FOOTBALL DATA SCIENTIST

Become part of our club

AZ Alkmaar has a vast belief in working data driven and aspires to be among the best in the business when it comes to applying data analytics in every part of the daily operations of the club.

We want to achieve this by constantly seeking growth and opportunities for innovation and development. Every day, we strive to improve our people, environment, and ways of working. Our ambition is to ensure that working methods are the best in the world.

We work with individuals who are driven to achieve their ambitions—those who possess curiosity, a passion for learning, and the belief that through hard work and determination, they can improve every day.

Team Data

Team Data is involved in the daily operations of the club. The main tasks & responsibilities lay around player recruitment, match analysis, performance analysis and player development, but the team also supports the business side (e.g. ticketing, food & beverage).

In order to effectively contribute in all these areas, the team is responsible for the whole analytics process, starting from extracting the raw data from different sources, up until providing insights to the people in the club through a proprietary analytics platform.

The Role

We are hiring a data scientist on a full-time basis. We are looking for someone who is either based in the Netherlands or is willing to move, since we believe that being at the club is vital for the communication and collaboration with the people on the ground.

The successful candidate possesses a wide range of hard and soft skills, in order to be able to contribute in all parts of the analytics process, like contributing to the collection and storing of data, building mathematical models and providing insights to sporting directors, scouts, (head) coaches, analysts and other stakeholders.

Tasks

• Data manipulation & modelling: applying Data Science methods on event and tracking data in order to analyze trends and define and improve metrics that are relevant for player recruitment, performance evaluation and player development, but also tactical analysis at the team level.
• Dashboard & web app development: maintenance & further development of the proprietary analytics platform by continuously adding (new) data & insights, and if necessary, expand/re-structure the platform/web app in order to fit the new needs.
• Data Visualization: presentation of data-driven insights related to player and team performance.
• Data Translation: next to the hard skills required to generate the best possible insights, it is key for the Data Scientist to be able to explain complex analytical concepts clearly and simply to stakeholders, in order to provide as much as possible value to their daily work.

Skills, Experience & Personal characteristics

• Excellent mathematical and statistical knowledge, gained from a degree in a quantitative discipline or equivalent courses, or demonstrable practical equivalent.
• Experience in working as a data scientist and applying data science techniques in a professional context.
• Experience in working with data sources present in professional football is desirable, especially event data, but also contextual/tracking data or aggregated data.
• Experience in applying data science techniques on football (performance) data is desirable, either in a professional sports organizations or as a hobby.
• Excellent Python skills and proficiency in SQL.
• Experience with working with large datasets in a cloud environment (ideally AWS).
• Knowledge of web application development, preferably with Streamlit.
• Good understanding of software engineering principles, including test-driven development, CI/CD and version control.
• Pro-active and structured approach to problem solving.
• Attention to detail to ensure the best possible quality of data and insights.
• Excellent communication skills, being able to present insights clearly and in a structured way (verbally & visually).
• Fluency in Dutch and/or English (spoken & written).

What can you expect from AZ?

At AZ, we value a vibrant and informal work environment. We offer you a workplace where you feel at home and where you have every opportunity to express your ambition and creativity. At AZ, you not only receive opportunities, but also create them yourself. We believe it's important that your personal development contributes to the club's success. In addition to traditional employment benefits such as a competitive salary, holiday allowance, vacation days, and a comprehensive pension plan, we also offer amenities like an on-site gym at the stadium and an active staff association. Moreover, you'll be working alongside the most wonderful colleagues!

We have a wide variety of departments and responsibilities, which is reflected in the diverse group of people working with us. At AZ, everyone is unique.

Please note that personality and cognitive tests are part of the application process.

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your application consisting of a cover letter and CV by 14 March 2025 to [email protected]. Optionally, if you have any kind previous experience in working with football data, sending along a body of work is a great opportunity to showcase your previous work.