Abstarct: The present study aimed to examine the effect of emotional intelligence on the job performance of physical education teachers with the mediating role of conscientiousness. This research was applied in terms of purpose and descxriptive-correlational in terms of method, and it was conducted as a cross-sectional study. The statistical population consisted of all physical education teachers, from which a sample of 175 teachers from the provinces of Karbala, Al-Anbar, and Erbil was selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires, including Wong and Law’s Emotional Intelligence Scale (2002), Araujo’s Conscientiousness Scale (2025), and Boyle et al.’s Job Performance Scale (2019). The validity of the instruments was confirmed through expert review, and their reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares (PLS) approach, employing SPSS and SmartPLS software. The results of hypothesis testing indicated that emotional intelligence has a positive and significant direct effect on both job performance and conscientiousness, and also exerts a significant indirect effect on job performance through the mediating role of conscientiousness. Moreover, conscientiousness was found to have a positive and significant effect on job performance. Accordingly, it can be concluded that emotional intelligence, as a key variable, plays an important role in enhancing job performance among physical education teachers both directly and indirectly through the strengthening of conscientiousness, and the proposed conceptual model is empirically supported. Therefore, it is recommended that educational administrators consider indicators related to emotional intelligence and conscientiousness as complementary criteria alongside performance measures in the processes of recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of teachers, in order to improve educational quality and ensure the sustainable development of the education system.