Assistant/Associate Director of Sports Nutrition

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.

Professional Development

• Maintain Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credentials and meet continuing education requirements.

• Stay current on emerging research and best practices in sports nutrition and wellness.

• Engage in professional development opportunities, including conferences, certifications, or professional contributions.

• Thorough understanding of and compliance with confidentiality requirements, ensuring full compliance with University, NCAA, SEC, USADA, and state regulations, as well as HIPAA and other confidentiality requirements.

Miscellaneous

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Sports Nutrition.

Professional Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, mentoring, and management skills.

• Highly effective interpersonal, counseling, and presentation skills, including experience delivering team-based education.

• Superior written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and educate diverse stakeholders (student-athletes, coaches, medical staff, and administrators).

• Advanced time management, organizational, and documentation skills in a high-performance environment.

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage complex cases and multiple team assignments simultaneously.

• Ability to manage complex situations and multiple priorities across the department, programs and teams.

• Skilled in program evaluation, policy implementation, and quality improvement initiatives.

• Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with sport coaches and performance staff.

Work Ethic & Professional Standards

• Ability to work a non-standard schedule, including nights, weekends, holidays, and team travel as required.

• Demonstrated commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical practice.

• Ability to align with and uphold the core values of the athletics department.

• Thorough understanding of and compliance with confidentiality requirements, ensuring full compliance with University, NCAA, SEC, USADA, and state regulations, as well as HIPAA and other confidentiality requirements.

Positions Directly Supervised: Dietitian, Graduate Assistant, Student-Workers.

Required Education and Experience:

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

• 36 months experience as a Registered Dietician.

Required Certifications and Licenses:

• Registered Dietitian

Department Preferences:

• Active Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credential through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

• Licensed Dietitian (LD) in the state of Oklahoma (or ability to obtain within 6 months of start date).

• Master’s degree in Nutrition or related field.

• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) certification preferred.

• Experience leading or supervising nutrition staff, interns, and/or graduate assistants.

• Advanced knowledge of SEC, NCAA, and USADA rules and regulations, with the ability to apply them in daily practice and guide others.

• Significant established experience in wellness program development and working with the nutritional needs of athletes, including significant experience in a collegiate or high-performance environment.

• Experience contributing to or leading program development, strategic initiatives, or quality improvement efforts.

• Ability to translate scientific research into applied sports nutrition strategies, policies, and education.