Data Analyst

Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation through Winning England Teams

The FA are excited to be searching for a Data Analyst (Analysis and Technical Insights) who will deliver highly bespoke visualisations and insight methodologies that enhance the analysis of technical/tactical data, information and intelligence.

The role will continually navigate complex data landscapes whilst developing and maintaining Tableau reports, advanced data visualisations, statistical models and machine learning capabilities that underpin our decision-making within the coaching process and drives performance advantages for England Teams.

This role will foster strong collaborative relationship with our Senior Data Architect and Helix Development Team as well as other Performance Analysts, Data Analysts and Key Stakeholders across Men's/Women's Technical Division to ensure seamless integration and operationalisation of analytics reporting and models, driving the adoption of best practices in data analytics and data science within our football departments.

What You'll Do?

Data Reporting:

Own the design and implementation of automated data analysis for creating impactful and interactive Tableau dashboards that translate complex technical/tactical data into actionable insights for match preparation, tactical performance and player selection/development. Work closely with Performance Analysts & Coaches across the Men's / Women's Technical Division to further understand the game and players by translating insights into practical performance strategies, fostering a unified approach to data-supported decision-making across departments and teams. Work within the guidance of our Senior Data Architect to manage datasets, employing a comprehensive approach to understanding and documenting workflows and processes. Ensure data integrity and apply a quality assurance approach to all data-related tasks, adhering to data security and privacy policies and procedures to protect sensitive information. Ensure the scalability and agility of data workflows that can provide key stakeholders with timely and accurate responses to ad hoc data requests. Provide a high degree of support and education to our key stakeholders and non-technical staff to enhance their understanding and effective utilisation of data and insight tools.

Data Visualisation / Science:

Develop, validate, and automate advanced statistical and machine learning models to generate innovative metrics and insights from complex data sources, enhancing the understanding of player and team performance. Collaborate with the Helix development team to leverage the technical capabilities of the platform and Core Data Engine, ensuring the seamless integration of data analytics capabilities and production of data models.

Research & Projects:

Generate, undertake and support research projects that address critical football questions, delivering novel insights that shape England team strategies. Cultivate external research networks, ensuring our insights strategy and approaches are in line with the latest research and methods within machine learning, data science and sports analytics.

Other:

Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group's changing priorities. Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and well-being can be maintained. As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance. What You'll Need?

Essential for the role:

Master's or higher degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or related fields). Strong experience as a Data Analyst with a strong proficiency in using Tableau for data visualisations, dashboards, and reports In-depth knowledge of football data and its application in sports analytics especially from: Stats Perform/Hudl Wyscout/Second Spectrum/Hawkeye/FIFA Football Language/Skill Corner/Traccab/StatsBomb. Knowledge of developing, managing, and quality-assuring bespoke internally collected data. Experience managing complex uncleansed datasets. A background in cloud-based computing environments (Google Cloud Platform / Google Big Query is advantageous), demonstrating proficiency in utilising cloud resources for data analytics and ensuring seamless integration of data pipelines and analytics platforms. Advanced proficiency in statistical programming languages, especially Python and/or R, for data analysis and model development. Extensive experience with relational databases and SQL. Strong experience in applying data science, statistical modelling, and machine learning techniques.

Beneficial to have:

Ability to interpret and communicate complex data findings to non-technical stakeholders in football. Effective communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams in football. Certification in Tableau. What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, in order to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and wellbeing. Free, nutritious lunches, at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park. Free private medical cover. A contributory pension scheme. An additional Thank You days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave. A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page,

Our Organisation

The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.

The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, Barclays FA Women's Super League, Adobe FA Women's Championship, and Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park,  all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.

We currently work within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. 

Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of Wembley Stadium or St. George's Park unless the role is advertised as a home-based contract. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.

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