Vacancy: First Team: Nutrition and Wellness Lead
Contract Type: Permanent, full time
Hours: 40 hours per week
Location: Sheffield United Training Academy, Shirecliffe & Bramall Lane
Line Manager: Head of Performance
Post Reference: FT052026-FTPWL
Sheffield United Football Club are seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking Nutrition & Wellbeing Lead to join the First Team performance department in a new role focused on optimising player health and performance across all pillars of wellbeing.
As part of a high‑performance and ambitious environment, the successful candidate will lead the delivery of an evidence‑based nutrition programme alongside the development of the Club’s athlete wellness strategy, encompassing areas including sleep, recovery, supplementation and wellbeing education. Working closely with the Sport Science, Medical, Clinical Psychology and Kitchen teams, the role will support the integration of nutrition and wellness practices into the daily performance environment, contributing to individual player support and wider departmental strategy.
Role Responsibilities:
Oversee all matchday nutrition provision, attending home and away fixtures in conjunction with the support Nutritionist(s).
Lead the planning and delivery of periodised training nutrition strategies aligned with performance objectives and training load.
Design menus for away fixtures and travel periods and, in conjunction with the Head Chef, develop training‑ground menus using a food‑first philosophy.
Analyse player body composition data, communicate findings to staff and players, and implement appropriate SOPs.
Support matchday and MD-1 live cooking operations where required.
Develop and implement evidence‑based supplementation strategies aligned with a food‑first philosophy, ensuring all supplements are batch‑tested (LGC/Informed Sport) and compliant with WADA and UK Anti‑Doping regulations.
Conduct regular one‑to‑one and group consultations with players to review dietary habits, wellness behaviours, and apply targeted behaviour‑change strategies.
Manage and oversee the matchday nutrition, supplementation, wellness technology and nutrition technology budgets.
Maintain up‑to‑date data within the Athlete Management System, including body mass, body composition, blood markers, microbiome analysis, sleep metrics and relevant wellness indicators.
Analyse first‑team blood test results to identify micronutrient deficiencies and develop interventions using nutrition and wellness strategies.
Liaise with players’ personal chefs to coordinate scheduling, performance goals and menu design.
Design, implement and lead a club‑wide athlete wellness programme encompassing sleep quality monitoring, stress and load management, and recovery optimisation, integrating data from wearable technologies and the AMS.
Work in close collaboration with the Club’s Clinical Psychologist to integrate psychological wellbeing into the day‑to‑day performance and nutrition environment.
Develop and deliver a structured wellness education curriculum for players and backroom staff, covering sleep hygiene, mental resilience, lifestyle habits and holistic health beyond nutrition.
Lead the club’s applied research and innovation agenda in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University and other relevant institutions, including the design and oversight of research projects, ethics applications and the translation of findings into applied practice.
Coordinate recovery monitoring protocols in collaboration with the Sport Science and Medical teams, including HRV analysis, sleep tracking and subjective wellness questionnaires, to inform daily training load and individualised recovery strategies.
Produce regular wellbeing reports for the Head of Performance, synthesising data across nutrition, sleep, mental health and recovery markers into actionable strategic recommendations.
Conduct performance reviews with direct reports, setting clear objectives that support high performance and encompass wellbeing, learning and development.
Adhere to all Sheffield United Football Club’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures to foster an environment that protects children and adults at risk.
Report any concerns of a Safeguarding nature to the relevant parties and remain fully compliant with any applicable Safeguarding checks and due diligence and recognise the responsibility to the Club’s Safeguarding agenda.
Report any concerns of discrimination to the relevant parties and promote a welcoming and inclusive club environment for all.
Adhere to the Club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies, supporting the Club to create an environment that is inclusive and all‑encompassing.
Carry out and actively participate in all training requests as directed by the Club, including mandatory health and safety training, emergency procedures, fire safety, manual handling, safeguarding and role‑specific safety instruction.
Any other reasonable requests as directed by management.
Essential Criteria for the Role:
MSc in sports nutrition or a related discipline
ISAK level one trained
Level 3 Food and Hygiene certification
Experience working full‑time in nutrition in a professional sport environment
Experience in promoting wellness strategies within a sport environment
Excellent IT skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office
Knowledge and experience of using nutrition software to design individual meal plans and menus
Experience in designing and delivering educational presentations, workshops and resources
Ability to translate nutritional science onto a plate
Excellent design skills for infographics and other educational resources
Knowledge of athlete wellness frameworks, including sleep science, HRV monitoring and recovery optimisation
Good knowledge of key behavioural motivation techniques used in nutrition and wellness
Ability to communicate and build trusted relationships with elite athletes, coaching staff and multidisciplinary colleagues
Professional approach to all aspects of work; punctual, reliable, diligent and passionate about performance and holistic health
Strong motivational ability and genuine commitment to athlete wellbeing
Able to work as part of a team within an interdisciplinary sport science and medicine department
Able to use initiative and work to tight deadlines and rapidly changing scenarios
Ability to be assertive with athletes and staff when appropriate
Empathetic and emotionally intelligent approach when working with players on sensitive wellbeing issues
Desirable Criteria for the Role:
Data science skills such as Power BI for performance reporting and wellbeing dashboards
Familiarity with wearable technology platforms (e.g. WHOOP, aura, Firstbeat) and their integration with AMS systems
Experience leading or contributing to applied research projects in a sport science or nutrition context
Equality and diversity
Sheffield United FC is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its employment policies for recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.
Sheffield United FC are a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you would like further information regarding the scheme and how we are able to support disabled persons within the workplace, then please contact our HR team at careers@sufc.co.uk.
Safer recruitment
Sheffield United FC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. The successful applicant will be required to undertake appropriate safeguarding checks as well as providing proof of right to work in the UK. For further information on the Club’s Safeguarding Statement please access the following link: sufc.co.uk/club/policies/safeguarding-policy
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