The Assistant or Associate Director of Sports Nutrition reports to the Director of Performance Nutrition and provides nutrition services and leadership to the Sports Nutrition program. This program includes the clinical, food service and education/outreach services provided to optimize the health and performance of student athletes. Primary responsibilities include individual nutrition counseling; team education; leading internship program; serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, athletic trainers, and sports performance staff; and maintaining professional competency and skills required for professional practice.

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.


• Provide personalized meal and snack plans to promote achieving short- and long-term goals for athletic performance and good health.


• 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 rules and regulations of the NCAA and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)


• Develop resources to support educational efforts.


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


• Nutrition Education for Teams or Groups


• 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 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 the Director of Performance Nutrition to develop the strategic plan for the program, which includes setting short- and long-term goals, monitoring team performance and reporting on metrics.


• Lead and develop student-internship program and dietetic interns


• Assist with overseeing Sports Nutrition Graduate Assistants


• Remain current with the latest performance nutrition scientific research and translating this to policy and practice


• Assist in Developing Policies and Processes. Ensuring quality and consistency in clinical, food service, and education programming through training and quality management studies.

Required Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education/job related experience, AND: 

• 0-24 months of experience in nutrition and/or dietetics.

• Able to speak, read and write clear, concise English


• Able to work well with interdepartmental teams and initiatives


• Able to communicate well and build rapport quickly with students, coaches and administrators


• Must be able to communicate directions and expectations effectively


• Able to gain and maintain working knowledge of university, Big 12, and NCAA rules and regulations

Advertised Physical Requirements:

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  Must be able to engage in repetitive motions and communicate.

  
  

Certifications:

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  Registered Dietitian with active registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration

  
  


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  Licensed Dietitian (LD) in the state of Oklahoma within 6 months of start date

  
  


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  Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)

  
  


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  Must have valid drivers’ license to drive.

  
  

• Must be able to engage in repetitive motions and communicate.

Department Preferences:

• Master's degree in nutrition, exercise physiology, or related field.


• Knowledge of rules and regulations of the Big12 Conference preferred.


• 2-3 years of experience working with nutritional needs of athletes; experience in a collegiate setting

Supervision:   Student workers

Special Instructions: If you are selected as a final candidate for this position, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy.  To view the policy, visit https://hr.ou.edu/Policies-Handbooks/TB-Testing

Diversity Statement: The University of Oklahoma is committed to achieving a diverse, equitable, and inclusive university community by embracing each person’s unique contributions, background, and perspectives. The University recognizes that fostering an inclusive environment for all, with particular attention to the needs of historically marginalized populations, is vital to the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of our institutional mission. This enhances the OU experience for all students, faculty and staff, and for the communities that we engage.