Sports Performance Dietitian - First Team

First Team Sports Performance Dietitian

The Human Performance Department is seeking a First Team Sports Performance Dietitian to help the department accomplish its mission of creating a collaborative, data-informed staff committed to excellence by delivering holistic, player-centric health and performance. This is an exciting time to join the Human Performance Department, which is committed to providing a culture where people thrive, and sets the standard for player health and performance in Major League Soccer. The First Team Sports Performance Dietitian will lead and execute the nutrition strategy for the First Team, providing individualized and team-based nutrition support that optimizes player health, availability, adaptation, recovery, and performance. This role will work collaboratively across Performance, Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Culinary, Coaching, and Player Care to ensure nutrition is integrated into daily training, match preparation, return-to-play, travel, and long-term player development. The First Team Sports Performance Dietitian will be responsible for building systems that support consistent nutrition service delivery, including daily fueling operations, individual nutrition plans, body composition monitoring, hydration assessment, supplement management, travel nutrition, player education, and performance nutrition reporting. The dietitian will use clinical expertise, sports nutrition science, and objective player data to create practical, player-centered solutions that support both short-term performance and long-term health.

Essential Functions

• Lead the nutrition strategy and service delivery for the Sporting Kansas City First Team.
• Provide individualized nutrition counseling for players.
• Develop and implement individualized nutrition plans that support player health, performance, and positional demands.
• Collaborate with Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Strength & Conditioning, along with the technical staff to integrate nutrition into player monitoring, training periodization, rehabilitation, and return-to-play planning.
• Assess and monitor player body composition, body weight, and energy balance using appropriate tools and best-practice methods.
• Perform and/or coordinate DEXA scans, skinfold assessments, body weight monitoring, and other relevant performance nutrition assessments.
• Conduct hydration testing and develop hydration protocols, particularly during high-heat periods and congested match schedules.
• Analyze nutrition-related health and performance data, including blood biomarkers when available, to guide nutrition interventions and supplement recommendations.
• Manage the club's performance supplement program, including: product evaluation, ordering, inventory, distribution, budget tracking, safety review, compliance with MLS, WADA, USADA, NSF Certified for Sport, and/or Informed Sport standards.
• Maintain the highest standard of supplement safety and banned-substance risk reduction.
• Oversee daily fueling operations at the training facility, including pre-training, post-training, recovery, and snack station offerings.
• Collaborate with culinary staff to plan and execute daily meals that support training demands, recovery needs, player preferences, cultural food preferences, and performance goals.
• Coordinate First Team nutrition for home matches, including pre-match, halftime, post-match, and recovery nutrition.
• Regular travel with the First Team is required, including oversight and coordination of all nutrition-related travel logistics such as hotel menus, banquet event orders, airline meals, bus snacks, locker room fueling, hydration, supplement use, matchday nutrition, and recovery meals.
• Review and approve menus for team meals, training table, travel meals, and matchday fueling.
• Serve as the primary nutrition resource for players, coaches, athletic trainers, performance staff, culinary staff, and other members of the club.
• Develop and deliver nutrition education for players and staff through presentations, small groups, individual sessions, written resources, and practical food-based education.
• Support players with food selection, meal planning, grocery shopping strategies, cooking skills, and nutrition routines that translate from the training facility to home and travel environments.
• Document nutrition services, assessments, interventions, and outcomes in accordance with department standards, HIPAA expectations, and club policies.
• Create nutrition reports and communication systems that help staff understand player needs, nutrition priorities, and actionable next steps.
• Provide performance nutrition support across the broader player pathway when appropriate, including Sporting KC II and Academy collaboration.
• Develop, maintain, and improve nutrition policies, procedures, and workflows for the Human Performance Department.
• On occasion, attend and participate in activities, meetings, programs, and events as required by Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer.

Personal Attributes

• Naturally player-centric and highly accountable.
• Highly collaborative, curious, energetic, and committed to the shared success of the Human Performance Department.
• A great teammate who builds trust with players and staff through consistency, discretion, humility, and follow-through.
• Strong communicator who can translate complex sports nutrition science into practical, clear, and usable recommendations.
• Comfortable working across departments and capable of communicating with players, coaches, medical providers, performance staff, culinary staff, and leadership.
• A great listener who understands how to foster trust, safety, and buy-in with players from diverse backgrounds.
• Confident in difficult conversations and able to challenge habits, systems, or behaviors when they threaten player health, performance, or culture.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving professional team environment.
• Composed, adaptable, and solutions-oriented in high-pressure environments.
• Professional integrity, discretion, and commitment to the club's values and player-development philosophy.
• Proactive thinker who anticipates needs, solves problems upstream, and creates systems that improve daily performance operations.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in sports nutrition, preferably with elite-level athletes in professional, collegiate, Olympic, or high-performance environments.
• Experience working in professional soccer or a team sport environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of Major League Soccer, professional team operations, travel demands, and matchday performance needs preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in nutrition, dietetics, food and nutrition, exercise science, or a related field from an accredited institution required.
• Master's degree in nutrition, exercise science, sports science, or a related field preferred.
• Registered Dietitian credential required.
• Current registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration required.
• Currently licensed or eligible for licensure in Kansas and Missouri. Licensure must be obtained within 3 months of hire.
• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics credential required.
• Current CPR/AED certification required.
• Experience with body composition assessment, hydration testing, nutrition periodization, supplement review, medical nutrition therapy, and athlete counseling required.
• Experience interpreting nutrition-related biomarkers and collaborating with medical providers preferred.
• Experience managing nutrition budgets, supplement inventory, catering, training table menus, and team travel nutrition logistics.
• Strong documentation, communication, presentation, counseling, and record-keeping skills.
• Comfort using performance technology, athlete management systems, and nutrient analysis software.
• Able to work flexible hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, home matches, and away travel.

Physical & Working Conditions

• Based primarily at the Club's training facility and stadium, with regular travel for matches, preseason, and other team events.
• Must be able to work in both indoor and outdoor environments under varying weather conditions.
• Must be able to lift, carry, load, and organize food, beverages, coolers, supplements, and equipment as part of daily fueling, training, travel, and matchday operations.
• Must maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and emotional control in demanding or high-pressure situations.
• Must be comfortable working in a dynamic, collaborative, high-performance team environment where priorities may shift quickly.

Sporting Kansas City is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and equity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all associates. All associates are expected to positively collaborate with individuals of diverse backgrounds. We encourage all talented individuals looking for a challenge to apply.