Senior Sports Data Scientist
Job Description
The Senior Sports Data Scientist role at ESPN combines cutting-edge data science with sports domain expertise to create innovative solutions that enhance storytelling across television, digital, and emerging platforms. As a technical leader, you'll be responsible for designing and implementing advanced predictive models and metrics that power ESPN's analytics products and storytelling. The position requires expertise in machine learning, statistical modeling, and sports analytics, along with the ability to translate complex analyses into compelling narratives.
You'll work at the intersection of sports and technology, leveraging modern techniques including deep learning, Bayesian methods, and ensemble models to solve complex sports analytics problems. The role involves close collaboration with engineering, product, and content teams to deploy models at scale and identify high-impact opportunities for analytics integration. As a senior team member, you'll also mentor junior data scientists and help establish best practices for the team.
The ideal candidate brings both technical excellence and sports domain knowledge, with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment supporting major sporting events. You'll have the opportunity to impact ESPN's storytelling across all platforms while working with cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in sports analytics. The role offers exposure to high-profile projects and the chance to shape the future of sports analytics at one of the world's leading sports media companies.
Working at ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut headquarters, you'll be part of a dynamic team that's constantly pushing the boundaries of sports analytics and storytelling. The position requires flexibility to support live productions and breaking news situations, including occasional weekend and holiday work during major sporting events. This is an excellent opportunity for a passionate sports fan with deep technical expertise to make a significant impact on how millions of fans experience and understand sports.
Responsibilities For Senior Sports Data Scientist
- Design and implement advanced machine learning models and statistical algorithms
- Apply modern techniques including deep learning, Bayesian methods, ensemble models
- Leverage AI technologies to enhance analytics capabilities
- Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy models at scale
- Transform complex statistical findings into clear, actionable insights
- Partner with product and content teams
- Mentor junior data scientists
- Present findings to senior leadership
- Stay current with academic research and industry trends
- Contribute to the team's technical strategy
Requirements For Senior Sports Data Scientist
- Minimum 5 years of experience in data science, machine learning, or quantitative analytics
- Advanced proficiency in Python or R for statistical modeling and machine learning
- Expert-level SQL skills and experience with database systems
- Deep understanding of statistical methods
- Experience with cloud platforms
- Experience with version control (Git)
- Strong communication skills
- Demonstrated passion for sports
- Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Economics, or related field
- Full availability including occasional nights, weekends, and holidays
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