Data Scientist at Southampton Fc
Job Description
Southampton FC are seeking a Data Scientist to join their data science team at Staplewood, delivering research and data insights across a broad range of football performance and recruitment areas.
This is a wide-ranging role spanning player recruitment, team and opposition analysis, sports science, injury prevention, player pathways and Academy development, with additional opportunities to support clubs across the wider Sport Republic group.
Working closely with sporting directors, coaches and football staff, the successful candidate will use advanced analytics to turn complex football data into meaningful insights that directly influence decision-making.
The role combines statistical modelling, machine learning, data engineering, visualisation and applied football research, alongside responsibility for helping drive the club's use of AI.
- Develop and maintain automated data pipelines and analytical workflows.
- Build predictive models to evaluate and classify player and team performance.
- Work with data engineers to cleanse and integrate multiple data sources.
- Translate technical and tactical football concepts into meaningful metrics.
- Conduct research across recruitment, performance, sports science and player development.
- Develop visual applications, dashboards and reports for football stakeholders.
- Present complex analytical findings to audiences with varying levels of data literacy.
- Explore emerging technologies and data providers.
- Lead and support AI-related projects, ensuring appropriate tools and systems are integrated into the club's work.
- Provide data support across Southampton FC and other clubs within the Sport Republic group.
Applicants should have:
- Undergraduate degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science or another STEM discipline.
- Experience developing statistical models and/or machine-learning algorithms.
- Strong programming skills in Python or R.
- Experience using Power BI or Tableau.
- Professional experience managing data pipelines.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- A passion for football and strong tactical understanding.
- UK Right to Work and ability to work on-site at Staplewood daily.
- Postgraduate qualification.
- Previous experience within professional football.
- Experience working with football datasets.
- Ability to communicate in multiple languages.
This is an opportunity to work across an unusually broad range of applied football analytics, with outputs influencing recruitment, tactical performance, player development and sports science.
The role also provides exposure beyond Southampton through the wider Sport Republic football network, alongside opportunities to explore new technologies, AI and independent research projects.
Benefits include two complimentary tickets for every home league match, 25 days' annual leave plus your birthday, pension scheme, worldwide family travel insurance, wellbeing initiatives, learning and development opportunities, staff merchandise discounts and free on-site parking.
Southampton FC is committed to safeguarding and to creating an inclusive, discrimination-free working environment. The successful applicant will be subject to the appropriate Enhanced DBS and safeguarding requirements.
Applications close: 26 August 2026
The vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications is received.