Data Engineer

Southampton Football Club; Southampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2 free match tickets per home game

Staff health & wellbeing initiatives

Mercandise discount

26 days’ holiday + birthday off

Contributory Pension Scheme

Worldwide Travel Insurance

Learning & Development opportunities

Free onsite parking

Cycle to Work Scheme

Job summary

Southampton Football Club seeks a hands-on Data Engineer to own and evolve the club's cloud-based data platform. You will build scalable pipelines to support performance analytics, player recruitment insights and sports science, collaborating with Data Scientists and coaches to deliver impactful results.

The role emphasizes data governance, privacy, and reliability, working with Azure/Databricks infrastructure, code management in Azure DevOps, and documentation to keep the platform robust and

Qualifications

• Strong experience building and maintaining scalable data pipelines.
• Proficiency in SQL and core data modelling concepts.
• Experience with cloud-based data platforms (Azure/Databricks).
• Understanding of data privacy, governance and quality standards.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical implementation and configuration of the data platform.
• Build and maintain robust data pipelines for performance analytics and reporting.
• Perform DBA duties including tuning, backups and access management.
• Develop AI agents to monitor data pipelines for quality and reliability.
• Maintain code integrity, versioning and collaboration via Azure DevOps.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data modelling

Azure

Databricks

Data privacy

Governance

Cross-functional collaboration

GPS data

Tools

Azure

Databricks

Job description

Location: Staplewood Campus Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Permanent Criminal Record Check: DBS Enhanced with Childs Barred List

What is the role?

We are seeking a hands‑on Data Engineer to take ownership of and evolve the club's data platform. The Data Engineer will help to develop and maintain the club’s cloud-based enterprise data platform, which will serve as a foundation for how data is collected, organised and governed across the club. Powering insights, automation and effective data-driven decision‑making in areas such as player recruitment, opposition analysis and sports science will be a key aspect of this role.

What will you be doing?

You will lead the technical implementation and configuration of the football data platform while building and maintaining a robust pipeline to support performance analytics and reporting. Ensuring data quality, governance and compliance with relevant data protection regulations, you will perform database administration (DBA) duties, including performance tuning, indexing, backups and user access management. You will develop AI agents to monitor data pipelines, ensuring data quality, reliability and operational efficiency. You will maintain code integrity, version control and team collaboration using Azure DevOps. Collaborating with Data Scientists and the Sports Science and coaching team, you will ensure their requirements are delivered and provide ongoing support, issue resolution and documentation of the data platform.

Is this you?

You are passionate about data and innovation and thrive in a high-performance environment where your work can make a real impact both on and off the pitch.

Essential Skills and Experience

Strong experience in building and maintaining scalable data pipelines using Python. Proficiency in SQL and core data modelling concepts. Experience working with cloud-based data platforms (preferably Azure, Databricks). Understanding of data privacy, governance and quality standards. Ability to work collaboratively with cross‑functional teams. Understanding of sporting data, e.g GPS, event data, tracking data (desirable)

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.
• 26 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.

The closing date for this role is 02 November 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if a high volume of applicants are received.

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. This includes fostering a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging where everyone is empowered to contribute, perform, and reach their full potential.

About Us

Potential Into Excellence Southampton Football Club is part of St. Mary’s Football Group, which also includes the affiliated registered charity – the Saints Foundation. We look for people with integrity, compassion and support for those around them; people who take pride in what they do with an honest approach, who embrace a challenge while also being accountable for their decisions; people who have the energy and passion to bring an innovative approach to their role and strive to be different from the rest; people with the aspiration to lead the way and become an example to others. Within the walls of St. Mary’s Stadium, Staplewood Campus, the Bath Academy and our other sites and development centers across the South of England, you’ll be given the platform to work in a vibrant, intelligent and challenging environment with the potential to develop and become the best at what you do. We don’t stand still, we are constantly moving forward. Be part of it…

Southampton Football Club promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have the Disability Confident Award, which we pride ourselves on with regard to the commitment to employing disabled people and judging people on their abilities alone. We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview. We make a commitment to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities.

Southampton Football Club is an Equal Opportunities Employer Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK. Southampton Football Club recognises that the safety and protection of those children and young people in day to day contact with the Club is paramount. We are committed to creating a safe culture for all. As such, you may be subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service and prior to taking up any role. Southampton Football Club is committed to protecting the privacy and security of every applicant’s personal information. Please see our Recruitment Privacy Notice and Group Privacy & Data Protection Policy on our main careers page for further information .