Job Description

Primary Purpose: Our mission in Player Development is to develop players and staff who create our foundation for winning the World Series. We are looking for a Performance Dietitian who will be responsible for implementing the Guardians nutritional philosophy within the Guardians Player Development system. The Performance Dietitian role will be based in Cleveland, OH. The role will primarily service the three Guardians affiliates located in the state of Ohio, with Spring Training and off-season responsibilities in Goodyear, AZ.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Food / Hydration Services:

• Coordinate and provide nutritional and hydration guidance for all meals and menus at ‘home’ (Affiliate clubhouses), to support high performance of major league players.
• Organize catering, snacks & hydration for road games including the visiting clubhouse, team hotel, and team travel in accordance with nutrition philosophy.
• Develop strong working relationships with club house managers (both home & away teams), stadium catering staff, hotel chefs, and catering companies to provide optimal food and hydration service solutions, in-line with nutritional philosophy.

Individual Athlete Consultation:

• Contribute to a multi-disciplinary performance team to align toward player goals.
• Assess and analyze individual player dietary practices and needs, including but not limited to:
  • Optimal nutritional support for athletic training, performance & recovery from exercise.
  • Macro- and micro-nutrient needs or deficiencies.
  • Maintenance of optimal body composition for health & athletic performance.
  • Optimal nutritional support for rehabilitation of injured or ill athletes.
  • Medical nutrition therapy as required. Such as food allergies, micronutrient deficiency, GI disturbances etc.
  • Cultural, religious, or ethical nutritional choices.
• Counsel athletes on how to achieve nutritional goals, based on evidence-based assessments.
• Develop personalized meal plans based on the athlete’s individual needs/goals.
• Facilitate individual players’ off-season meal services including alignment of personal chefs/caterers.

Education:

• Develop and deliver nutrition and hydration educational sessions to players in 1-on-1, small group, and team settings.
• Develop documentation, social media communications, and signage.
• Assist in the professional development of the staff (including kitchen/clubhouse staff, medical, S&C, fundamental coaches, etc.) as it relates to nutrition, hydration, and performance.
• Facilitate cooking classes and shopping education to players to improve nutrition away from the ballpark.

Athlete monitoring:

• Support objective athlete monitoring systems as they pertain to nutrition and body composition, including but not limited to:
  • Measure, track, and analyze body composition of Minor League players.
  • Record and manage hydration status.
  • Perform sweat testing analysis.
• In conjunction with a multi-disciplinary performance team, set individual player guidelines and goals based on objective data collection/analysis.
• Develop effective communication strategies, including reports and visualizations, to present information on player needs and progress to players, performance staff, coaches, and front-office personnel.

Supplements:

• Research nutritional supplements for legality, safety, quality, and efficacy and recommend those that can support minor league player performance and recovery/rehabilitation.
• Monitor and track major league athletes’ use of appropriate supplementation based on NSF Certified for Sport guidelines.
• Proficient understanding of MLB policies for supplements, hydration, and sports foods.

Budgeting:

• Assist Nutrition Coordinator in managing all budgets related to meals, snacks, hydration, and supplements for minor league teams.
• Ensure that applicable information, materials, and services are communicated to relevant stakeholders, including the front office and finance department.
• In conjunction with the business department, research and engage potential partnerships with nutritional resources suppliers.

Education & Experience Requirements and Preference:

• Bachelor's Degree in clinical nutrition, food and nutrition, food science, sports nutrition or related expertise required.
• Registered Dietitian (RD) required.
• Master's degree in nutrition, food science, or exercise physiology preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a Sports Dietitian within a professional, private, or collegiate program.
• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics preferred (CSSD).
• Knowledge of food service quality and safety practices.
• Bilingual (Spanish) desirable.

Travel Requirements:

• Some travel associated with Minor League club’s competition schedule.
• Attendance to Spring training in Goodyear, AZ.
• Any off-season travel to training camps and/or player visits (as required).

Standard Requirements

• Represents the Cleveland Guardians in a positive fashion to all business partners and the general public.
• Reads, speaks, comprehends, and communicates English effectively in all communications.
• Ability to develop and maintain successful working relationship with teammates across departments.
• Ability to act according to the organizational values and service excellence at all times.
• Ability to work with diverse populations and have a demonstrated commitment to social justice.
• Ability to walk, sit or stand for an entire shift.
• Ability to work extended days and hours, including holidays and weekends.
• Ability to move throughout all areas and levels of the Ballpark.
• Ability to work in a diverse and changing environment.
• Occasional physical activity such as lifting and carrying boxes at least 25 lbs.

The Cleveland Guardians are committed to developing and maintaining an environment that embraces all forms of diversity to enrich our core values, enhance our competitive position, strengthen our impact within our community, and foster a greater sense of belonging for our employees.

In this spirit, we know studies have shown that people from historically underserved groups – including women and people of color – are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and understand that candidate may bring certain skills and experiences to the role that are not listed above, but that would add tremendous value to our organization. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications described.