Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Nutrition

Iowa State University; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Iowa State University Athletics Department invites applications for an Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Nutrition. This role leads a high‑performing nutrition program fueling Cyclone student‑athletes with evidence‑based strategies and top‑tier facilities.

The position requires a registered dietitian, Iowa licensure, and 5+ years of related experience, with duties spanning operations, staff leadership, meal planning, counseling, education, and collaboration with ISU departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with 5 years of related experience.
• Must be a Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
• Must have and maintain licensure as a Licensed Dietitian in the State of Iowa.

Responsibilities

• Lead Nutrition Operations: strategic planning, forecasting, education, and oversight of a multi‑million dollar budget.
• Be a member of the Sports Medicine, Performance, and Welfare leadership team.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to maximize student‑athlete potential through nutrition.
• Direct meal planning and scheduling for the Stark Performance Center Nutrition Center and liaise with vendor.
• Supervise full-time staff and student interns, fostering a collaborative, service‑oriented team.
• Maintain nutrition programs tailored by sport and individuals, including disordered eating plans.
• Provide confidential dietetic assessments and counseling to student‑athletes.
• Oversee sports nutrition education and participate in recruiting presentations.
• Establish relationship with ISU's Food Science and Nutrition department for clinical supervision.
• Ensure all duties comply with NCAA, Big 12 and university policies.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Registered Dietitian (CDR) certification

Licensed Dietitian licensure (Iowa)

Job description

Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Nutrition

Job Group

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s and 5 years of related experience. Registered dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Must have and maintain licensure as a Licensed Dietitian in the State of Iowa.

Job Description

The Iowa State University Athletics Department invites applications for a dynamic and experienced Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Nutrition. This position will serve as a key leader, shaping departmental operations and nutritional strategies that fuel Cyclone student-athletes. This role offers the opportunity to continue building and enhancing a high-performing nutrition program supported by industry-leading facilities and infrastructure, lead a dedicated staff, and directly impact competitive success through evidence-based performance nutrition.

What You’ll Do

• Lead business operations for Performance Nutrition, including strategic planning, forecasting, education, annual reports, and fiscal oversight of an annual budget of approximately $4 million. Ensure strong financial controls and compliance with guidelines.
• Serve on the Sports Medicine, Performance, and Welfare leadership team.
• Work closely with internal and external partners and stakeholders to maximize student-athlete potential through nutrition fostering positive, collegial, and collaborative relationships.
• Direct meal planning and scheduling for the Stark Performance Center Nutrition Center, catered meals, post-competition recovery strategies, and fueling stations. Serve as the liaison between ISU and the nutrition center vendor.
• Supervise full-time staff members and student interns, fostering a collaborative, service-oriented team culture that builds a culture of trust, confidence, and confidentiality with the student-athletes.
• Maintain comprehensive nutrition programs tailored by sport and individuals including disordered eating planning that enhance athletic performance and support student-athlete wellness.
• Provide confidential, individualized dietetic assessments and counseling to student-athletes and teams.
• Oversee sports nutrition education.
• Play an integral role in recruiting presentations.
• Establish and foster a working relationship with Iowa State's nationally recognized Department of Food Science and Nutrition to provide clinical experience and supervision for future sport dietitians.
• Ensure all duties are performed in accordance with NCAA, Big 12 Conference, and university policies.

The ideal candidate will possess proven experience in sports dietetics, along with strong leadership, operations management, and budget planning skills. This position requires a strong customer service focus, excellent communication and presentation skills, the ability to solve problems and exercise sound judgment, and a commitment to multiculturalism and working with a diverse student body.

Some evening and weekend work is required to provide consultation to student-athletes, coaches or prospect families.

This position serves at the pleasure of university administration and is exempt from certain P&S policies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).
• Related master’s degree.
• Documented experience in administrative oversight of sports nutrition department, or equivalent.
• Experience managing the budget for a large collegiate sports nutrition department and dining center.
• Experience providing sports nutrition counseling, educational programming, and meal planning for athletes and teams.
• Experience counseling disordered eating/eating disorders.
• Expertise working with nutritional supplement programs for athletes.

About ISU Athletics

As an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision athletics program and a founding member of the Big 12 Conference, Iowa State University sponsors 18 intercollegiate athletics teams and supports 450 student-athletes in their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence. ISU Athletics employs over 250 talented and dedicated full-time staff members, more than 500 temporary and student employees, and multiple auxiliary partners who collaboratively work within a culture to support and enhance the experiences of Cyclone student-athletes and their loyal fan base. Iowa State student-athletes have produced 10-consecutive years of record-setting Graduation Success Rate scores in the classroom, while athletically, the Cyclones have captured 19 national team championships, 140 national individual titles and 162 conference team championships in its rich history. www.cyclones.com

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship.

Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University?

Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:

• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [e-mail], or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

This position serves at the pleasure of university administration and is exempt from certain P&S policies.

Appointment Type

Regular

Number Of Months Employed Per Year

12 Month Work Period

Time Type

Full time

Pay Grade

PS810

Original Posting Date

October 30, 2026

Posting Close Date

November 12, 2026

Job Requisition Number

R20111

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. [phone], email [e-mail].

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.