Lead Data Scientist

About the role

As the Lead Data Scientist, you will be an integral part of our Research Department. Your focus will be on expanding our understanding of football through innovative modelling and analysis of football data. You will work with stakeholders across all of Liverpool’s teams (women’s, men’s, U23, and academy) to provide insights related to match analysis, player performance, youth development, and talent identification.

Role Overview:

Collaboration:

• Work with staff members across all of Liverpool’s teams (women’s, men’s, U23, and academy) to provide relevant models, visualisations, and reports.

Model Development:

• Design and develop cutting edge statistical models to analyse a broad set of football data including: event data, tracking data, and performance data.
• Test and validate the accuracy and predictiveness of data models.
• Productionise models and monitor their performance over time.

Platform Management:

• Build and maintain self-service platforms to surface models and visualisations to various departments across the club.

Continuous Learning:

• Stay up-to-date with literature, tools, and technologies relevant to football analytics.

Qualifications:

-Education: Master’s or Ph.D. in mathematics, physics, statistics, or other STEM subject.

• E xperience: Previous work with football analytics. Minimum of 5 years of experience in data science or related field.

Technical Skills:

• Programming: Proficiency in Python or R.
• Database Management: Understanding and experience with database technologies. Experience with modern data lake and data warehousing tools.
• Modelling and Analysis: Mastery of statistical modelling, predictive analysis, machine learning, and deep learning.
• Big Data: Experience with large datasets and technologies for dealing with big data.
• Cloud Computing: Familiarity with cloud computing technologies and services for productionising machine learning models.
• Reporting and Visualisation: Competency in producing high quality reports and data visualisations.

Soft Skills:

• Project Management: Ability to break down complex problems into manageable tasks to ensure timely and successful project completion.
• Collegiality: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues of various skill sets to solve problems and build maintainable solutions.
• Self-learning: Ability to up-skill flexibly in response to new problem spaces and technical challenges.
• Scientific Mindset: Scientific approach to problem solving with an ability to quantify confidence in the results with an understanding of the statistical and systematic uncertainties inherent in any model.
• Communication: Ability to communicate results effectively and efficiently in a time-sensitive environment with a diverse array of stakeholders.

Why should you apply?

This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week. this role can either be hybrid, based at the AXA training centre, or fully remote.

To reward your hard work and commitment we offer a competitive salary, 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays and the option to purchase up to an additional 5 days) and a contributory pension scheme.

You will have access to our benefits kit bag where you can get high street discounts, and a selection of benefit schemes you can join. There are opportunities to get involved with volunteering through our LFC Foundation to give back to the local community.

At Liverpool Football Club, we have an unwavering commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and are always looking to making a positive difference in the communities that we operate within. We are proud of our achievements in this area; maintaining the Premier League Equality Standard Advanced Level, becoming a founding signatory of the Football Association’s Football Leadership Diversity Code and being recognised as a leader in this important area on and off the pitch. We take our responsibilities in this area seriously and through the work being done across the club, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our people and becoming an increasingly inclusive workplace for all. We are committed to hiring great people representative of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills across our entire business. If you share our enthusiasm and passion for inclusivity, then we want to hear from you.

Liverpool FC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all Colleagues and Volunteers to share this commitment.