Associate Director, Performance Nutrition - Olympic Sports

University of Central Florida•Orlando, FL

About The Position

The Associate Director, Performance Nutrition administers, organizes, and supervises a progressive sports nutrition department and manages meal operations and catering to support student-athletes’ dietary and hydration needs in accordance with UCF, Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations. The position provides nutrition education and counseling to student-athletes and assigned sports teams, including revenue and Olympic sports, and conducts high-performance meetings with teams and related staff. It recognizes signs and symptoms of eating disorders and disordered eating, makes recommendations to athletes and the performance team, and collaborates with medical and mental health professionals. The role works with sports medicine staff, dining services, coaches, and sports performance staff to provide nutrition education, evidence-based performance nutrition, supplementation guidance, and medical nutrition therapy for sports-related and other medical conditions. It also supports daily operations of the Garvy Nutrition Center training table and sport-related fueling stations, including meal planning, menu and catering engagement, inventory, stocking, cleanliness, and identifying potential satellite fueling stations. The position maintains Registered Dietitian credentials and continuing education through the Commission on Dietetic Registration and state licensure. It keeps current on performance nutrition research and nutrition trends, and evaluates supplements for NCAA compliance while advising coaches, student-athletes, and staff on appropriate and legal use. The role supervises and onboards nutrition support staff, interns, work-study students, and volunteers, and manages dietetic intern programs when applicable. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is often required due to the nature and scope of Athletics and Athletics events. The selected candidate is expected to demonstrate integrity and character and comply with NCAA, Conference, and institutional rules.

Requirements

Master’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization, or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and two years of appropriate experience.
Active Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) accreditation through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Eligible for licensure/certification in the State of Florida (ANSI-Conference for Food Protection) within the first three months of employment.
Integrity and character, with a commitment to knowing and complying with applicable NCAA, Conference, and institutional rules.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of nutrition experience working with sports teams.
Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).
Experience in sports sciences or sports performance coaching.
Strong attention to detail.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

Administer, organize, and supervise the sports nutrition department and meal operations/catering supporting student-athletes’ dietary and hydration needs.
Oversee and implement nutrition education for assigned student-athletes and multiple teams, including revenue and Olympic sports.
Conduct regular high-performance meetings with assigned sports and related staff concerning student-athlete health and performance.
Recognize signs and symptoms of eating disorders and disordered eating, make recommendations to athletes and the performance team, and collaborate with medical and mental health professionals.
Collaborate with sports medicine staff, dining services, and coaches to provide nutrition education in group or individual sessions.
Collaborate with sports performance staff to provide evidence-based performance nutrition and supplementation supporting training and recovery.
Work with sports performance and sports medicine staff on medical nutrition therapy for medical conditions and diseases, and communicate with related University departments where appropriate.
Assist with daily operations of the Garvy Nutrition Center training table and sport-related fueling stations, including engagement with menus and catering regarding food quantity, quality, and timing.
Assist the chef in planning, organizing, and managing meals, improving the nutritional content of recipes and production techniques.
Maintain clean, disinfected, and organized fueling stations and surrounding areas; manage inventory and stocking, remove debris and spills, clean stations and equipment, and identify potential alternative or satellite fueling stations.
Maintain Registered Dietitian credentials, continuing education through CDR, and state licensure.
Keep current on performance nutrition research and nutrition-related trends, including fad diets and supplements.
Research and educate or counsel coaches, student-athletes, and staff about appropriate, legal, NCAA-compliant supplement use; evaluate NCAA-compliant products and identify restricted or banned substances.
Supervise, manage, and onboard nutrition support staff, including interns, work-study students, and volunteers.
Manage dietetic intern programs when applicable per semester.
Work evenings, weekends, and holidays as often required by Athletics and Athletics events.
Comply with NCAA, Conference, and institutional rules applicable to the UCF Athletics program.