Data Scientist in Southampton

Be part of our journey at Southampton FC (SFC), based at Staplewood Training Ground. As a key member of the data science team, you will be involved in a diverse range of analysis tasks and research projects to provide data insights. This includes working on player recruitment, team and opposition performance analysis, sports science physical testing, injury prevention, player pathways, and academy player development.

You will also provide data support to the other clubs in the Sport Republic group (Goztepe and Valenciennes). This is a unique opportunity to work closely with sporting directors, coaches, and other football staff across multiple different clubs and see your work have a direct influence on decision making on and off the pitch.

What will you be doing?

• Maintaining and developing automated pipelines to process data and create metrics efficiently.
• Building advanced predictive models to measure and classify player and team performance.
• Liaising with data engineers on the cleansing and ingestion of various data sources into our databases.
• Presenting and explaining findings to diverse audiences across all of our clubs.
• Collaborating with football club staff to understand technical and tactical concepts and translate them into metrics.
• Conducting your own research to answer a variety of football questions.
• Creating visual apps, dashboards, and documents to share insights with stakeholders.
• Staying at the forefront of technological advancement and data companies/providers.
• Utilising AI tools/systems across all delivery and taking responsibility for all AI projects.

Is this you?

To be successful in this role, you will have an undergraduate degree (or a postgraduate degree is desirable) in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science or other STEM field with experience in building a variety of statistical models and/or ML algorithms as well as a strong understanding of statistical computer programming languages (R or Python). You will need to have the ability to use data visualisation software (Power BI or Tableau) and professional experience managing data pipelines (experience with football data desirable).

You must be an excellent communicator who can present effectively to audiences with varying levels of data literacy. Previous experience within a professional football club is desirable; however, a passion for football and a strong understanding of football tactics applications from other areas will be considered. You must have UK Right to Work and be able to work at our Staplewood Campus daily.

How this benefits you...

• Access to 2 free match tickets for every home league game.
• Access to our staff Health & Wellbeing initiatives (Mental & Physical Health).
• Discounted Southampton Football Club merchandise.
• 25 days' holiday per year excluding bank holidays plus your birthday off each year.
• Contributory Pension Scheme.
• Worldwide Travel Insurance for you and your family.
• Learning & Development opportunities - supporting you to develop your potential and achieve in your career.
• Free onsite parking.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Collaborative & inclusive working culture.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk and we expect everyone to share this commitment. You will be required to adhere to all relevant policies and uphold the Club's commitment to safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk and to ensure that Southampton Football Club is free from discrimination and harassment. The post holder will demonstrate a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, supporting the organisation's strategic aims to remove barriers and address inequality. You will play an active role in promoting an inclusive, discrimination-free environment that ensures fair access to opportunities and resources.