Sports Manual Therapist / Rehab & Performance

Massage Therapy Certification Required \| Athletes \& Active Adults

Ascension Performance is a sports-focused manual therapy, rehabilitation and strength \& conditioning practice working with athletes and active adults throughout San Diego.

This is not a traditional massage therapy position.

We're looking for a motivated practitioner who wants to develop their career working at the intersection of manual therapy, biomechanics, movement assessment, rehabilitation and sports performance.

At Ascension, manual therapy is one part of a much larger process.

Our approach is built around understanding why someone is having a problem, assessing the movement and biomechanical factors that may be contributing, developing a working hypothesis, treating purposefully, and testing and retesting to see what actually changes.

From there, we help clients progress beyond the treatment room through rehabilitation, appropriate loading and strength, working alongside our Sports Performance Coach when appropriate.

Injury → Rehab → Strength → Performance

Our goal is simple: help people feel better, move better and get back to running, training, competing and doing the things they enjoy.

You might be a great fit if:

• You have a good hands-on foundation but want to develop beyond traditional massage therapy.
• You're genuinely interested in biomechanics, human movement, sports injuries and athletic performance.
• You have some exposure to movement or orthopedic assessment and want to become better at it.
• You've competed in sports yourself, worked with athletes, or spent time in a sports or performance environment.
• You enjoy understanding why something may be happening rather than simply treating where someone hurts.
• You're interested in how manual therapy, rehabilitation, strength and performance fit together.
• You value mentorship, continuing education and discussing cases with other practitioners.
• You're friendly, curious, dependable and enjoy working as part of a team.
• You'd enjoy getting involved with local sporting events, teams and the San Diego athletic community.

We're not expecting someone to walk through the door knowing everything. We're looking for a good practitioner with the right foundation who is excited to keep learning.

What you'll do

You'll work one-on-one with athletes and active adults with a wide range of injuries, training goals and performance needs.

Depending on the client, that may involve movement and orthopedic assessment, hands-on manual therapy, mobility work, rehabilitation exercises, progressive loading and ongoing reassessment.

You'll work alongside Ascension's owner/manual therapist and Sports Performance Coach, allowing clients to move naturally from treatment and rehabilitation back into strength, training and sport.

Development \& mentorship

We want this to be a place where you can genuinely develop your career.

You'll receive ongoing mentorship in Ascension's approach to assessment, biomechanics, clinical reasoning, manual therapy, rehabilitation and return to performance.

We'll regularly discuss cases, share ideas and continue developing the way we work as a team.

We also support continuing education and are willing to help subsidize Active Release Techniques (ART) education for the right practitioner.

As Ascension continues to grow, there will be opportunities for increased compensation, responsibility and leadership for someone who wants to grow with us.

Requirements

• Current California massage therapy certification/credential — Required
• Strong hands-on manual therapy foundation
• Some exposure to movement, functional or orthopedic assessment
• Genuine interest in biomechanics, sports rehabilitation and performance
• Strong communication skills and ability to connect with clients
• Reliable, professional and willing to learn
• Experience working with athletes or in a sports/performance environment is preferred
• ART certification or experience is a major plus

Schedule \& compensation

Part-time W-2 position with the opportunity to grow as your caseload develops.

This position does not begin with a guaranteed full caseload. We'll work with you to build your schedule through Ascension's existing client base, athlete network, referral relationships, community partnerships and marketing.

$35–$45 per client hour, based on relevant experience and clinical skill.

We offer a clear pathway for compensation growth as you develop your skills, build your caseload and contribute to the practice.

Additional opportunities include continuing-education support, performance-based incentives and paid participation in sporting and community events.

Pay: $35.00 - $50.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Opportunities for advancement

Application Question(s):

• An athlete comes to you with persistent Achilles pain. Before deciding what manual therapy to perform, what would you want to understand or assess?
• Tell us about something you've specifically studied, practiced or experienced related to biomechanics, movement assessment, sports rehabilitation or athletic performance.
• Why are you interested in working in a sports rehab/performance environment rather than a traditional massage therapy setting?

License/Certification:

• Massage Therapy License (Required)

Work Location: In person