England Insights Data Scientist (Elite Coach Development) The Football Association in Burton upon Trent

Develop and inspire the next generation of elite coaches through advanced data science techniques, models, and detailed analysis of football datasets. This role reports directly to the Elite Coach Developer and supports the progression of English home‑grown coaches.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the application of advanced statistical techniques and modelling approaches to derive insights from football datasets, including event data, optical and broadcast tracking data, and GPS/performance data.
• Optimising machine‑learning models, both supervised and unsupervised, and performing rigorous hypothesis testing and validation.
• Providing technical guidance and support to stakeholders, enhancing their understanding and utilisation of data science tools.
• Working closely with the Senior Data Architect and the Development Team to ensure seamless integration of analytics reporting and models.
• Ensuring data quality through meticulous checking and cleaning, transforming raw data into usable formats, and developing robust features to enhance predictive performance.
• Designing, training, validating, and tuning models to achieve optimal performance, and continuously monitoring and refining model outcomes.
• Translating complex model outputs into actionable insights through impactful data visualisations.

Other responsibilities include:

• Executing additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
• Complying with all company policies and procedures to maintain the highest standards of health, safety, and well‑being.

Essential qualifications:

• Bachelor's or master's degree (or equivalent) in a quantitative field such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, or sports science, with demonstrable data science experience.
• Strong foundation in data science fundamentals: data visualisation, exploratory data analysis, data wrangling, feature engineering, and model selection, training, and tuning.
• Experience utilising data to drive football‑specific insights and proficiency with advanced statistical and modelling techniques.
• Familiarity with football‑specific datasets (event data, optical tracking, broadcast tracking, GPS) and handling complex, uncleansed datasets.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and/or R for data analysis.
• Experience with cloud‑based computing environments (e.g., Google Cloud Platform, Google Big Query) and integration of data pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders on analytics projects.
• Physical presence at St. George's Park required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Beneficial experience:

• Similar role in a professional football environment.
• Time‑series analysis & forecasting.
• Bayesian inference / MCMC.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and opportunities to develop and grow in your role.
• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium and other internal events.
• Free nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Additional “Thank You” leave day, volunteering days, and 25 days of annual leave (full‑time, permanent contract).
• Hybrid working model offering flexibility.

We are a diverse workplace and the Football Association promotes inclusion and diversity. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from everyone. If you have particular requirements for the recruitment or interview process, please indicate them in your application.

As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment, all employees are required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.