bringing communities together.

The ECB welcomes applications from all backgrounds to ensure we deliver our Inspiring Generations strategy and fulfil our purpose to connect communities and improve lives through cricket.

OUR VALUES

• Stronger As One Team – We are stronger together. We allow for individual strengths and beliefs but head in the same direction. We respect, support and really listen to each other along the way.

• Push New Boundaries – We are bold, brave and curious. We challenge and don’t settle. We forge the future whilst remembering our roots.

• Be The Best In The Game – On & Off The Pitch – We train hard. We strive to be our best to help the team be the best. We celebrate our victories and learn from our let downs.

• Passion For Play – We are here to inspire & be inspired. We are serious about what we do, but don’t take ourselves seriously. We enjoy the journey and have fun.

YOU’LL LOVE THIS JOB IF

• You enjoy working with MDTs across multiple teams, individuals and stakeholders

• You enjoy operating with integrity and highest standards of holistic care

• You enjoy the challenges of providing leading medical support and decision making in elite sport

• You enjoy travelling with elite sport / teams / cricket

YOU’LL BE DOING

 Department Management and Leadership

• Oversee and lead clinical decision making of the Performance Science and Medicine MDT including injury diagnosis and management, welfare, education and health screening, with a special interest in injury prevention and the ultimate aim of maximising player availability.

• Oversee the ECB’s Clinical Psychology provision, ensuring clinical governance and management of external service providers to maintain a confidential and trusted environment.

• Work closely with the Clinical Psychologist, Performance Psychologists and Medical Panel providing expert judgment and decision-making as part of the well-being forum.

• Ensure the Performance Science and Medicine Department always operates with the highest ethical and professional standards, by overseeing the maintenance, publication and deliverance of best practice policies, procedures and protocols that form a “Code of Practice”. The protocols therein will cover all aspects of medicine from emergency care to player welfare and day to day running of the Sports Medicine and Performance Department.

• Act as the ECB’s point of contact with relevant external stakeholders, including counties, regions, and franchise, on medical matters.

• Liaise with internal stakeholders on game-wide clinical matters such as medical insurances, mental health and wellbeing, and other medical-related partners.

• Ensure the ECB’s internal values and standards are always being upheld and embodied, across the department.

• Work closely with the ECB’s Research and Operations Manager providing expert input to ongoing research and development programmes to ensure that the ECB is at the forefront of the latest developments within elite performance science and medicine. Provide direction for relevant internal research with the aim of ensuring excellence in up-to-date player welfare provision and coordinating publication as appropriate.

• Play an active role in CPD activities within the Performance Science and Medicine Department, promoting and facilitating appropriate staff development.

• Undertake line management responsibilities of other medical panel members, including supervising and recruiting Doctor support for the Lions and Young Lions programmes and provide support to Disability teams’ CMO.

• Preparation for domestic series, international competitions, and liaisons with ICC  including reviewing MOUs for touring teams.

Clinical Duties

• Provide comprehensive and specialist medical care, whilst working with the MDT, for England Men’s senior players, acting as lead clinician for diagnosing illness and/or injury.

• Hold ultimate accountability for the medical components of the annual player screening process.

• Be available during priority periods to lead face-to-face on medical care and support MDT and in place medical panel.

• On-call for medical issues arising from the England Men’s pathway

• Hold accountability for the medical provision at all England Men, Lions and Young Lions tours and camps (includes extensive travel within the UK and overseas)

• Travel and tour with the team including attending pre-match training sessions and camps to ensure connection, relationships and feedback from both MDT and players.

• Liaise with the Managing Director / Performance Director / Head of Performance Science and Medicine and National Lead for Physiotherapy on updated progress reports and counsel as necessary on issues of player injury and welfare.

• Lead on interventions, referrals and second opinions from experts on England Men’s medical and surgical management and ensure medical panel members accompany players to significant medical appointments and surgeries, as appropriate.

• Coordinate, implement and maintain medical standards in line with MQS determined by ECB Medical Advisory systems, ICC or national required polices / guidelines including sharing CMO FCCC liaison with Medical Director re meetings and CPD.

• Attend and / or lead meetings and case conferences as required at various venues including the Performance Centre.

• Maintain and manage equipment / medication and policies relating to England pathways working with program leads and administrators at the National Centre.

