Performance Nutritionist: Women’s Team – Chelsea FC

Overall responsibility

The role has the responsibility for providing high level, evidence-based nutritional support with a view to optimise performance whilst contributing to the development of a world-class performance environment. The Performance Nutritionist will work closely with players, coaches, chefs and other support staff to ensure that players receive optimal nutrition support integrated with the wider performance programme.

Key Responsibilities:

Support and contribute to the Strategic Vision for Performance Support at Chelsea FC

• Deliver operational leadership of a continually evolving performance nutrition program, to underpin Chelsea Women’s 1st teams’ sustainable success.
• Contribute to and lead aspects, when required, to a community of nutrition practice across the Women’s, Men’s and Boy’s and Girl’s Academies at Cobham promoting a group that shares, compliment’s, collaborates and fosters teamwork.
• Contributing author of the Chelsea FC Way to “Performance Nutrition”: covering areas such as Philosophy, Programming Approach, Food Provision, Supplement Policy, Monitoring and governance.

• Enable the Performance Nutrition department to operationalise a performance-based food provision, complimentary to the physical demands of training, playing and female physiology.
  • Development and coordination of food provision strategy for the Women’s 1st team and girls academy at the training ground and while on the road.
  • Provide support to the rehabilitation process, aiding recovery from both injury and illness.
  • Contributing to development of menus with chefs and performance staff.
  • Conduct body composition analysis including DEXA scans, interpret and create action plans based on the results.
  • Contribute to an individual diet and nutrition programme for players, providing nutritional support for injury and rehabilitation programmes, in conjunction with an integrated Performance Support team.
  • Implement strategies to support players’ training and competitive programmes, demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the science that supports sports nutrition e.g., nutrition to support strength development, match performance, recovery, hydration, supplementation, use of ergogenic aids, recovery from surgery etc.
  • Ensure all supplements required to support nutrition strategies are evidenced-based, batch tested and registered on informed sport. Be responsible for the supplements budget, sourcing, ordering and logging of all batch testing numbers and certificates.
  • Support the integrated programme of monitoring women’s health/menstrual cycle and integrate nutritional guidance where suitable.

• Develop close working relationships and integrate with peers to ensure collaborative, complimentary, and cohesive delivery to players, with the aim of players being ‘Ready’ not just available.
  • Analysis and presentation of interventions/recommendations for individual performance development and player workload management.
  • Assisting delivery of Recovery protocols and management of the ‘Other 22 Hours’ (Sleep, Nutrition and Recovery).
  • Collection and interpretation key player performance and health metrics and create actionable insights to maximize player management, development, health, and performance for both healthy and return to play players.
  • Support the design and delivery of Chelsea FC’s Integrated Practice & Individual Player Development Plans (IDPs).

• Educate players and support staff on how dietary strategies can enhance performance, recovery, and health, through the application of evidenced-based nutritional interventions, practically and pragmatically applied in the field.
• Promote and embrace ED&I. Accountable for leading Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) within the MPT. Align the teams’ activities to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) outcomes, and communicate your commitment to ED&I to your staff and across the Club.

What you will bring to the role

• Extensive experience as a registered sport nutritionist, preferably within an elite sports environment catering to female athletes.
• Expertise in positively changing athlete behaviour and providing coaching tailored to the needs of female athletes.
• Experience in supporting female athletes at international training and competition levels.
• An innovative approach to influencing athlete and coaching support programmes through nutrition.
• Proficient in articulating complex nutritional information to diverse audiences
• High proficiency in IT systems, particularly Excel and dietary analysis applications such as Nutritics.
• Registration with the BDA’s Sport & Exercise Nutrition register or equivalent.
• A postgraduate qualification in Sports Science / Nutrition.
• Accredited by ISAK.
• Certification in Level 2 Food Hygiene.
• Status as a UKAD Accredited Adviser.