Assistant General Manager, R&D

Washington Nationals; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 350,000 - 425,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life and AD&D insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) and pension

Free Nationals tickets

Employee discounts

Onsite fitness center

Job summary

Washington Nationals is seeking a senior leader for Research & Development to guide data-driven decision making across Baseball Operations. You will oversee R&D strategy, build interdisciplinary teams, and translate complex research into practical on‑field advantages.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, collaboration with acquisitions and player development, and the delivery of robust data infrastructure and tools to support player evaluation and decision making.

Qualifications

• High-stakes decision-making under uncertainty.
• Statistical modeling, forecasting, and probabilistic programming.
• Machine learning methods and model evaluation.
• Best practices in programming and AI agent integration.
• Data engineering architecture to support research and rapid decision‑making.
• Application development, product design, and data storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all R&D departments.
• Build and maintain a high-performing, interdisciplinary team culture focused on innovation, rigor, and practical impact.
• Maximize leverage of research by identifying arbitrage opportunities and designing processes to exploit edges.
• Serve as primary advisor to senior leadership on research and data strategy.
• Set goals, priorities, and metrics for the R&D vertical aligned with objectives.
• Oversee design and implementation of predictive modeling and decision tools for player evaluation and readiness.
• Direct the creation and evolution of internal data infrastructure and workflows for R&D at scale.
• Collaborate with Baseball Systems to ensure clean data pipelines and intuitive interfaces.
• Partner with Acquisitions, Player Development, and Baseball Operations to embed R&D outputs in decision‑making.
• Translate technical concepts for both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Skills

Decision-making under uncertainty

Statistical modeling

Forecasting

Machine learning

AI integration

Data engineering

App development

Data storytelling

Programming best practices

Job description

Our Vision

*To become baseball’s highest-performing organization and the envy of professional sports. We will be defined by our relentless pursuit of excellence, strengthened by our connection, and fueled by our positive energy.

Our Core Values

Joy. We want to be around people that like to have fun. We remain optimistic through the ups and downs, we enjoy the process, and we share in something bigger than ourselves.

• Humility. We don’t have all the answers. We lead with curiosity, listen generously, and seek growth from every experience — especially the tough ones. We have gotten over ourselves.
• Integrity. We do the right thing, even when it’s hard. We act with honesty, accountability, and respect for our teammates and ourselves. We treat the custodian like the king.
• Competitiveness. We embrace challenges and thrive in high-stakes environments. We prepare relentlessly. We are energized by the idea of keeping score.

Position Overview

The Assistant General Manager, Research & Development (AGM, R&D) will serve as a senior leader within Baseball Operations, responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and integration of all research and data-driven functions within the organization. This position will structure and oversee the club’s R&D departments, creating and sustaining advantages in player evaluation, decision support, and performance optimization.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership:* Provide strategic and operational leadership for all R&D departments

• Build and maintain a high-performing, interdisciplinary team culture focused on innovation, rigor, and practical impact
• Maximize the leverage of existing and future research by identifying arbitrage opportunities for the club, and subsequently design and execute processes to exploit those edges
• Serve as a primary advisor to senior leadership on research and data strategy
• Set clear goals, priorities, and performance metrics for the R&D vertical, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives
• Establish a structured process for project prioritization, balancing long-term research with short-term operational needs
• Shape and reinforce a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration within R&D and across Baseball Operations

Research & Deliverables

* Oversee the design and implementation of best-in-class predictive modeling and decision‑making tools to support player acquisition, strategic deployment, development, and readiness

• Identify, explore, and productionize foundational research avenues for the club using existing, new, or synthesized data sources
• Partner with other leaders and departments to ensure that research outcomes translate directly into competitive advantages on the field

Systems & Technology Integration

* Direct the creation and evolution of internal data infrastructure, applications, and workflows that enable advantage‑seeking research and decision‑making at scale

• Collaborate with Baseball Systems to ensure clean data pipelines, intuitive user interfaces, and seamless integration across departments
• Design and implement organizational strategies around the use of agentic tools in R&D, simultaneously maximizing system reliability, decision‑making accuracy, and security

Cross‑Departmental Collaboration

* Partner closely with the Acquisitions groups (Amateur, Pro, International), Player Development, and Baseball Operations to embed R&D outputs in day‑to‑day decision‑making

• Facilitate regular communication and collaboration between R&D and on‑field staff, ensuring research insights are practical, timely, and actionable
• Translate technical concepts into clear narratives and presentations for both technical and non‑technical audiences

Technical Qualifications

• High‑stakes decision‑making under uncertainty
• Statistical modeling, forecasting, and probabilistic programming
• Machine learning methods and model evaluation
• Best practices in programming and AI agent integration
• Data engineering architecture to support research and rapid decision‑making
• Application development, product design, and data storytelling

Leadership Qualifications

* Demonstrated leadership experience managing technical or interdisciplinary teams

• Deep understanding of evaluation, development, and baseball decision‑making
• Excellent communication, project/product management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, collaborative, and highly confidential environment
• Deep alignment with and promotion of the organization’s values of joy, humility, integrity and competitiveness and vision to create an organization that becomes the envy of sport.

Compensation

The annual salary range for this role is $350,000-$425,000. Actual pay is based on several factors, including but not limited to the applicant’s: qualifications, skills, expertise, education/training, certifications, and other organization requirements. Starting salaries for new employees are frequently not at the top of the applicable salary range.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) and pension plan
• Access to complimentary tickets to Nationals home games
• Employee discounts
• Free onsite fitness center

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Nationals are dedicated to offering equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.