Team Sports Dietitian

About the role

Assist Director of Sports Nutrition with education, assessment and counseling of student-athletes on optimal nutritional practices for exercise training, competition, recovery from practice, recovery from injury and illness, weight management, hydration and supplementation.

Responsibilities

• Provide team-specific nutrition education and recommendations
• Develop, coordinate, and teach nutritional education, cooking programs and grocery store tours for student-athletes independently and in collaboration with Student-Athlete Development unit
• Actively participate in meal monitoring and plate-side nutrition education for student athletes at team-specific meals
• Collaborate with other on-campus Registered Dietitians, as needed, to ensure the best use of campus educational programming and facilities for student-athletes
• Serve as a nutrition educational resource for coaches, sports medical staff, academic services staff, and others within the department as appropriate
• Implement sport-specific hydration protocols at workouts, team practices and competitions to prevent heat related illness and promote health through adequate hydration
• Coordinate and communicate travel nutrition needs for assigned teams
• Assist Director of Sports Nutrition on programing to valuate nutritional supplements, including research of supplements for legality, safety, quality, and efficacy, and continual research of the changing sports supplement industry
• Maintain certification and professional competency and skills required for professional practice, including but not limited to current food, nutrition, and health issues and research related to sports nutrition
• Maintain yearly continuing education in the field of sports dietetics
• Assess, educate and counsel student-athletes
• Identify, advise and educate on medical-related nutrition concerns such as but not limited to anemia, disordered eating, diabetes, bone mineral disturbances, amenorrhea, dyslipidemia, hypertension, gastrointestinal concerns, food allergies and intolerances, and other medical conditions
• Provide assessment, education and counseling for sport-specific and gender-specific recommendations regarding optimal body composition and weight for good health and optimal athletic performance
• Provide assessment, education, and counseling to student-athletes regarding appropriate and legal use of dietary supplements, regularly banned drugs and restricted substances in compliance with sport governing bodies; e.g. NCAA, U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA), World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and the Department of Intercollegiate (DIA) policies
• Conduct educational meetings with prospective student athletes and their families as part of the recruiting process as requested
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of nutrition assessments, counseling sessions, educational meetings, and student-athlete records within the department’s EMR system
• Oversee fueling station operations & management, Student and Intern experience
• Assist director in overseeing director of nutrition operations in ordering, inventory, and procurement of goods through necessary vendors for athletic fueling stations
• Responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring and scheduling undergraduate volunteers for fueling station
• Provide education and mentorship of sports nutrition undergraduate volunteers & interns
• Serve as a member of an interdisciplinary, integrated performance team
• Conduct and refer screening, treatment and prevention of disordered eating and eating disorders as necessary
• Provide consistent communication to coaching staffs, strength & conditioning staffs, athletic trainers, team physicians, mental health staffs, and administration regarding sports nutrition and sports performance related issues
• Collaborate with relevant health care providers within the Sports Medicine department’s existing health care network
• Work Schedule, Travel, or Other Job Expectations

Qualifications

• Possession of current Registered Dietitian licensure from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations and credentials and registration from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Nutrition or related field
• Previous experience working with collegiate student-athletes
• One or more years working with college age population and collegiate student-athletes
• Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
• Knowledge of and compliance with specific NCAA, Big Ten Conference, and institution rules that relate to this position is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Nutrition or related field
• Previous experience working with collegiate student-athletes
• One or more years working with college age population and collegiate student-athletes

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 4704 - Dietitian Nutritionist position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 7/20/2026. Salary range is $58,000 - $68,000 and commensurate with experience. Work authorization is not available for this position. For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx .