Data Scientist

Playon is looking for a Data Scientist to lead the development of sports rankings systems and internal performance metrics. This role will focus primarily on building datas and algorithms to generate national and state rankings for high school teams to appear on MaxPreps. In addition, you'll support the organization with business intelligence insights to inform strategy, operations, and engagement.  In this role, you will leverage your backend development experience and passion for building quality products to make meaningful contributions to our fans’ experience.  The outcomes you’ll deliver
·       Develop a variety of rankings algorithms for high school sports·       Provide data insights to inform product strategy In This Role, You Can Excpect To

• Design and implement data-driven ranking algorithms for sports teams including predictive rankings
• Continuously refine rankings formulas based on feedback from stakeholders
• Ensure the rankings are explainable for public-facing applications
• Create visualizations of rankings to present data in interactive formats for users and stakeholders
• Collaborate with product, engineering, data, and operations teams to turn data into actionable business insights
• Build and maintain dashboards and reports that provide operational insights for decision-makers.
• Analyze user engagement and other KPIs to inform product strategies

To Thrive In This Role, You Have

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in data science or sports analytics.
• Proficiency in Python, R, or similar data analysis tools.
• Advanced SQL skills with a strong focus on PostgreSQL for efficient extraction and processing of large relational datasets.
• Ability to leverage AI tools and techniques for data analysis, trend detection, and extraction of actionable insights.
• Experience extracting and integrating data from RESTful APIs for analysis and storage.
• Familiarity with BI tools such as Tableau
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex information

How You Play

• Ownership over Participation- You take responsibility for achieving holistic outcomes, prioritize key objectives, and adapt quickly when situations require a different approach. You follow through even against the toughest challenges.

• Team over Stars- You are a bridge builder, establishing processes and relationships with teams outside your own. You work to rally around common goals, find win-win solutions, compromise when necessary, and help others succeed.

• Growth over Comfort- You are driven by a desire to grow and actively seek opportunities to expand your comfort zone, skills, and confidence. You embrace new challenges with curiosity, accepting discomfort and failure as opportunities to learn.

• Fairness over Popularity- You approach decisions with a scientist’s mindset, challenging your assumptions and remaining objective. You consider long-term impact rather than relying on short-term gains, proactively seek others’ perspectives, and manage emotions in decision-making.