ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL®) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

With more than 1500 employees across the US and Canada, the NHL is a global sports and entertainment organization committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

At the NHL, we are looking for dynamic, energetic and impactful individuals who are committed to doing the same by sharing in our philosophy that Hockey is for Everyone – and inclusion belongs on the ice, in the locker rooms, boardrooms and stands.

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

SUMMARY
The National Hockey League is seeking a strategic and tactical data science leader to develop and implement a long-term vision and roadmap for advanced analytics in the League and its 32 Clubs. The Director will build the foundation for improving, automating and scaling data-driven decision-making across the League through a deeper understanding of fan behavior and the impacts of marketing, sales, sponsorship and more. The director will also support the analytical work and professional development of the analytics staff who may not directly report to this role.

The ideal candidate has a strong technical background in data science and experience with working on data science applications in a business setting. The ideal candidate also possesses an understanding of the various aspects of sports business in order to develop advanced predictive and descriptive models that can be applied to drive relevant business outcomes. To succeed in this role, the Director must be able to operate effectively across business units, work in a collaborative manner, have excellent communication skills and be driven by curiosity. This role will report into the Chief Marketing Officer’s business unit and will collaborate with SVP, Fan Engagement, Analytics & Research; VP, Strategy & Analytics; VP, Fan Engagement & Data Strategy; Sr. Director, Data Solutions and others to ensure high output quality and to prioritize various business needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and implement the League’s analytical roadmap, including the subject matter, expected output and business applications of the statistical models, weighing League and Club priorities and League capabilities
Lead design and development of statistical models, both in guiding the strategy, and in working directly with the data to create the most impactful analyses and models
Determine appropriate tools for analytical work and model building, and work with Information Technology, Information Security, Legal and external vendors to establish a safe digital working environment for these tools
Utilize understanding of different statistical methods and analytical tools to identify the best strategy with which to approach each unique business need
Infer and document actionable insights from various analyses and model results, both directly and through managing staff to do the same
Provide support on strategy and execution of analytics staff within the NHL broadly
Provide consultative support and guidance to the 32 Clubs on analytical output and models provided by the NHL to the 32 Clubs, as well as on the strategy and modeling approaches of the 32 Clubs as they work to develop their own analytical strategies
In collaboration with the VP, Strategy & Analytics; and VP, Fan Engagement & Data Strategy, coordinate League usage of analytical and modeling work products to improve fan outreach and marketing efforts
In collaboration with the Sr. Director, Data Solutions, ensure that the process for automated model runs is built and operates in an efficient and effective manner

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge Areas/Experience

Required

7+ years of work experience in a similar role
3+ years of directly managing analytics-focused staff
Technically proficient with analytical and business intelligence software tools (e.g. SPSS Modeler, R Studio, Tableau, Advanced Excel, etc.) and in coding languages (e.g. SQL, R, Python, etc.)
Must be creative and able to synthesize succinct findings from large quantities of information
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through
Understanding of business use-cases for revenue growth and marketing strategy to design a more applicable and impactful data analytics roadmap
Ability to interpret quantitative data and inform key stakeholders, without a background in data, of findings in an informative but understandable way
Demonstrated ability to coach and develop more junior staff
Highly developed verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence at leadership levels
Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality and professionalism and use discretion when sharing information
Ability to travel (domestic and international) periodically (4-12 times a year) for business purposes and to work long hours as department workflow necessitates
Experience interacting with third party vendors

Preferred

Sports industry experience
Understanding of database architecture and cloud network architecture

Education/Certifications

Advanced degree (Master’s degree, or preferably Doctorate). in mathematical field such as, but not limited to, Economics, Statistics, Finance, Applied Mathematics

CORE COMPETENCIES
These core competencies reflect the underlying values that are necessary to represent the National Hockey League:

Accountability
Adaptability
Communication
Critical Thinking
Inclusion
Professionalism
Teamwork & Collaboration

The NHL offers U.S. regular, full-time employees:

Time to Recharge: Utilize our generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to focus on your well-being and ensure a healthy work/life balance. PTO includes paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick days, plus an extra day off for your birthday.

Ability to Focus on your Health: Along with competitive salaries, the NHL offers comprehensive health benefits to employees and their eligible dependents effective on their first day with us – there is no waiting period. The NHL subsidizes a large portion of the health benefits costs, therefore your cost for medical, dental and vision coverage is minimal.

We also offer our employees and members of their household access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support mental, physical, and financial health. In addition, employees have access to a digital wellness resource designed to improve health and happiness through courses in sleep, movement, and focus. These services are confidential and at no-cost to our employees.

Childcare Leave: Because your family is the NHL family, employees are offered comprehensive Childcare Leave to welcome your new addition. The primary caregiver to the child is entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Employees that are not the primary caregiver to the child are entitled to up to 6 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, which must be taken within the first 6 months following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Confidence in your Retirement Goals: Participate in the NHL’s Savings Plan which includes a 401K(pre-tax and Roth options) plus non-elective (employer) contributions to keep your retirement goals on track.

A Hybrid Work Schedule: The NHL recognizes the value of flexibility in work locations/schedules to help our employees balance work/life priorities. Hybrid work schedules are available for a majority of our roles.

Our New Headquarters: Our new, state of the art, offices are located at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards. When you’re in the office, you can conduct meetings in one of our high-tech conference rooms, have lunch with a view or play in the game room. Employees can also enjoy New York’s newest neighborhood that is home to more than 100 shops, culinary experiences, and public artwork.

A Savings for Commuting: Participate in the NHL’s pre-tax commuter benefit plan whichhelps offset the financial cost of traveling to and from our office.

NHL Partner Rates: Unlock exclusive pricing from our Partners that include savings on travel, consumer goods and services, plus the NHL Store.

Life at the NHL: In your first few days, you meet with your new teammates and the HR Team. You have the opportunity to learn more about the NHL and our workplace culture. Employees are invited to play hockey during our Tuesday Night Skate at Chelsea Piers, join our Employee Resource Groups and more. You are a part of our team and we encourage you to be your authentic self, adding to our dynamic workplace culture.

SALARY RANGE:

$180-200K

Actual base pay for a successful candidate will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to: experience/training, market demands, and geographic location.

When applying, please be sure to include a cover letter with your salary expectations for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity, however only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. NO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

Director, Data Science