Sports Nutritionist at Making of Champions Limited

Job Summary

• We are seeking a passionate and experienced Sports Nutritionist to join our team - to support the dietary and performance needs of our athletes, as well as guarantee their optimal health and performance. If you’re an enthusiastic, dedicated, and knowledgeable professional with a passion for helping athletes reach their goals, we’d love to hear from you.
• The Sports Nutritionist will play a crucial role in optimizing the performance, recovery, and overall health of MoC Academy athletes through tailored nutrition plans and guidance at home, training and at competitions
• This role involves working closely with Athletes, Athletes’ families, Coaches, and MoC Staff to develop individualized and group nutrition programs that enhance athletic performance and ensure overall well-being.
• The successful candidate will provide nutritional counselling for the MoC Athletes, create customised nutrition plans, conduct necessary body assessment, develop menus & arrange for food services.

Key Responsibilities
Nutrition Assessment & Planning:

• Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments to understand each athlete’s dietary needs based on their athletic event, training demands, and health status.
• Assess and analyze dietary practices, body composition, and energy balance of student athletes in the context of athletic performance and health.
• Develop individualized nutrition plans, considering factors such as age, body training intensity, competition schedules, and specific health conditions.
• Recommend appropriate pre-, during, and post-exercise fluids and snacks for individual team practice, and competition.

Performance Nutrition Strategy:

• Provide evidence-based dietary recommendations that enhance athletic performance, improve recovery times, and prevent injuries.
• Design and implement periodized nutrition plans that align with MoCAthletes’ training cycles, competitions, and off-season periods.
• Develop portion size charts and serving size recommendations in an easy-to-understand format, that makes it easier for Athletes to serve their foods without necessarily needing to measure or weigh their food always.
• Advise on optimal hydration and recovery strategies to maintain peak physical condition in our Athletes
• Design and provide group &personalized meal and snack plans (when needed) to promote achieving short and long-term goals for athletic performance and good health.
• Address nutritional challenges such as food allergies, and vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

Education & Counselling

• Educate MoCathletes on the importance of nutrition and its impact on performance, helping them make informed food choices.
• Conduct workshops and one-on-one counselling sessions to ensure MoCathletes and coaches understand dietary strategies.
• Address topics such as macronutrient and micronutrient needs, hydration, meal timing, and recovery nutrition.
• Counsel athletes on optimal nutrition for exercise training, competition, recovery from exercise, weight management, hydration, immunity, disordered eating, travel, and supplementation.

Dietary Supplement Guidance:

• Evaluate and recommend safe and legal dietary supplements as needed, ensuring compliance with anti-doping regulations.
• Monitor and provide guidance on the appropriate use of supplements and educate athletes on potential risks.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• Regularly track and assess athletes’ progress, adjusting nutrition plans as needed to reflect changes in training intensity or health status.
• Collaborate with coaches to monitor body composition and performance metrics to inform dietary adjustments.
• Maintain thorough records of each athlete’s nutrition plans, dietary needs, and any changes made over time.
• Monitor salt intake, sugar intake, alcohol consumption, unhealthy fats—saturated or trans fats – and other important

Collaboration & Support:

• Work closely with the coaching and medical teams to align nutritional recommendations with training and rehabilitation protocols.
• Support meal planning for training camps, competitions, and travel to ensure athletes maintain their nutrition regimen on the road.

Reporting:

• Prepare regular reports on athletes’ progress, performance improvements, and nutritional adjustments made throughout the training period.
• Present monthly and quarterly reports to the Head Coach, Athlete Managers andMoC stakeholders, detailing the impact of nutritional plans on the athletes’ performance and health.
• Analyze and report on key performance metrics, including body composition, recovery rates, and overall health markers, to provide insights for coaching staff and management.
• Additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Education: Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Human Nutrition & Dietetics, Sports Nutrition, or a related field.
• Certification: Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (RD or equivalent certification); certification in Sports Nutrition (e.g., CSSD, ISSN) preferred.
• Experience: 2-4 years of experience as a Nutritionist/Dietitian, preferably working with athletes, ideally within a high-performance or sports academy setting.
• Knowledge: In-depth understanding of sports nutrition and dietary needs specific to high-performance athletes. Our ideal candidate is knowledgeable aboutAthletics or has a keen interest in Athletics (deep knowledge of Nigerian and World Athletics are advantages).
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Exceptional communication abilities – excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to multitask and focus on a variety of projects while working closely with teams of MoC staff and athletes throughout the country.