Lead Performance Data Engineer

About AFC Bournemouth

Entering an exciting new chapter in our long and storied history, we are proud to retain a focus on family and community. Delivering that engagement with our loyal supporters is a passionate and integrated backroom staff, working closely together to provide a positive and lasting experience for all at Vitality Stadium.

Since our takeover by chairman Bill Foley, in a partnership including Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan, the club has seen significant investment committed towards sustaining Premier League status, highlighted by the construction of a state-of-the-art training facility and the arrival of promising young talent from top clubs around Europe. These developments also bring a great opportunity to further improve our women’s team and youth setup overall.

Key off-field appointments have recently been made in business operations, ticketing, and partnerships to continue our efforts in improving the experience for our supporters.

Job purpose

Reporting to the Performance Director, the Lead Performance Data Engineer will be a vital member of the performance and medical team, who manages performance and medical data both within AFC Bournemouth and across the multi-club model of Black Knight Football Club. 

The Lead Performance Data Engineer will use technical expertise and analysis skills to build our data platform from the ground up and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our data optimised systems and practices.

Main duties

Data Management, Integration, and Scaling

Create and manage data platform architecture, data integration, and technical solutions, to support the scaling of performance and medicine data within AFCB and across the multi-club football model.  

• Manage organizational-wide data processes which support data pipelines, data storage, database tracking, and documentation practices.
• Establish and maintain standards for database structures, workflows, and utilisation.
• Optimise third party technology and platforms utilisation, to support stakeholder needs for data query, reporting, and visualisation – to drive data insights. 
• Ensure the ability to extract, load, and transform data, in both ELT and ETL processes, to support data integration and integrity within and across football clubs.
• Lead the development of data models and provide guidance for optimizations of performance of data infrastructure and related product.

Data Quality and Protection 

• Implement data hygiene practices to combine, clean, and enhance the utilisation of variant data sources across technologies and team locations.
• Deploy data protection practices for the Club’s performance and medical related data. 
• Conduct ongoing tests to ensure the operational efficacy of the performance and medicine related technology, programs, and applications. 

Performance Data Support Services

• Implement data workflow solutions to optimize the use of sports science related technologies and data sources.
• Build and produce performance and medically related reports for individual players performance and development, as well as squad wide performance analysis.
• Keep appraised of emerging technologies and industry trends in data management and sports analytics.
• Assist in internal projects and innovations to promote the organisation’s performance strategies.

General 

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, from developers to business analysts, ensuring technology solutions effectively meet business requirements.
• Problem-solve, strategise, and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Derive insights from large data sources and presenting in a clear and concise narrative form.
• Work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Improve knowledge and abilities in the areas of software and data engineering, statistical learning, and machine learning.
• Take ownership in your professional growth by continuously improving your technical and social behavioural skillset. 
• Promote an environment that fosters player trust in performance related data practices.
• Embody a “one department” spirit with actions and behaviours that promote collaboration and trust between the medical and performance specialist.
• Ensure the club’s mental health & wellbeing objectives are embedded in your department’s actions, procedures, and dealings and to have a good knowledge of the processes to support staff’s mental health & wellbeing.
• Ensure commitment to the club’s safeguarding vision and to actively promote the policies within your department, embedding safeguarding into procedures. Obligation to promote and monitor the club’s health and safety policy and procedures within your department. 
• Ensure the club’s equality aims, action plan and policies are in evidence in all departmental actions, procedures, and dealings. 

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

Key knowledge

• BS or equivalent in Computer Science, Data Science, Data Engineering, or related field required.
• MSc or PhD preferred in relevant field.
• 3+ years of experience in a data engineering role, ideally in sports, medical, or performance sectors.
• Strong expertise creating data pipelines and database architecture required.
• Experience with a variety programming language (i.e. R, Python, SQL) required.
• Hands-on experience with developing and maintaining both private and public cloud data platforms (i.e. Azure, GCP, AWS) required.
• Experience with data visualization solutions (i.e. Power BI, Tableau) required.
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary team and a track record of building trust. 
• Familiarity with medical data, sports science, biomechanics, and performance monitoring tools and technologies would be beneficial.
• Availability to travel as required.
• Fluency in English, both oral and written. 

Person specification

The Club’s values are at the core of its staff behaviour and how they approach everything they do, therefore we are looking for someone is honest, inclusive, kind, hardworking and loyal.

Staff benefits

In return for your hard work and commitment to us, you will receive a competitive reward package which will include, but is not limited to:

• Free onsite parking. 
• Season ticket and allocation of complimentary/purchased tickets. 
• Subsidised lunches and complimentary healthy snacks throughout the day. 
• Discounts at the club Superstore. 
• Contribution towards eye tests and glasses. 
• Discounts and benefits from partners and local businesses. 
• Club pension & Life Assurance Scheme. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) by Health Assured. 
• Paid parental leave (bank of five days per year). 
• Club events or other social events throughout the year run by our club social team. 
• Paid volunteer opportunities (2 days per year). 
• Paid day’s leave on your birthday. 

The Club reserves the right to close this vacancy before the proposed deadline should it deem appropriate.

How to apply

Please send your Application Form to jobs@afcb.co.uk by November 24th 2024.

Job Advert Reference: AFCB0059

AFC Bournemouth is an equal opportunities employer and ensures staff and volunteers are able to achieve their full potential.

We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion and embrace the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society. We take our responsibility seriously, to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. 

We actively encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from ethnically diverse communities. 

For further information on accessibility within the stadium please click here.

AFC Bournemouth is committed to protecting all children, young persons, and adults at risk in its care or attending its premises and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment.

For all positions where a DBS check is required, an offer of employment will be subject to receipt of satisfactory disclosure at the appropriate level.

Any and all potential agreements, relationships or commitments that could be considered a conflict of interest should be disclosed upon application to this vacancy by emailing jobs@afcb.co.uk. You will also be asked whether you have any conflicts to disclose upon receipt of your application. 

Satisfactory references will be required for all positions, your eligibility to work with the club will be subject to receiving appropriate referencing.

We strive to create a positive and safe environment and ensure all who interact with the club feel safe, protected, and heard.

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