Data Scientist

Description

U.S. Soccer Overview

The U.S. Soccer Federation exists in service to soccer. Our aim is to ignite a national passion for the game. Because we believe that soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. 

We understand the importance and the power of teamwork, on and off the pitch. That is why we work closely with our Federation partners and members, to inspire, support and guide every level of the game: from the grassroots to the National Teams. We want to bring soccer into every home and every community, right across America. Because we believe that soccer can transform lives like no other sport. Soccer can represent the best of U.S. 

U.S. Soccer is in a period of significant growth, with ambitions plans for U.S. Soccer in the near and far future. We are, therefore, looking for dynamic servant leaders to join us on this journey: in service to soccer. Applicants must be able to demonstrate visionary leadership, analytical decision-making, professional flexibility, and an empathic management style that builds bold teams and delivers globally significant results. 

Position Description

The Data Scientist will primarily be responsible for developing models, metrics and insights combining event-level on-ball data and continuous player tracking data. The role will involve collaborating with both the data analytics team to develop models that can be productized and with the technical and performance staff to understand the types of questions and challenges that need to be addressed.  They will be required to understand technical and tactical concepts from a soccer point of view and translate those concepts into models that can be easily explained and interpreted. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop metrics and models to measure player and team performance 
• Combine player tracking and event data sets from multiple providers into unified and consistent data sets 
• Create continuous tracking data models to develop new metrics and replicate existing public work such as pitch control and possession value
• Develop a pipeline for machine learning models to be productized and run on a nightly basis to be ingested into our existing data pipelines
• Early-stage research on limb-tracking data (3D tracking data with player joint information) 
• Communicate outputs of complex models to non-technical audiences using “soccer” language
• Develop tools for users and practitioners to access data outputs including visualizations and accessible database tables 
• Balance both longer term tasks with ad hoc requests from technical staff and performance staff.
• Follow trends in both applied and academic sports analytics to ensure federation remains at the cutting edge of developments in soccer analytics 
• Collaborate with the Data Engineering and Product Departments to ensure best practices in data architecture, database management and data pipeline efficiency 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Performance Analysis, Mathematics, Computer Science or equivalent area of study
• Expert user of data science programming languages such as Python or R
• Expert ability in querying and building SQL-style databases
• Experience with cloud based data architecture such as AWS or Azure
• Experience with a professional sporting club or organization (including sports technology companies) 
• Comfortable training and deploying machine learning models in production environments 
• Experience working with optical tracking data 
• Experience working with coaches and communicating complex results in a concise and accessible manner
• Can be decisive, motivate and engage others to produce the best possible results
• Ability to deliver high-quality work and execute under pressure and deadlines
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including evenings and weekends as needed
• Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments 
• Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission 
• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook) 

Desired Qualifications

• Strong knowledge and understanding of soccer and the overall landscape in the U.S.
• Previous experience with a club or national team 
• Strong verbal, written, in-person and presentation communication skills
• Excellent organizational, data collection, planning and leadership skills
• Coaching and/or playing experience preferred
• Bilingual (English, Spanish, or other)
• Thorough institutional knowledge of U.S. Soccer’s mission, goals, technical plan, policies, practices, and procedures

U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture, and an atmosphere for professional development. 

U.S. Soccer is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, military status, political belief, or any other characteristic protected under the law. This policy applies to all our employment practices within our organization. We strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQIA, veterans, parents, and persons with disabilities to apply.