Senior Football Data Scientist

Manchester United; Manchester; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading football club in England is seeking a Senior Football Data Scientist to transform its operations into a data-driven organization. The role involves developing models that generate insights from football data and collaborating with football experts. Candidates should possess strong statistical knowledge, programming experience, and familiarity with data science techniques, particularly in sports. This position fosters innovation in football analytics and offers a collaborative environment for continuous growth.

Benefits

Annual incentive scheme

Wellness Support

Exclusive Discounts

Gym Facilities

Career Development

Supportive Work Environment

Qualifications

• Excellent mathematical knowledge from a quantitative degree.
• Experience processing large datasets using programming languages.
• Experience with data science techniques in sports data.

Responsibilities

• Develop solutions using Data Science methods for football-related questions.
• Build foundational football models and metrics.
• Collaborate with football experts to translate performance questions.

Skills

Statistical knowledge

Programming

Data Science techniques

Cloud-based tools

Mathematical modelling

Education

Degree in a quantitative discipline

Tools

Azure

Databricks

Job description

Location: Carrington Training Complex At Manchester United, we believe that excellence on the pitch starts with excellence off the pitch. Our team thrives in a high-performance environment, united by a shared passion for success. We aim to elevate the standard of performance through collaboration and continuous growth, creating a space where everyone can contribute their best to our common goals.

We work together at our iconic Manchester United offices, enabling connection and innovation as we look ahead to what we can achieve as a global football club. We are excited to bring in passionate people who share our vision and drive for success.

The Role

You’ll be part of the Data & AI Team, playing a key role in the club’s transformation into a fully data-driven organisation. The team delivers powerful insights, builds trusted data products, and operates modern data platforms that enable better decisions and success on and off the pitch.

We’re looking for a Senior Football Data Scientist to play a key part in this transformation. In this role, you’ll help building, developing and maintain models that generate value from football data. If you’re passionate about building the quantitative models to enable our football experts to make data-driven decisions, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop solutions using Data Science methods which contribute to solving football-related questions, across all of our teams: Men’s, Women’s and Academy, applied to recruitment, performance analysis, player development and football strategy.
• Apply a range of Data Science techniques as appropriate including machine learning algorithms, statistical and mathematical methods, and spatio‑temporal modelling.
• Build foundational football models and metrics (e.g. to capture a team’s underlying performance or a player’s skill, to predict future performance or understand how a player or team may behave under a different context).
• Collaborate with football experts to identify high‑impact performance questions, translate them into a clear analytical framework and to communicate insights to enable data‑informed decision making.
• Work closely in a multi‑disciplinary data team to build and deploy well‑documented models into an easily interpretable interface where scientific integrity is ensured.
• Execute, review and improve existing data pipelines and ML models.
• Own the full modelling workflow from data preparation and training to deployment and analysis.
• Work with cloud based tools (Azure and Databricks) to support model development and deployment.

The Person

• Excellent mathematical and statistical knowledge, gained from a degree in a quantitative discipline, equivalent courses or demonstrable practical equivalent.
• Experience using programming languages to process and model large datasets.
• Demonstrable experience of applying data science techniques to sports data, such as Bayesian modelling, machine learning, predictive modelling and model validation and evaluation.
• Understanding of database technologies and software engineering principles including test‑driven development, CI/CD, version control and working in a cloud‑based infrastructure with data at scale.
• Ability to draw on knowledge of the tactical and technical aspects of football to explain outcomes and nuances of models to non‑technical stakeholders.
• A growth mindset to actively seek feedback and continuous self‑development as well as to positively impact the work of people around you.
• Diligent work ethic with flexibility to perform under pressure when needed.
• A proactive mindset to come up with new ideas and solutions with a drive to innovate and continuously push our football analytics capabilities beyond the current state of the art.

Desirable

• Experience researching and working with football data, including tracking data, event data, pose data.

What We Offer

• Annual incentive scheme
• Wellness Support with access to mental health resources, digital health checks, and nutritionists through Aviva Digicare+ Workplace
• Exclusive Discounts through our United Rewards platform, giving you access to exclusive deals from the club and partners
• Gym Facilities in our onsite locations and opportunities for regular social events and team‑building activities
• Enhanced family Leave Benefits and an opportunity to purchase additional holiday days
• Enhanced Career Development with access to professional learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, and internal training programs
• A Supportive Work Environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion, and individual growth

Our Commitment to You

At Manchester United, we believe that a diverse and inclusive environment makes us stronger. We are committed to building a team where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of our recruitment strategy, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Ready to Join Us?

If this sounds like the perfect role for you, please submit your application by Wednesday 28th January.

Safeguarding & Legal Information

Manchester United is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, and as part of this commitment, all candidates will undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check and reference checks. If you need any adjustments to help you perform at your best during the recruitment process, please feel free to contact us, and we will be happy to discuss them with you. It is unlawful to employ a person in a UK‑based job who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to you before applying for any of our roles.