Sports Dietitian, Supervisor

University of Southern California (USC) Athletics
Los Angeles, CA

The Supervisor of Sports Nutrition works with the Director of Sports Nutrition and Sports Dietitian Manager to support the recruiting and hiring efforts of the nutrition department: onboarding new hires, mentors, leads and disciplines dietitians, interns and student workers when necessary. Manages assigned sports and administrative duties. Develops and enforces policies within the department. Collaborates with physicians, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, sport psychologists, sport coaches etc. in the best interest of the student athletes. Maintains and reports budgets to the director, works with development staff to foster trade deals with vendors, collaborates with the athletic dining staff for meal selection. Fosters ongoing communication with administration, sport coaches, strength and conditioning staff, athletic medicine staff, physicians and department psychologists regarding sports nutrition and performance issues.


Essential Duties:

  • Assists the director in leadership of a comprehensive nutrition program (e.g., fuel access, education, and counseling) based on client needs, representing all sports.
  • Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of effective nutrition, meal, and hydration plans and initiatives based on client needs. Monitors and evaluates client nutrition status, reports on relevant metrics as required, and consistently makes improvements to plans.
  • Develops and delivers nutrition education presentations, demonstrations, events, and resources to support educational efforts.
  • Supports student-specific nutrition assessment, counseling, and education (e.g., weight management, exercise training) and/or to address nutritional challenges to performance, (e.g., recovery, immunity, disordered eating), coordinating care with internal and external stakeholders as required.
  • Serves as an expert nutritional resource for students athletes, coaches and staff. Fosters effective and consistent communication with all relevant parties critical to supporting client welfare.
  • As delegated by the director, works closely with the athlete only dining hall staff to provide sound nutritional meals specific to the goals of individual student-athletes and teams.
  • Develop, revise and maintains a thorough understanding of all departmental and university policies and procedures, as well as applicable government and industry standards, and ensures adherence to them. Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.
  • Maintains currency on latest products and trends by reading trade publications, attending seminars and trade shows, and developing and maintaining vendor contacts.
  • Provides appropriate leadership to staff and coaches with regard to advising student athletes on nutritional supplements. Since supplements are an unregulated industry and the NCAA does not recognize third party testing, there are significant consequences that may be avoided with appropriate messaging and documentation.
  • Creates a system where appropriate referrals and oversight to those student athletes with special needs e.g. but not limited to anemia, disordered eating, diabetes, bone mineral disturbances, amenorrhea, dyslipidemia, hypertension, gastrointestinal concerns, food allergies and intolerances, and other medical conditions and work collaboratively with other disciplines such as athletic medicine, sport psychology and specialty physicians.
  • Develops and leads direct reports with evidence- based directives regarding measuring body composition, hydration testing and heat illness prophylaxis through proper hydration.
  • Lead, supervise and direct education in the form of but not limited to grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations, printed/electronic infographic materials.
  • Assists with on campus recruiting efforts for prospective student athletes.
  • Manage the travel nutrition needs for sports including but not limited to snack bags, performance menus, halftime/dugout snacks, and post-game meals.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.


Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree Nutrition, dietetics, or related field
  • 2-3 years Experience working with nutritional needs of athletes; experience in a collegiate setting a plus
  • Attention to detail when performing assigned tasks
  • Excellent time and priority management, organizational, and record-keeping skills
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to interact with a wide variety of individuals within a diverse environment
  • Strong interpersonal skills, presentation, and counseling skills
  • Ability to work a non-standard workweek which may include nights, weekends, and holidays
  • Ability to operate with the highest standards of impartiality and professional treatment
  • Ability to uphold the core values of the athletics department in all aspect of work and operate in an ethical manner
  • Ability to comply with disclosure regulations relative to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) and the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree Nutrition, exercise physiology, or related field
  • 1 year experience in a leadership capacity
  • Knowledge of rules and regulations of the Pac 12 Conference
  • Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)


Required Licenses/Certifications:

  • Registered Dietitian - RD With active registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration

The annual base salary range for this position is $68,640.00 - $112,370.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.


Reach out to hiring manager, Director of Sports Nutrition, Rachel Suba subarach@usc.edu.