Loughborough University and Stoke City Football Club are committed to the development of aspiring coaches and practitioners through elite sport in the UK. We currently have an exciting opportunity for an aspiring research analyst to develop their expertise via a combination of high-quality teaching on our MSc Applied Sport Performance Analysis course, and through applied experience with Stoke City Football Club.

Students on our new MSc course accumulate over 460 hours experience in applied practice. The candidate will be supported with a £8,000 stipend and have an opportunity to further their development with mentorship and support from our elite practitioners, support staff and a dedicated placement tutor. During the placement, there is an opportunity to build a portfolio of practical expertise while learning how to operate in a modern inter-disciplinary team, enhancing your employability within the data science field.

 

What would I be doing?

·      While you would be working mainly with the recruitment department, you would be given license to collaborate with multiple departments to identify and define key research projects.

·      Build and validate complex models to analyse key project areas in detail.

·      Deliver regular presentations of research findings, finding actionable insights for club decision makers.

·      Work closely with other data scientists and analysts to integrate research outputs into real-world applications.

·      Contribute to the development of new performance metrics and KPI’s tailored to Stoke City’s needs.

·      Maintain clear documentation of research processes, methodologies, and results.

 

Why should I apply for this opportunity?

·      You will have exposure to experienced staff within scouting and recruitment in an elite sporting environment.

·      You will have an excellent platform to develop the advanced knowledge and skills to analyse performance for scouting and recruitment purposes in professional football.

·      You will have the opportunity to learn from applied practitioners, with extensive experience in elite sport, and world-renowned research active academics.

·      You will have access to market-leading performance analysis hardware and software (HUDL, Catapult, Tableau and others), used in professional sports organisations.

·      You will have access to work with high quality event, physical and tracking data.

·      You will benefit from the unique internal and external sporting partners at Loughborough to provide authentic and challenging learning opportunities.

·      You will have a dedicated and experienced placement tutor to support your personal development and future career planning.

What is Loughborough University and Stoke City Football Club looking for?

·      Highly numerate with a strong understanding of statistical analysis, machine learning & modelling techniques. (Essential)

·      Proficiency in both SQL, Python or other programming languages (Essential)

·      Ability to create clear and compelling data visualisations. (Essential)

·      Experience working within data science in some capacity. (Desirable)

·      Understanding of football data, metrics, and performance analysis. (Desirable)

·      Experience presenting technical findings to non-technical stakeholders. (Desirable)

·      Highly organised, with the ability to work under pressure and deal with multiple tasks.

·      Eager to develop and progress both technically and in the softer skills of being a data scientist.

 

How do I apply?

 

To apply send your CV to stokejobs@stokecityfc.com and apply for the MSc Applied Sport Performance Analysis course via the online portal https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/.

 

The application process will close 7^th July 2025. Interviews will be held week commencing Monday 14^th July 2024 and the successful applicant will start 11^th August 2024.

 

*The advertised placement is to be combined with studying at Loughborough University on the MSc Applied Sport Performance Analysis course. The successful candidate must be eligible to undertake the course with Loughborough University. More details regarding the course can be found here: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/masters-degrees/a-z/applied-sport-performance-analysis/.

 

For informal enquiries regarding the MSc Applied Sport Performance Analysis course please contact the Programme Leader via email: d.barron@lboro.ac.uk.