Job Description

Help Shape the Future of Football Through Data

The Football Association (The FA) is investing in advanced digital and data capabilities to transform how we engage with the game, from grassroots and elite performance to fan experience and business operations. As part of this transformation, we're expanding our team with ambitious, forward-thinking professionals.



We're excited to offer a newly created opportunity for a Data Scientist to play a key role in delivering impactful, data-driven solutions across the organisation.

The Role: Turning Data into Action

As a Data Scientist at The FA, you'll be central to our data transformation, working across areas such as grassroots initiatives, elite performance, fan engagement, and operations.



From day one, you'll lead the development and deployment of data science solutions. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to build scalable systems, maintain robust data pipelines, and integrate machine learning models into real-world applications that make a measurable impact.

Key Responsibilities

Apply machine learning and predictive modelling to optimise player development, grassroots participation, and tournament planning Perform clustering and statistical analysis on historical performance data to identify tactical and developmental insights Develop computer vision models (e.g. YOLO, TensorFlow, PyTorch) for match analysis, crowd monitoring, and event operations Design and maintain robust data pipelines for structured and unstructured data using Microsoft Fabric and Azure Synapse Build and deploy scalable machine learning models to solve real-world challenges Create dashboards and data visualisations using Power BI, matplotlib, and Plotly Translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations for both technical and non-technical stakeholders Collaborate with product managers, data engineers, and solution architects to align analytics with business goals Support MLOps and FinOps practices for live services and resource planning Executes additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities. Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that 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 Technical Skills You'll Bring

Python and R Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse, SQL Power BI, matplotlib, Plotly Azure (RBAC, AAD, Blob Storage); experience with AWS or GCP is also valued Strong foundation in statistics, modelling, and data wrangling Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch

Soft Skills:

Ability to translate business problems into analytical solutions Confident communicator capable of presenting insights to non-technical stakeholders Effective team player who works well in cross-functional environments Analytical thinker with a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, 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 well-being. 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 (based on a full-time, permanent contract.*)
A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page, https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careers



Currently, we are working 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. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.



We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.



We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.



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