ROLE PURPOSE 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide individualized nutrition consultations for players, including assessment of dietary habits, body composition targets, fueling needs, and recovery requirements.
• Collaborate with coaching, strength & conditioning, medical, and performance staff to ensure nutrition strategies support training load, competition demands, and long-term athlete development.
• Review and advise on supplements for safety, compliance, and effectiveness, ensuring adherence to team policies and anti-doping standards.
• Support the monitoring of player body weight and body composition trends, and provide guidance to ensure players meet agreed-upon performance targets in a healthy and sustainable manner.
• Develop practical team-wide nutrition strategies for training days, match days, travel periods, and recovery phases.
• Provide education sessions, workshops, and resource materials to players and staff on nutrition best practices.
• Maintain accurate records of consultations, player progress, and any recommended interventions.
• Role model high-performance behaviors aligned with team values, professionalism, and the collective commitment to a high-performance environment

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND DELIVERABLES

• Effective implementation of individualized nutrition plans that support performance, recovery, and health.
• Positive player compliance with nutrition recommendations.
• Clear alignment between nutrition strategies and training/match demands.

• Demonstrated progress in players meeting agreed-upon body composition and body weight targets in collaboration with the S&C and medical teams.
• Reduced nutrition-related performance issues (e.g., fatigue, inadequate fueling, hydration problems).
• Improved nutritional habits and decision-making across the squad.

• Completion of regular nutrition check-ins, monitoring, and follow-up with players as scheduled.
• Clear communication of supplement guidelines, anti-doping compliance, and any necessary approvals or reviews.
• Effective collaboration with staff to integrate nutrition into overall performance planning..

• Contribute to pre-briefs, debriefs, and performance reviews related to nutrition and player readiness.
• Provide periodic updates to the Head Coach and performance staff on key trends, risks, or areas requiring intervention.
• Maintain organized documentation, reports, and progress summaries.
• Adopt continuous learning and improvement in all aspects of the role.
• Implement, participate in, and promote the Safe Sport Framework, including its values, policies, processes, and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES

• Degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Sports Nutrition, or a related field (required).
• Certification as a Registered Dietitian (RD), Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), or equivalent (preferred).
• Knowledge of anti-doping guidelines and supplement safety standards.

• Demonstrated experience in applied sports nutrition, preferably within a high-performance or team-sport environment.
• Experience supporting athletes with body composition goals, fueling plans, hydration strategies, and recovery protocols. 
• Experience evaluating supplements for safety, compliance, and efficacy.

• Strong understanding of the nutritional requirements of rugby players, including fueling for contact sports, recovery needs, and travel demands.
• Ability to build trust and work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary performance team.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex nutrition concepts into practical, actionable guidance.
• Strong organizational and planning skills, with the capacity to manage multiple players and priorities on a part-time schedule.
• Commitment to continuous learning, professional development, and high-performance standards.

ABOUT USA RUGBY HIGH PERFORMANCE

• Performance: Become consistently competitive at Rugby World Cups. 
• People: Highly engaged coaches, athletes and staff that deliver a focused environment, producing better athletes and better people. 
• Systems: Performances on and off the field provide a positive influence on retaining and growing our rugby community, fans, sponsors and philanthropists to grow and sustain our game.