Stoke City Football Club of the English Football League is looking for a First Team Nutritionist to support its Sports Science and Performance operations at our Training Ground Facility at Clayton Wood in Trent Vale.

The successful applicant will be responsible for the nutritional provisions across the First Team on a full time basis and ensure that the nutrition philosophy and processes align across the club.

The ideal candidate will be available to work evenings and weekends to cover matchday fixtures and other ad hoc events at the bet365 Stadium as well as being able to work flexible hours and travel when required.

Job Summary:

To develop and deliver the performance nutrition strategy across the First Team, providing high level, evidence based nutritional support that optimises the performance of the players, contributing to the maintenance and development of an elite high performance environment.

Role Responsibilities:

• Engage with First Team and Emerging Talent players, ensuring they understand and implement good nutritional management.
• Employing strategies to support the training and match day demands of players whilst showcasing an in-depth understanding of the scientific principles underpinning sports nutrition.
• Developing and implementing individualised nutrition strategies based on individual assessments such as blood tests, recovery from injury performance and development targets.
• Undertaking regular body composition assessments using the ISAK Protocol to determine each player’s ideal physique characteristics, conduct comprehensive dietary analysis to determine each player’s nutritional status and provide bespoke interventions to support performance, training, and rehab goals.
• Implementing strategies to support players' training and competitive programmes, demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the science that supports sports nutrition.
• Educating players and support staff on how dietary strategies can enhance performance, recovery, and health, through the application of evidenced based nutritional interventions, practically and pragmatically applied in the field.
• Adopting a ‘food first’ approach when delivering nutrition education to all players and coaches.
• Sourcing and ordering of nutritional products and maintaining up to date records of all batch tested products club wide.
• Working collaboratively with the Head of Sport Science and the catering team to ensure that meal provision at the training ground align with the performance demands of the team/individual age groups.
• Attending home and away matches to ensure prescribed menus and nutrition strategies are implemented.
• Working collaboratively across the multi-disciplinary team to share information regarding nutrition/assessment results, health, monitoring, and any other relevant issues.

Role Requirements:

• Always perform duties with due regard to club policies and procedures and legislative requirements.
• Ensure implementation of the club’s health & safety, safeguarding, welfare, and equality policies to create a safe working environment for all.
• Maintain an awareness of data best practice and ensure working practices are appropriate in collaboration with club’s legal/compliance/other relevant functions.

Desirable Qualifications:

• BSC in Sports Science (or related discipline).
• Higher degree (IOC diploma in sports nutrition or PGCert/Dip/Masters in Sports Nutrition).
• Practitioner registrant on Sports and Exercise Nutrition Register (Graduate minimum and working towards full practitioner status within a year).
• ISAK level 1 (or above) accreditation.
• Food Hygiene Certificate.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Exceptional communication skills.
• Significant experience in the provision of nutritional support to professional athletes and coaches.
• Significant experience working within a multidisciplinary team in the delivery of performance nutrition support in elite sport.
• Experience of analysing the demands of a sport in relation to their nutrition needs to develop, implement, and evaluate nutrition strategies.
• Understanding rehabilitation, recovery, regeneration and robustness practices.
• Able to translate evidence based nutrition information into understandable and motivational advice for players.