Director/Associate Director of Sports Nutrition - Olympic Sports

Summary Of Job Duties

The Director of Sports Nutrition – Olympic Sports will report to the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance Nutrition and provide leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the delivery of comprehensive sports nutrition services to assigned Olympic Sports programs within the University of Arkansas Athletic Department. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based nutrition strategies designed to optimize student-athlete health, wellness, recovery, and competitive performance, while working collaboratively with coaches, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning professionals, sports medicine personnel, and other members of the student-athlete performance team.

The Director serves as a primary sports nutrition resource for assigned teams, providing individualized nutrition assessment, counseling, education, and performance fueling strategies tailored to the unique physiological demands of each sport. The position leads the daily operations of Olympic Sports nutrition services, supervises assigned sports nutrition fellows and undergraduate staff, and coordinates nutrition resources and services to ensure consistent, high-quality support across assigned programs.

The Director also assists in the administration of sports nutrition facilities, fueling operations, nutritional supplement programs, and educational initiatives while ensuring compliance with applicable NCAA, Southeastern Conference (SEC), University, and departmental policies and procedures.

Regular, reliable and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

(Director) Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition, dietetics, food and nutrition, or a related field from an accredited institution
• Registered Dietitian by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and RD eligible in the state of Arkansas
• At least three years of professional sports nutrition experience within a collegiate athletics setting
• Experience providing individualized nutrition counseling, performance nutrition education, and dietary assessment to competitive student-athletes

(Associate Director) Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition, dietetics, food and nutrition, or a related field from an accredited institution
• Registered Dietitian by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and RD eligible in the state of Arkansas
• At least two years of professional sports nutrition experience within a collegiate athletics setting
• Experience providing individualized nutrition counseling, performance nutrition education, and dietary assessment to competitive student-athletes

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in nutrition, dietetics, exercise science, sports science, or a related field
• Four or more years of full-time professional experience as a registered dietitian within a collegiate and/or professional sports setting
• Experience working with athletes with eating disorders/disordered eating habits
• Experience managing performance fueling stations, nutritional supplement programs, or sports nutrition operations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of NCAA regulations governing nutritional supplements and permissible student-athlete nutrition services
• Knowledge of dietary assessment techniques, body composition considerations, and nutrition interventions appropriate for collegiate student-athletes
• Advanced knowledge of sports nutrition principles, exercise physiology, energy availability, hydration, recovery, and nutritional strategies that support athletic performance
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional reports, educational materials, program documentation, and correspondence
• Strong leadership, supervisory, organizational, and program management skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication, counseling, presentation, and public speaking skills
• Ability to establish rapport and build trusted professional relationships with student-athletes, coaches, and multidisciplinary performance staff
• Ability to supervise, mentor, train, and evaluate assigned personnel while establishing clear performance expectations
• Ability to maintain confidential student-athlete information in accordance with applicable privacy requirements and University policies
• Ability to collaborate effectively across sports medicine, strength and conditioning, coaching, food service, and athletic administration