Program Director - Gentry - UHP

Description

Location: UHP, 25200 Ranch Rd, Gentry, AR 72734

Job Type: Full-time, in-person

Salary Range: $60,000 - $85,000 annually

Reports To: SVP of Performance

Role Overview

The Program Director / Lead Facilitator for UHP's Culinary Nutrition Coach (CNC) program is a full-time, in-person role based in Northwest Arkansas. This position requires relocation to the region and consistent on-campus presence. The role includes flexible and variable hours, with occasional evenings and weekends required to support immersive, in-person program delivery.

This role is responsible for leading the overall learner experience and program execution while modeling a coaching-centered approach. The Program Director / Lead Facilitator serves as the central integrator and facilitator across the CNC curriculum, collaborating closely with UHP's subject-matter faculty: a registered dietitian, a chef, a farmer, and UHP executive staff.

UHP is training coaches who can work skillfully with food and nutrition within scope of practice. This position is intentionally designed as a large-group facilitator and coach role, ensuring content is consistently translated into behavior change theory, communication excellence, ethical practice, and real-world coaching application for students. 

About UHP

UHP (Unlock Human Potential) is an innovator in integrative health and fitness education for military Veterans. We take a practice-based, human-centered approach to coaching education by delivering the skills essential to launch an impactful and meaningful career, and are purpose-built to provide an environment for mental, physical, and vocational transformation.

UHP's 800-acre campus, located at the foot of the Ozark Mountains, combines an uplifting natural setting with world-class training facilities, dedicated classroom space, hiking trails, modern living spaces, and a health-forward commercial kitchen to support an immersive learning and living experience for students.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Program Leadership and Oversight

• Serve as the Program Director and Lead Facilitator for the CNC program, ensuring alignment with UHP's mission, standards, and student outcomes.
• Oversee day-to-day program execution (flow, pacing, transitions, communications, and learner experience) during the in-person course.
• Coordinate with faculty and curriculum developers to ensure program coherence and consistent application of coaching principles across all content areas.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts by gathering feedback, identifying opportunities, and collaborating on revisions for future cohorts.

Facilitation and Coaching Skill Development

• Facilitate large-group learning sessions, coaching practices, reflective discussions, and skills practice in a way that models professional coaching presence and ethics.
• Guide students in applying coaching techniques to nutrition-related goals, including motivation, ambivalence, barriers, habit formation, and environmental design.
• Reinforce appropriate scope of practice, helping students understand what nutrition coaches do (and do not do), and when referral is appropriate.

Curriculum Integration Across Faculty Domains

• Serve as the primary integrator across the four pillars of the CNC program: nutrition coaching, growing food, preparing food, and entrepreneurship.
• Collaborate with the registered dietitian, chef, and farmer to ensure content is delivered in a learner-centered, coaching-forward way.
• Help students connect farming and culinary experiences to client realities, values, access considerations, and sustainable behavior change.

Student Support and Mentorship

• Create an environment that supports Veteran students through high-touch facilitation, mentorship, and encouragement.
• Support students' development of professional identity, confidence, and ethical decision-making as culinary nutrition coaches.
• Provide guidance on professional conduct, client relationships, boundaries, and coach self-care.

Program Operations and Cross-Team Collaboration

• Coordinate with campus operations as needed to ensure a smooth student experience, including alignment between program goals and day-to-day learning environment.
• Partner with entrepreneurship instruction to support learners in translating coaching skills into viable career pathways and business concepts.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Health Coaching, Exercise Science, Nutrition, Public Health, Education, or a related field.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience facilitating large groups using adult learning theory and a non-directive, client-centered coaching approach.
• Strong grounding in coaching communication that prioritizes client autonomy, values-based decision-making, and empowerment over directive advice-giving.
• Experience in program management, curriculum coordination, or educational leadership.
• Experience working with Veterans or other adult learner populations is preferred.
• Entrepreneurship experience is preferred but not required.
• National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) preferred, or willing to get certified through UHP.

Additional Skills

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to create trust, engagement, and accountability in a cohort environment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex content into practical coaching application.
• Ability to lead with clarity and warmth while maintaining appropriate standards and boundaries.
• Comfort working in an interdisciplinary faculty model and serving as the "glue" across multiple content domains.

Role Details

• UHP offers a competitive salary and benefits including paid time off, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and 401(k).

Application Deadline

• The position is open until filled, with an ideal start date of March 1st.

Application Process

• If you are a coach-centered educator and facilitator passionate about developing Veterans into confident, ethical Culinary Nutrition Coaches, we invite you to apply. 
• Please submit your resume, cover letter, and relevant certifications to Hunter Schurrer