Physical Therapist

Physical Therapist — Rehab Performance for Runners

Steady State Health | Portland, Maine

Most PT jobs don't actually let you work with runners the way you'd want to. We built Steady State Health to be different.

We're a cash-based physical therapy clinic in Portland, Maine, focused on runners and active adults.

Every session is 60 minutes, one-on-one. No double-booking. No insurance-driven constraints. You have the time to actually help people. Our clients regularly tell us this is the first place they've felt heard.

We're looking for a physical therapist who runs. Not someone who "appreciates runners" or took a running course once. Someone who has trained for races, dealt with their own injuries, and understands what it feels like to lose fitness you worked hard for. That shared experience matters as you'll spend most of your day talking about running, training load, strength progressions, and recovery. If that sounds like the best version of your job, keep reading.

What the role looks like

You'll see around 25 clients per week, all one-on-one, all 60-minute sessions (evals are 90-minutes).

Most of our clients are runners dealing with overuse injuries - Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, bone stress injuries, IT band issues, hip and knee pain. Some are postpartum, returning to running after pregnancy. Some are ultra runners. Some are brand new to the sport and nervous about getting hurt.

The work is rewarding, but it requires focus. Rather than cycling through patients quickly and wondering when you'll finish your notes, you're diving deep with each person, building a relationship over multiple sessions, and guiding them not just back to running but beyond their baseline. We call it "the injury buffer" - helping people build more capacity than they need so they're resilient and can say 'yes' to spontaneous increases in activity.

Our clinical philosophy centers on a few ideas:

• Strength and load capacity matter more than passive treatments
• Training load and recovery are often the real drivers of symptoms
• Pain education reduces fear and helps people make better decisions
• Nuance beats absolutes - we don't do rigid protocols

If that resonates with how you think about rehab, you'll fit in well here.

What we offer

• Competitive salary with a caseload of 5–6 clients per day
• 100 hours of mentorship per year — weekly 1-on-1s tailored to where you are in your career
• Health insurance
• 401(k)
• Continuing education budget — $1,000 /year, plus dry needling and pelvic floor certifications if you're interested
• Running race entry stipend — $250/year
• PTO paid holidays
• Opportunities to teach, lead workshops, and grow your presence in the running and rehab community

We also support flexible scheduling. We know you have your own training and life outside the clinic and that matters to us.

Pelvic health interest is a plus

We see a lot of runners who are also navigating postpartum return to running, pelvic floor symptoms, or pregnancy. If you have pelvic health experience - or a genuine interest in learning - that's a plus. We provide mentorship and can support certification for the right candidate. But it's not required. The core of this role is orthopedic running rehab, injury prevention, and coaching.

Who this role is for

• A PT who runs competitively or has completed marathon or ultra distance races
• Someone with solid orthopedic skills and clinical reasoning
• A strong communicator who enjoys client education
• Someone with a growth mindset who wants mentorship and collaboration
• A team player who believes in shared success

Who this role probably isn't for

• A PT with minimal running experience (you'll spend your days immersed in running conversation - it's important you love it as much as your clients)
• Someone primarily looking to escape in-network PT (we want people excited about our mission, not just our model)
• Someone who thinks 5–6 patients per day will feel light (the depth of each session requires real focus and energy)

About Portland

Portland, Maine is a small city with great food, easy access to trails and ocean, and a running community that punches above its weight. We're a half-mile from the Eastern Prom and Back Cove. There are coffee shops and breweries within walking distance. 1-hr to the mountains for skiing and hiking. It's a genuinely great place to live if you like being outside.

If you're currently in a bigger city and have thought about a change - or if you're in a rural area and want access to a more active community - Portland is worth considering. We're 1.5-2 hrs from Boston, 2.5 hrs from Providence, 3 hrs from Hartford, and 4 hrs to Albany.

About Steady State

We're a small team that takes care of each other. Weekly team meetings, case reviews, sunrise runs on the Prom. We co-host community events like the Back Cove Backyard Ultra. We're building something we're proud of, and we want people who want to be part of that.

Our vision is to be the go-to provider for runners - locally and nationally through our virtual practice. We're growing, and there's room to grow with us.

Interested?

If this feels like it might be the right fit, we'd love to hear from you. Apply at https://www.steadystatehealth.com/careers or reach out directly to kelton@steadystatehealth.com with questions.

Even if you're not sure, send a note. We're always happy to have an initial conversation!