Position Title: Performance Data Scientist

Location: National Soccer Development Centre (UBC), Vancouver, BC

Terms: Full-time, Permanent 

Reports to: Senior Director, Analytics, Insights, & Research

Vancouver Whitecaps FC is looking for a new team member to join our Data Science department in the position of Performance Data Scientist.

The Performance Data Scientist’s (PDS- Player Development & Talent Identification) primary role is to help facilitate performance-related data collection, storage, management, analysis, and communication across the club.  The PDS will implement best practices in applied sports data acquisition, database management, and statistical analyses to assist in the club’s collaborative, informed decision-making process, in accordance with the WFC Performance Strategy and focus heavily on the areas of talent identification and player development. This position will contribute to both the daily training environment and assist with longer-term research and innovation projects at the WFC when necessary.

General Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Assist with implementing data pipeline workflows for raw and summary data from optical tracking, football event data, wearable technology, and other available data sources.
  • Assist with developing and implementing football performance analysis/models that can inform decisions about scouting/recruitment, match analysis/review, player development, and opposition scouting.
  • Implement quality control and data best practices at all steps of the data pipeline for performance related data – data collection, data analysis, and data communication.
  • Work collaboratively with physical preparation and medical staff to collect appropriate data sets when required, including force plates, global positioning systems, and strength testing.
  • Work alongside coaches, staff, and players, in alignment with the WFC Performance Strategy.
  • Assist with analyses for internal and publishable research and innovation projects, as needed.

Specific Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • First Team: Build and share reports on first team individual player performances and trends, related to prescribed individual goals.
  • Whitecaps FC 2: Work closely with our WFC2 coaching staff and video analyst to support the opposition scouting process, post-match reporting process, and individual player development planning & reporting processes.
  • MLS Academy: Refine and help to disseminate individual academy player evaluation and individual development processes. This includes include building/refining PowerApps and Power BI reports at specific times during the academy season.
  • Academy Centres: Support data-informed practices and the extension of our performance strategy from our MLS Academy and into our Academy Centres across Canada.

Qualifications/Experience:  

In addition to bringing a commitment to Vancouver Whitecaps FC vision and values, the successful candidate will have degrees of demonstrated skills and experience as follows: 

  • Postgraduate qualifications in one of the following areas: data science, applied sport science, information technology, epidemiology (with advanced data analysis), or biostatistics.
  • At least 2 years of experience in data science and/or applied sports science working in a high-performance sport or business environment (e.g. collegiate, national, or professional sport).
  • Ability to work with various data sources, platforms, and data science software. Coding proficiency with SQL, Python, and/or R.
  • Proficiency in data visualization and interactive dashboard creation through R, Python, Microsoft Power BI, and/or Tableau.
  • Understanding of data engineering and data pipeline construction, database management, data modeling, and data visualization/reporting.
  • Proficiency with querying REST APIs and working with several data formats (e.g.. json, .parquet, .xml).
  • Proficient communication skills and ability to work across multiple teams within the organization
  • Demonstrated capacity to provide timely and relevant data processing.
  • Experience using the Microsoft software stack (Microsoft PowerApps, Power Automate, SharePoint Lists, SharePoint Sites) is an asset.
  • Experience with Snowflake and DataBricks is an asset.
  • Must complete a Vulnerable Sector Check and additional background screening.
  • Must successfully complete MLS Safe Sport training.
  • Must possess a passport and be able to freely travel internationally.
  • Ability to work non-standard work week, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays.

The Club

Vancouver Whitecaps FC is the longest-running professional soccer club in Canada and the United States. Since its inaugural season in 1974, the club has united generations of loyal fans in British Columbia and beyond. With academies in eight out of ten provinces, a network of partner clubs, and hundreds of camps and clinics every year, Whitecaps FC provide a foundation for Canada’s soccer future.

In addition to its two professional men’s teams, the Club is proud to be one of the first two founding teams for a new professional women’s league in Canada, which will be launched in the year 2025. We are also strongly committed to providing opportunities to Canadian athletes, both male and female, with the largest soccer development structure in Canada. This includes academy programs in eight of ten provinces across the country.

In addition to building a winning team on and off the pitch, the Club places great importance in giving back to our community, harnessing the power of sport to create a stronger, more equitable & inclusive society through three key community goals: helping meet critical needs, using soccer to build life skills and creating soccer participation opportunities in Indigenous communities.

Whitecaps FC believes that diversity and inclusion is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. This includes but is not limited to people of colour, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Should you require any accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact our People & Culture department.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC provides a competitive compensation and benefits package. If you are interested in applying, please apply for the role using the link: Performance Data Scientist

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

No recruiters or agencies, please.