• Undertake medical health screenings of England Men’s centrally contracted players, including pathology, cardiac and neuro- psychometric testing, and deliver all aspects of player welfare and education.

• Ensure medical provision for touring party including staff and family visit periods as well occasional, ad hoc medical advice to ECB touring staff.

• Work with staff to ensure appropriate injury surveillance and intelligence analysis occurs as part of MDT activity.

• When with the team, provide pitch side emergency cover during training sessions and matches.

• To manage all issues related to anti-doping whilst on tour, including testing, appropriate education and declarations of prohibited use, complying with the ECB and ICC Anti-Doping Policies.

• Maintain appropriate and complete injury and treatment records for all injuries and illness using the ECB’s standard software package (Smartabase) for all players. The Lead Physician must understand and abide by the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

• Transfer all radiology imaging, arrange for UK review by ECB radiology panel, second opinions where necessary and support development of new IT such as Bridgehead system.

• Guide and educate players to ensure full understanding of all medication taken and the principles of strict liability and requirements of TUEs.

• Ensure all player and staff interactions and all issued medications are recorded and detailed on the ECB’s standard software package (Smartabase), in line with GMC requirements of contemporaneous note taking.

YOU’LL HAVE

Key Experiences and Skills

• Member (essential) / Fellow (desirable) of Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine

• Full Registration with the GMC and demonstration of annual appraisal and revalidation.

• Diploma / Masters in Sport and Exercise Medicine (minimum) / Specialist Register in Sport and Exercise Medicine (desirable)

• Sufficient experience as Sports physician in elite sport i.e. national / international level.

• Current and regular work with elite teams and athletes such that sports medicine practice represents current best practice in elite Sports Medicine.

• Regular attendance and involvement with the Sports Medicine community in respect to Continued Professional Development Opportunities.

• Significant experience leading a department within elite sport.

• An understanding of Health and Safety and its application within a sporting environment.

• The ability to coordinate, interpret and liaise with specialists as with regards radiology. This requires the ability to question radiology protocols, reporting and where necessary seeking and coordinating second opinions. This requires a good working knowledge and where possible, relationships with the leading specialists in the UK.

• Ultrasound skills need to be of sufficient quality to ensure reasonable diagnostic and interventional skills of acute and chronic MSK diagnoses. This requires the regular practice of US and US guided injections outside of the touring environment as an adjunct to acute injury management.

• IT skills need to be current and appropriate to be able to manage current IT based medical systems.

• Keeps up to date with CPOD program and development pertinent to cricket. In time it would be desirable if the practitioner was involved in a Cricket County or England players outside of the England team environment.

Key Personal Characteristics

• Operates with the utmost integrity and has highest standards of ethics.

• Outstanding player management and communication skills, with ability create confidence alongside concise and clarity of information sharing.

• Excellent communication skills with stakeholders at all levels of seniority including media.

• Proven ability to integrate into a team environment.

• Flexibility and adaptability to respond to the demands of elite cricket.

• Ability to remain calm, respond positively to setbacks, reflect, learn, and improve.

• Proactive and versatile in their approach in achieving successful outcomes.

• Ability to manage resources and information, particularly medical records.

• Ability to lead, enthuse and inspire.

• Evidence of sound administrative, organisational and prioritisation skills at department head level.

• Eager to take responsibility for own continuous professional development.

YOU’LL RECEIVE

• Competitive salary

• Holiday - 25 days a year

• Volunteering – 2 days a year

• Pension - Non-contributory pension

• Private medical insurance

• Employee health cash-back plan

• Long-term sickness insurance

• Life assurance - four times your annual basic salary

• Enhanced family leave and pay

• OpenBlend - an innovative coaching and performance management tool

• People Academy - a range of programmes and initiatives to help you develop and reach your potential

• Employee Assistance Programme - 24/7 confidential access to expert services including counselling, wellbeing, and independent legal and financial advice

• 30% New Balance discount

• Cycle 2 Work Scheme

• Season ticket loan

• Preferential access to tickets to England and The Hundred games

• Opportunities to be a part of and be involved in our Employee Resource groups: Women in Cricket Employee Network, Race in Cricket Employee Network, Social Mobility in Cricket Employee Network, Disability Employee Network and LGBTQ+ Community in Cricket Employee Network