Overview
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is accepting applications for the position of Director of Sports Nutrition. This is a full-time, 12-month position with benefits. This position will provide scientifically based nutrition care to optimize the health and performance of the student athletes competing for a highly competitive, Division I athletics program.
The mission of NIU Athletics is to enhance the University, community and region through service and engagement while developing champions in the classroom, in competition and in life. With long standing traditions and core values centered on family, NIU Athletics is home to 17 NCAA Division I sport programs. Northern Illinois University, chartered in 1895, is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with over 19,000 currently enrolled students and houses seven (7) degree-granting colleges—Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and Human Sciences, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts. Centrally located in DeKalb, Northern Illinois University is 30 miles west of Aurora, 65 miles west of Chicago, 36 miles west of Naperville, and 45 miles southeast of Rockford.
Position Summary
The Director of Sports Nutrition will manage the day-to-day operations of the Nutrition Center, providing expert sport nutrition resources, education, consulting, and research. This position will collaborate with administration, team physicians, athletic training, strength and conditioning, sport psychology, and coaches to support each team and individual student-athlete.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Dietary Supplement Distribution & Education
- Utilize updated and relevant research to support distribution of dietary supplements according to NCAA regulations.
- Review all dietary supplements presented by a student athlete and provide education on the risks and benefits, when necessary.
Mentoring/Educating Graduate Assistants & Interns
- Educate and mentor performance nutrition Graduate Assistants and student volunteer interns.
- Oversee all planning, developing, organizing, and implementing all projects that support the vision of NIU Performance Nutrition.
Student Nutritional Care
- Work in conjunction with athletic training, sport psychology, strength and conditioning and team physicians to provide optimal care for assigned student athletes.
Performance Nutrition Education
- Provide individualized and team-based nutrition counseling based on student athlete performance goals. This may include, but is not limited to, weight management, body composition, meal planning, dietary supplement review, injury reduction, recovery and rehabilitation, and general performance nutrition education.
Menu Development
- Develop and provide nutrition education, and menu development as well as manage practice and competition fueling.
- Develop the performance nutrition guidelines and procedures for the department that ensure health and safety of NIU student athletes.
Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)
CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER
- 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.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)
Classification Specific Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of clinical nutritional and diet therapy.
- Knowledge of basic food service operations.
- Knowledge of nutritional assessment methods used to maintain nutritional status of patients and to develop and implement nutritional care plans for patients.
- Knowledge of methods and techniques used to educate and instruct patients.
- Ability to learn university and departmental policies, procedures, rules and regulations.
- Ability to learn departmental standards of nutritional care.
- Ability to supervise support staff.
- Ability to teach, supervise, and evaluate students.
Position Specific Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of and compliance with National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) regulations, both those general in nature and those which apply directly to the position’s responsibilities. Strict adherence to all applicable governing policies, procedures, and regulations of the NCAA is required and is a condition of employment.
- Ability to communicate with and relate well in both large group and one-on-one settings
- Ability to effectively communicate through oral, written and electronic forms.
Specialty Factors (Civil Service)
N/A
Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)
- Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, Exercise Physiology, or related field.
- Master degree in sports nutrition or relevant field.
- Minimum one year of experience as a Registered Dietitian in a collegiate setting.
- Board certified Registered Dietitian (RD) with the ability to obtain an Illinois State licensure within 30 days of hire.
- Minimum 3-to-5-year experience working with high performance interdisciplinary (i.e., college, professional, Olympic) athletes.
- Minimum one year supervisory experience
- Experience working with an athletic training table and/or fueling station.
- Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
- Experience with budgeting, ordering and inventory control
