Director of Soccer Analytics & Intelligence - MLS

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Austin FC joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as the League’s 27th club in January 2019.  Austin FC officially began competing in MLS in April 2021, and in the 2025 season qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs while also reaching and hosting the final of the U.S. Open Cup. Austin FC plays its home matches at Q2 Stadium, a 100% privately financed, state-of-the-art stadium which earned certification as a zero-waste venue in 2024. Austin FC sold out all 88 MLS home matches it played at Q2 Stadium during its first five season in the league, including three home MLS Cup Playoff matches. 

 Austin FC is seeking an experienced Director of Soccer Analytics & Intelligence who is a data focused leader with prior soccer experience to build and lead a newly created analytics function. Reporting to the SVP of Club Strategy & Intelligence, this role will partner with Sporting Leadership to integrate analytics across recruitment and roster strategy and will operate within a shared data environment that supports both Soccer Operations and Business Strategy.

This position is based in Austin, TX and the role will be in-person based out of Austin FC’s business office. 

Are You Someone That:
·        Is energized by building something from scratch, including defining scope, priorities, and operating norms?·        Thinks strategically about how analytics and intelligence functions should be structured to create competitive advantage in a salary-capped league?·        Translates complex analytical work into clear, actionable recommendations that influence senior decision-makers?·        Balances near-term competitive demands with the long-term work of building durable systems and teams?·        Asks good questions, validates assumptions, and takes pride in accuracy and definitions?·        Is comfortable in a fast-moving environment where priorities shift and you must make smart tradeoffs? You Will:·        Establish and lead the Soccer Analytics & Intelligence function, defining scope, priorities, and success metrics aligned with Club strategy; and ·        Develop and execute a multi-year analytics roadmap that balances immediate competitive needs with long-term capability building; and·        Lead analytical support for player recruitment, including player identification, valuation, and risk assessment across domestic and international markets; and·        Build analytical frameworks and tools to support MLS roster construction and salary-cap decision-making; and ·        Own the Club’s soccer data ecosystem, including data sources, pipelines, standards, and documentation; and·        Translate analysis into clear, decision-ready insights for technical staff, executives, and ownership; and·        Hire, manage, and develop analytics staff over time, establishing strong workflows, standards, and a culture of accountability.
You Have:·        Demonstrated experience leading or owning analytics initiatives within professional soccer or a comparable high-performance sports environment·        Prior professional experience working within a soccer organization or soccer-specific role, with direct exposure to Soccer Operations, recruitment, or roster decision-making·        Strong understanding of soccer data ecosystems and how event and tracking data support recruitment, roster construction, and performance decision-making·        Hands-on experience working with StatsBomb event data and SkillCorner tracking data, including data ingestion, validation, structuring, and ongoing data quality management·        Advanced technical fluency with data systems and workflows, including SQL and Python and/or R, with an emphasis on data engineering, transformation, and reliability rather than video or match analysis·        Experience working with frontier large language models and building agents·        Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and embed analytics into sporting decisions through clear communication and trusted insights·        Experience operating in ambiguous environments and building structure, processes, and standards where none previously existed·        The ability to collaborate with diverse teams and ability to create buy in from both business and soccer stakeholders.·        Experience working in Major League Soccer or another league with complex roster and salary-cap rules is a plus, but not required·        Experience developing a new data, analytics, or intelligence function within an existing department or organization is a plus, but not required·        Experience designing and maintaining data models, schemas, and documentation to support recruitment, roster construction, and long-term planning workflows is a plus, but not required·        Experience partnering closely with business intelligence, data engineering, or technology teams in a shared data environment is a plus, but not required·        Prior people management experience, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management is preferred, but not required·        Experience operating in organizations undergoing growth or structural change is preferred, with comfort navigating ambiguity and evolving priorities·        English language proficiency is essential and Spanish/English bilingual skills are a plus. Additional languages – even better·        Bachelor’s Degree required
Other Details:·        It is the policy of Austin FC not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.  ·        All selected candidates are subject to passing a background check prior to employment.·        Hours are variable and can easily include early mornings, evenings, weekends and some holidays in addition to the traditional Monday through Friday hours.