Athletics Senior Dietitian, Football

Position Introduction

The Athletics Senior Dietitian, Football, reports directly to the Director of Sports Nutrition and serves as a senior-level practitioner responsible for delivering comprehensive, evidence-based nutrition services to the OU Athletics Department. This role provides advanced performance nutrition support to the Oklahoma Football Team, leads key initiatives within the sports nutrition program, and collaborates across multidisciplinary performance teams.

The Senior Dietitian operates with a high degree of autonomy, serves as the primary nutrition contact for the Oklahoma Football Team, and contributes to the strategic direction, innovation, and overall success of the sports nutrition department. This role also provides mentorship to interns and junior staff and helps ensure consistency and excellence across all nutrition services.

Essential Functions

Advanced Individual & Team Nutrition Counseling

• Serve as the primary sports dietitian for Oklahoma Football, providing comprehensive, sport-specific nutrition services.
• Conduct advanced assessments of dietary intake, body composition, energy availability, and performance outcomes.
• Deliver individualized nutrition counseling to support training, competition, recovery, weight management, hydration, immunity, travel, supplementation, and return-to-play.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized nutrition care plans aligned with performance and health goals.
• Lead or support team and group nutrition education initiatives, including pre-, during-, and post-exercise fueling strategies, grocery tours, and cooking/meal preparation classes.
• Design and oversee hydration and fueling strategies tailored to team and individual needs.
• 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 the football team.
• Develop and implement educational resources and tools to enhance athlete engagement and long-term behavior change.

Food Service & Team Operations

• Collaborate with coaches, operations staff, and food service partners to develop, implement, and evaluate team meal plans and menus.
• Lead nutrition planning and execution for team travel, including coordination with hotels, catering, and other vendors.
• Oversee fueling strategies for practices and competitions, including recommendations for snacks, hydration, and recovery options.
• Provide oversight of fueling stations, including product selection, inventory management, and quality control.
• Identify and implement enhancements to food service operations to better align with performance nutrition goals.

Leadership & Program Development

• Contribute to the development and execution of the sports nutrition strategic plan, including goal setting, program evaluation, and performance tracking.
• Serve as a leader within the department by modeling best practices and driving consistency across nutrition services.
• Mentor and provide guidance to dietetic interns, student workers, and/or entry-level staff.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of interns and new team members as needed.
• Translate current sports nutrition research into applied practice, policies, and protocols.
• Lead or contribute to quality improvement initiatives and program assessments.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with all University, NCAA, SEC, USADA, and State of Oklahoma regulations related to nutrition, supplementation, and athlete care.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of governing body rules and ensure assigned Oklahoma football operates within all guidelines.
• Follow established departmental policies and procedures.

Professional Development

• Maintain Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credential and complete all continuing education requirements.
• Stay current with emerging research and best practices in sports nutrition and athlete performance.
• Engage in professional development opportunities, including conferences, certifications, or professional contributions.

Miscellaneous

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Director of Sports Nutrition and/or Director of Sports Nutrition.