Athletics Dietitian

Pay Range: Negotiable based on experience

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; frequent evenings and weekends as required

Travel: Required

Position Introduction

The Athletics Dietitian reports to the Director & Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition to provide comprehensive nutrition services to the OU athletics department. Primary responsibilities include providing appropriate nutrition strategies to student athletes, supervising and managing the intern program, and collaborating with all disciplines, including nutrition staff, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, psychological services, and sport-specific team staffs.

Essential Functions

• Individual Nutrition Counseling.
• Assess and analyze dietary practices, body composition, and energy balance of athletes in the context of athletic performance and health.
• Counsel athletes on optimal nutrition for exercise training, competition, recovery from exercise, weight management, hydration, immunity, disordered eating, travel, and supplementation.
• Outline personalized meal and snack plans to promote achieving short- and long-term goals to support health and athletic performance.
• Develop and counsel regarding hydration protocols.
• Address nutritional challenges to performance, such as food allergies, bone mineral disturbances, gastrointestinal disturbances, iron depletion, and iron-deficiency anemia.
• Counsel athletes on optimal nutrition for recovery from illness or injury.
• Coordinate nutritional care as a member of multidisciplinary sports medicine teams for conditions such as disordered eating.
• Evaluate dietary supplements based on the rules and regulations of the NCAA and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Develop educational resources to support nutritional independence.

• Maintain documentation of nutrition services provided and evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition strategies towards meeting desired outcomes.

Teams/group Education

• Recommend appropriate pre-, during, and post-exercise fluids and snacks for individual team practice and competition.
• Educate regarding food selection (grocery store tours, food storage) and food preparation (cooking classes).
• Serve as a nutrition resource for coaches, sports performance staff, athletic trainers, food service personnel, and parents.

Food Service and Menu Development

• Collaborate with team(s) to develop and manage team meal menus.
• Coordinate nutrition for team travel (catering, hotels, airlines, competition).
• Oversee fueling stations and procurement of goods.

Leadership

• Collaborate with other nutrition staff members to develop the strategic plan for the program, which includes setting short- and long-term goals, monitoring team performance, and reporting on metrics.
• Mentor student-internship program and dietetic interns.
• Remain current with the latest performance nutrition scientific research and translate this to policy and practice.
• Execute the Policies and Processes of OU Sports Nutrition.
• Ensuring quality and consistency in clinical, food service, and education programming through training and quality management studies.
• Compliance with the rules & regulations of the University, the NCAA, SEC, and the State of Oklahoma or any other governing body, is of paramount importance to the University.

Professional Development

• Maintain dietetic registration and continuing education requirements.
• Stay current on food, nutrition, and health issues, including research related to sports nutrition.

Miscellaneous

• Other duties as assigned by the Director & Assistant Director of Nutrition

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics, or closely related field.

Required Certifications and Licenses

• Registered Dietitian or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire date.

Department Preferences

• Master's degree in nutrition, exercise physiology, or related field.
• Knowledge of rules and regulations of the SEC Conference preferred.
• Certified (or/eligible) Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).
• 2-3 years of experience working with nutritional needs of athletes; experience in a collegiate setting.

Hiring Contingent Upon a Background Check: Yes