Your mission

Location: This role is based at Output Sports’ office in NovaUCD, Dublin. The successful candidate must be based in, or able to commute regularly to, Dublin.

Coordinate and drive the applied research and product validation work behind Output Sports' performance technology. As Research Coordinator, you will drive the day-to-day delivery of internal and external research across validity, reliability, normative data and applied performance studies in key testing domains including velocity-based training, jump testing, reactive strength index, mobility and balance - and you will make sure that high-quality research and evidence inform our product and reaches the athletes, coaches, customers, partners and organisations who can act on it.

Role Overview

This role sits at the intersection of sports science, biomechanics and product innovation within a fast-growing sports technology company. You will coordinate and execute Output Sports' applied research roadmap, spanning internal and external validity and reliability studies, applied research and other evidence-generation priorities, while also building the external relationships, funding pipeline and research outputs that turn that research into product, commercial and scientific impact. 

You will work closely with Output Sports’ internal R&D and product leadership, as well as experienced external academic and research advisors, to ensure that research priorities, methodologies and outputs remain scientifically rigorous and aligned with company priorities. You will also draw on specialist scientific, engineering and commercial expertise as required.

Your Responsibilities

Applied Research, Data Collection & Validation

• Design, coordinate and execute research protocols evaluating Output Sports IMU performance, validity and reliability across velocity-based training, jump testing, reactive strength index, mobility, balance assessments and other priority testing domains, including applied and use-case research where relevant.
• Run athlete testing sessions comparing Output Sports outputs against appropriate criterion or reference systems, including force plates and Linear Position Transducers, ensuring accurate setup, calibration, synchronisation and data quality across all measurement systems.
• Conduct and interpret appropriate statistical analyses for research and validation studies, selecting methods suited to the research question. This may include agreement, reliability and validity analyses such as correlations, ICCs and Bland-Altman analyses.
• Maintain appropriate research documentation and data-quality processes, including study protocols, data cleaning, version control, analysis records and clear storage of research outputs.

Research Strategy, Governance & Portfolio Management

• Maintain and help prioritise Output Sports' research roadmap across internal studies, external collaborations and funded research projects.
• Evaluate inbound research and collaboration opportunities and provide recommendations based on scientific value, strategic fit, required resources and relevance to Output's product and research priorities.
• Maintain visibility of active and prospective studies, datasets, publications and collaboration opportunities, ensuring key internal stakeholders are kept informed.
• Coordinate appropriate research governance, including confidentiality, data access, permissions, collaboration documentation, publication rights and IP considerations, escalating specialist legal or technical matters where required.
• Work with internal stakeholders and external academic advisors to review research priorities, methodology and publication strategy.

Research Collaboration Management

• Build and manage relationships with university, institute and applied research partners to establish and run joint validation, reliability, applied-performance and product-relevant studies.
• Act as the primary point of contact for external researchers and collaborators, coordinating research scope and protocols, timelines, formal collaboration documentation, Output technology or research resources, and deliverables.
• Manage a pipeline of active and prospective research collaborations, keeping internal stakeholders updated on progress and outcomes.

Research Translation & Business Enablement

• Translate validity, reliability and applied research findings into clear, accurate resources for product, sports science, customer success, sales and marketing, including web content, white papers, one-pagers, technical summaries and sales-support materials.
• Maintain Output Sports' central research and evidence base, including the research and validation content on the Output Sports research Notion website, ensuring that published findings, validity and reliability evidence and key statistics remain accurate and current.
• Work with product, marketing, and commercial teams to translate technical results into messaging that is credible to practitioners and compelling to buyers.
• Support the preparation of internal reports, presentations, and research-led white papers for wider business use.
• Support the preparation, submission and dissemination of peer-reviewed publications and other scientific outputs, including liaison with collaborators and consideration of appropriate publication routes.

Funding Identification & Application

• Identify relevant grant, innovation, and research funding opportunities (e.g. Enterprise Ireland, Horizon Europe, academic-industry partnership schemes) aligned with Output Sports' R&D priorities.
• Coordinate, lead or co-author funding and grant applications in collaboration with academic partners and internal stakeholders.
• Once funding is secured, support the scoping and delivery of funded research projects, coordinating internal and external stakeholders to ensure the project delivers against Output Sports' research priorities.
• Track funding deadlines, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations for any secured funding.

Team & Project Leadership

• Coordinate and maintain the research roadmap, helping to prioritise multiple concurrent validation, applied research and data projects.
• Help recruit, onboard, supervise and mentor research interns and assistants, planning their work and reviewing testing protocols, data collection, analysis and data quality.
• Coordinate off-site athlete testing and data-collection activity where required, including participants, equipment and practical research logistics.
• Work closely with product and engineering teams to feed device performance, usability, and research findings back into the product roadmap.
• Stay informed on emerging trends in sports science, biomechanics, wearable technology, and performance analytics, and bring relevant developments back into the team.

Your profile

This role is ideal for someone with a strong academic grounding in sports science, biomechanics or a related discipline and real experience running applied research - someone who is equally comfortable designing and running field or lab-based testing, working with and interpreting data, and representing Output Sports to a university, research partner or funding body. You will lead research design, data collection and analysis, collaboration management, and the translation of findings into content that supports both marketing and the wider business.

Requirements

• Degree in Sports Science, Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Physiotherapy or a related field. A Master's degree, postgraduate research qualification or equivalent applied research experience is strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience designing and running research or validation studies, ideally involving wearable technology, force plates, LPTs, or motion capture systems.
• Demonstrated ability to clean, analyse and interpret research data, with working proficiency in at least one appropriate statistical analysis environment such as R, Python, SPSS or equivalent.
• Comfortable undertaking practical athlete testing and occasional off-site data collection or travel where required.
• Ability to critically evaluate research quality and determine whether findings or proposed studies are sufficiently rigorous and relevant to support Output Sports’ research priorities.
• Strong understanding of resistance training movements (e.g. squat, bench press, countermovement jump) and velocity-based training principles.
• Proven ability to manage external relationships and collaborative projects, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience translating technical or scientific findings into content for non-specialist audiences.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, testing sessions, and deadlines.

Desirables

• Familiarity with Output Sports technology.
• Track record of securing or contributing to research grant or innovation funding applications.
• Experience publishing or co-authoring peer-reviewed research, white papers, or conference presentations.
• Previous exposure to athlete testing, strength and conditioning environments, or lab-based research leadership.
• Experience with research ethics, data governance, research collaboration agreements or management of participant and research data.
• Exposure to large performance datasets, normative-data analysis or research involving product or algorithm development.

Core Competencies

• Strong research methodology and analytical mindset, with precision and consistency in data collection.
• Sound scientific judgement and the ability to prioritise research opportunities based on evidence quality, strategic relevance and available resources.
• Relationship-building and stakeholder management across academic, product, sports science, commercial and external partner teams.
• Ability to translate complex research into clear, compelling communication.
• Proactive, self-directed approach to identifying opportunities (research, funding, or partnership).
• Strong organisation and project management skills across multiple workstreams.
• Collaborative mindset with a high level of attention to detail.

Why us?

• Play a central role in Output Sports' applied R&D programme, with real influence over product direction and how scientific evidence supports the wider business.
• Work closely with experienced practitioners across sports science, product, and commercial teams.
• Build and grow a network of academic and industry research partnerships.
• Shape how Output Sports' research reaches the market - from white paper to website to sales floor.
• Contribute to meaningful R&D projects with real-world application in elite and grassroots sport.
• Join a dynamic, collaborative environment focused on innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.