Sports Nutritionist at Making of Champions Limited

Making of Champions (MoC) is a leading Sports Talent, Events, and Media agency focused on Nigerian Athletics. MoC was founded in 2013 after Nigeria failed to win any medal at the 2012 Olympics. Our mission is to build world-class athletes through professional coaching, mentorship, and training.

MoC Track Club, our athlete development program, launched in 2016, with the aim of supporting young Nigerian athletes in reaching their full potential, preparing them to compete and win medals on national and global stages. Within 8 years of the MoC Track Club’s existence, its Athletes have won over 80 National & International Medals, while MoC competitions have emerged as amongst Africa’s top events for the nation's and continent’s Athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Sports Nutritionist

Location: Lagos

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.

Application Closing Date
21st November, 2024.