Position Introduction
The Assistant/Associate Director of Sports Nutrition reports directly to the Director of Sports Nutrition and serves as the second-in-command of the OU Sports Nutrition program. This position provides leadership, oversight, and strategic support across all areas of the department, including clinical nutrition services, team-based education, wellness programming, food service operations, and the development of student interns and staff.
This role serves as a key operational and strategic partner to the Director, ensuring excellence, consistency, and innovation across all performance nutrition initiatives while maintaining a hands-on role in athlete nutrition services.
Essential Functions
Individual and Team Nutrition Counseling
- Serve as the primary sports dietitian for assigned teams, providing comprehensive, sport-specific nutrition services.
- Provide advanced nutrition counseling and performance support to assigned student-athletes.
- Conduct advanced assessments of dietary intake, body composition, energy balance, and overall nutrition status in the context of athletic performance.
- Deliver individualized nutrition counseling to support training, competition, recovery, weight management, hydration, immunity, travel, supplementation, and return-to-play.
- Oversee and direct nutrition staff members in group nutrition education initiatives, including pre-, during-, and post-exercise fueling strategies, grocery tours, and cooking/meal preparation classes.
- Manage complex clinical and performance nutrition cases (e.g., disordered eating, RED-S, gastrointestinal conditions, iron deficiency, injury/illness recovery) in collaboration with sports medicine and performance staff.
- Evaluate and provide guidance on dietary supplements in accordance with NCAA and USADA regulations.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation of all nutrition services and track outcomes to evaluate effectiveness.
Team Education & Performance Support
- Plan and deliver structured, sport-specific team education programs throughout the training and competition cycle.
- Establish and implement best practices for pre-, during-, and post-exercise fueling strategies for assigned teams.
- Provide practical education on food selection, grocery shopping, and cooking skills to support athlete independence.
- Serve as a trusted nutrition resource for coaches, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning staff, and other key stakeholders associated with assigned teams.
- Develop and implement educational resources and tools to enhance athlete engagement and long-term behavior change.
Food Service and Menu Development
- Oversee team meal planning and menu development in collaboration with coaching staff and food service partners.
- Lead nutrition planning, logistics, and execution for team travel, including coordination with hotels, catering, and other vendors.
- Supervise all team fueling stations and oversee procurement of goods, inventory, and quality control and oversee fueling strategies for practices and competitions, including recommendations for snacks, hydration, and recovery options.
- Identify and implement enhancements to food service operations to better align with performance nutrition goals.
Leadership and Program Management
- Serve as the operational leader of the Sports Nutrition program in partnership with the Director.
- Serve as the lead Dietitian on OU Wellness team, including planning, implementation, and evaluation of wellness programs for student-athletes.
- Supervise and mentor student interns, graduate assistants, and support staff.
- Assist with strategic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, and goal-setting for the department.
- Oversee the recruitment, onboarding, and training of interns and new team members as needed.
- Lead and support initiatives involving policy development and ensure quality and consistency in clinical, food service, and education programs.
- Translate current research in sports nutrition into applied policies, practices, and educational initiatives.
- Lead or contribute to quality improvement initiatives and program assessments.
