Analyst, Player Development - Research & Development

Kansas City Royals; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Kansas City Royals are seeking a highly motivated analyst to join the Research & Development team. Integrating with the Minor League Player Development system, the role translates baseball data into actionable insights to help develop top talent.

The analyst will oversee the development pipeline, build digestible reports for coaches and players, and communicate findings across the baseball operations staff. Strong SQL/R skills and a track record in baseball research are essential.

Qualifications

• Record of published baseball research or portfolio of technical projects.
• Strong proficiency with SQL and R to query and analyze data from large data sets.
• Interpersonal and communication skills to interact with front office, analysts, coaches, players, and Baseball Operations staff.
• Familiarity with modern player evaluation and player development metrics.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and run the Player Development pipeline delivering data and reports daily.
• Improve resources for player development strategies.
• Build reports to deliver digestible insights to coaches and players.
• Effectively communicate data with Minor League coaches, staff, and players.
• Perform ad-hoc data analysis to inform player development decisions.

Skills

SQL

R

Interpersonal communication

Analytics

Education

B.Sc. or higher in CS/Math/Stats or related

Tools

HTML/CSS

Job description

Job Title: Analyst, Player Development - Research & Development

Job Summary: The Kansas City Royals are seeking a highly motivated and creative analyst to join the organization. Working under the direction of the Assistant Director of Research & Development, Brandon Nelson, the analyst will be fully integrated into the Minor League Player Development system to strengthen the resources used to maximize player performance. The successful candidate will combine analytical expertise and clear communication skills to translate baseball data into insights that give The Royals an edge when it comes to developing the best baseball talent in the game.

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Oversee and run the Player Development pipeline that delivers data and reports to the organization on a daily basis
• Be a critical thinker to improve resources for player development strategies
• Build reports to deliver digestible insights to coaches and players
• Effectively communicate data with Minor League coaches, staff, and players
• Perform ad-hoc data analysis to answer questions that help inform player development decisions

Position Qualifications, Skills, and Experience Required:

• Record of published baseball research and or a portfolio of technical projects in any domain
• Strong proficiency with SQL and R to query and analyze data from large data sets
• Interpersonal and communication skills to seamlessly interact with front office, analysts, coaches, players, and other Baseball Operations personnel
• Familiarity with modern player evaluation and player development metrics

Preferred Qualifications:

• Software engineering background with the ability to design and build systems programmatically
• Experience building models with large data sets to answer research questions
• Experience as a player, coach, or staff member in a high level sports environment
• Familiarity with the landscape of Minor League Baseball and its teams and players
• Proficiency with HTML and CSS to create and maintain interactive reports or PDFs
• 4-year degree or equivalent experience in computer science, mathematics, statistics, or related quantitative field

Position Details

• Relocation to Kansas City is strongly preferred but not required
• Travel to Arizona for Minor League Spring Training is required
• Potential for trips to Minor League Affiliates throughout the season

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift items weighing as much as 15 pounds
• Must be able to work in a seated position for majority of workday
• Must be able to be productive utilizing a computer keyboard and telephone
• Must be able to be productive in a work environment where the noise level can be high at times
• Must be comfortable walking to navigate the facility to access the office, concourse, etc.
• Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as required by deadlines and event scheduling

The physical demands described here are representative of those that may be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to sit for long periods of time; walk; use hands, handle, or feel.

This role is a Full-Time, Exempt opportunity that is eligible for Company Benefits, 401K, and PTO. This role is expected to have a standard 40-hour work week.