POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Senior Data Scientist will work in the New Jersey Devils front office, supporting hockey decision-making at all levels: front office, coaching, and scouting. A successful applicant will have a strong technical foundation and be passionate about better understanding the game of hockey. This role will be primarily focused on building and maintaining the key statistical and machine learning models that help us make decisions within the broader Hockey Operations organization.
The Devils’ Analytics team is responsible for leveraging multiple large and complex data sets. The Senior Data Scientist will possess a strong technical foundation in programming – Engineering, Computer Science, or Mathematics backgrounds are favored. Our tight-knit front office team relies on exceptional individuals who can contribute to multiple areas. These individuals thrive in a critical, challenging, dynamic environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE BELOW:
- Develop, maintain, and monitor models to accurately evaluate and forecast player and team performance.
- Research, evaluation, and integration of new data sources and technologies that expand the capabilities of the organization.
- Independently identify opportunities to impact organizational decision-making through data-driven research.
- Work with stakeholders across hockey operations to apply the results of data-driven research.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in technical discipline (computer science, engineering, mathematics/statistics, etc.) or equivalent work experience.
- Fluency in R or Python, particularly with relevant data processing and modeling libraries.
- Experience developing complex queries in SQL and working with large datasets.
- Experience with the end-to-end process of developing and implementing machine learning and statistical models.
- Demonstrated passion for hockey and familiarity with hockey rules and terminology. Prior work with hockey event data or tracking data is a plus.
- Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to clearly translate technical findings to non-technical audiences.
- A critical thinker, eager to both give and receive feedback.
- Focused on team results not individual accomplishment.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 5+ years of experience in a research-oriented position, responsible for conducting novel research on a technical topic. Experience working as a Data Scientist in player operations is a plus.
- Passion for Sports and Entertainment experience in the athletic space.
- Diverse projects and experience in multiple business functions.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- Travel Requirements: May be required to travel on rare occasions (<5% travel)
- Work Environment: This position generally requires that work be performed from the Prudential Center/New Jersey Devils offices.
OUR BENEFITS:
- Medical/Dental/Vision/Flexible Spending Accounts (all LGBT friendly)
- Pretax Transportation Benefit
- Generous parental leave policies
- 401K (100% up to 5% is matched, after 1 year of service)
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- 13+ Paid Holidays
- ½ Day Summer Fridays
- Complimentary or Discounted Sports & Concert Tickets
- On Site Fitness Rooms
- Other League & Partner Discounts
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.