Director of Soccer Analytics - MLS

Real Salt Lake; Sandy (UT); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Real Salt Lake is seeking a Director of Soccer Analytics to lead the club’s analytics function across MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, and Academy pathways. You will own recruitment data strategy, player evaluation models, and scouting decision-support, unifying methodology and reporting standards across the organization.

The ideal candidate translates complex data into actionable scouting insights, builds scalable tools, and partners with scouts, coaches, and sporting leadership to drive evidence-based

Qualifications

• Demonstrated analytics applied to soccer scouting and recruitment.
• Minimum 5 years in football analytics or related data-driven scouting.
• Advanced proficiency in R, Python, SQL and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker).
• Extensive experience with event and tracking data and scouting platforms (StatsBomb, Opta, Wyscout, SkillCorner).
• Strong football tactical knowledge and ability to contextualize data with game models.

Responsibilities

• Establish standardized methodologies for player identification, evaluation, and comparison, including positional profiles, benchmarking, and similarity modeling.
• Manage recruitment data providers and integrations, ensuring high-quality event and tracking data and actionable insights.
• Build and maintain player evaluation models supporting performance benchmarking, age-curve and contract-value analysis, and transfer-target shortlisting.
• Design and maintain recruitment dashboards, overseeing data ingestion, cleaning, storage, and integration for data integrity.
• Direct scouting analytics and reporting, including dashboard development, player reports, squad-needs analysis, and applied ML for talent identification.
• Collaborate with Sporting Director, scouts, and coaches to deliver unified recruitment decision-support from data, video, and live exposure.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable decision support for scouts and executives.
• Own analytics workflow and recruitment timelines around transfer windows.

Skills

Soccer analytics

Recruitment analytics

Python

R

SQL

Data visualization

ML concepts

Communication

Independence

Tools

StatsBomb

Wyscout

SkillCorner

Second Spectrum

Opta

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

In order to be considered for this role, after clicking "Apply Now" above and being redirected, you must fully complete the application process on the follow-up screen.

Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and the RSL Academy are united by a shared mission of winning together through development. We are committed to building world-class teams by investing in people—developing players, staff, and leaders through collaboration, innovation, and a high-performance culture. If you’re passionate about soccer, data, and scouting, we invite you to grow your career with Utah Soccer.

SUMMARY:
The Director of Soccer Analytics leads the club’s soccer analytics function in support of scouting and recruitment across MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, and Academy pathways. This role owns recruitment data strategy, player evaluation models, and scouting decision-support, ensuring alignment of methodology, data providers, and reporting standards across the organization.

This position plays a critical role in supporting evidence-based recruitment by unifying event, tracking, and video data, benchmarking targets, and delivering clear, actionable player assessments.

The ideal candidate is a trusted contributor with deep applied experience in football analytics who can translate complex data into actionable scouting insights while building scalable tools and partnering closely with scouts, coaches, and sporting leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:*

• Establish standardized methodologies for player identification, evaluation, and comparison, including positional profiles, benchmarking, and similarity modeling.
• Manage recruitment data providers and integrations (e.g., StatsBomb, Wyscout, SkillCorner, etc.), ensuring high-quality event and tracking data and actionable insights.
• Build and maintain player evaluation models supporting performance benchmarking, age-curve and contract-value analysis, and transfer-target shortlisting.
• Design and maintain recruitment dashboards, overseeing data ingestion, cleaning, storage, and integration to ensure data integrity and accessibility.
• Direct scouting analytics and reporting, including dashboard development, player reports, squad-needs analysis, and applied machine learning for talent identification.
• Collaborate closely with the Sporting Director, scouts, and coaches to deliver unified recruitment decision-support informed by data, video, and live exposure.
• Translate complex data and analytical insights into clear, actionable decision support for scouts, sporting leadership, and executives.
• Own the analytics workflow and manage recruitment timelines around transfer windows, setting analytical priorities, and ensuring timely delivery to the scouting department.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging data sources, technologies, and research, driving continuous improvement and innovation across all scouting environments.
• Promote knowledge sharing and best practices across teams, ensuring insights from MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, and Academy environments elevate the entire organization.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:*

• Demonstrated experience applying analytics to soccer scouting and recruitment required.
• Minimum of 5 years of applied experience in football analytics, recruitment analysis, or comparable data-driven scouting environments.
• Advanced proficiency in R, Python, SQL, and data visualization platforms (Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar).
• Extensive experience with football event and tracking data and scouting platforms (e.g., StatsBomb, Opta, Wyscout, SkillCorner, Second Spectrum).
• Strong football tactical and player-evaluation knowledge, with the ability to contextualize data within game model and positional requirements.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with Sporting Directors, scouts, and coaches to support recruitment decisions across multi-team environments.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently, managing priorities, timelines, and transfer-window deliverables with accountability.
• Ability to collaborate within complex, multi-team environments while maintaining alignment, trust, and accountability.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:*

• Familiarity with machine learning concepts and applied modeling for player evaluation and talent identification.
• Background in scouting, coaching, video analysis, or data engineering.
• Experience designing recruitment dashboards, player comparison tools, and scouting reporting infrastructures.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The job requires regularly lifting/pushing up to 10 pounds and occasionally lifting/pushing more than 25 pounds or exerting heavy force in a wide disparity or environmental conditions. The job involves standing, stooping, bending, lifting, pushing etc.

The Club provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.
Note: The need may arise to revise, supplement, or rescind portions of this job description, and the Club reserves the right to do so at any time. Employees shall be required to meet the qualifications and perform the duties of any revised job description.