25 September 2025 | Analysis, Data Analyst
Head of Data & Analytics | Wigan Athletic (Jobs in Sports Performance Analysis)
Role Overview
We are looking to appoint a highly skilled Head of Data and Analytics to lead the Football Data and to drive the strategic direction for data science initiatives across all football operations.
This is a key leadership role responsible for developing and executing a data-driven recruitment strategy that supports first-team performance, emerging stylistic trends, squad planning, and player acquisition.
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading innovative data science solutions in the areas of Football Performance & Talent. Oversee all aspects of recruitment analytics, working closely with scouts, coaches, analysts, and senior management to deliver insights that shape transfer decisions and long-term talent strategy.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and implementation of a data-informed recruitment framework aligned with the club’s football philosophy and budget
- Define KPIs and performance metrics for player identification, benchmarking, and squad analysis
- Act as a senior figure in recruitment meetings, influencing strategic decisions with data-backed insights
Data Analysis & Scouting Integration
- Developing strategically important data science initiatives that result in the advancement of talent identification, player trading, player development, and team performance.
- Oversee the statistical scouting process and lead the development of player shortlists
- Embedding data-informed systems and processes related to Talent Identification & Talent Evaluation to enable the Club to make effective & efficient decisions in the transfer market.
- Create robust models and tools for player profiling, comparison, and risk assessment
- Integrate data analysis with live scouting feedback and video analysis workflows
- Lead cross-functional projects to combine performance, medical, and scouting data
Reporting & Communication
- Produce high-quality reports, dashboards, and presentations for recruitment and executive staff
- Produce reports looking at emerging stylistic trends to enhance the Club’s current game model.
- Translate complex data into actionable recommendations in a football-intuitive manner
- Present findings confidently to stakeholders, including coaching staff, scouts, and the Club’s Board.
Team Management & Development
- Management of a data science team through the provision of a positive work environment by coaching and empowering them to drive towards strategic objectives.
- Providing effective leadership in analytics engineering & data science, which positively influences the actions of senior staff
- Leading data science research and modelling, including the introduction of new and innovative approaches to problem-solving.
- Lead, grow, and develop the analytics team, including analysts and interns, with a focus on mentoring junior staff and ensuring high analytical standards across football operations
- Foster a collaborative, high-performance environment within the department
- Provide mentoring and support to junior staff, promoting continual development
- Leading the Football Data team in creating & delivering data-informed systems & processes that enable proactive interventions related to team and player performance
- Maintain and improve internal databases, scouting platforms, and bespoke analysis tools
- Lead relationships with third-party data providers (e.g., Wyscout, Skillcorner, StatsBomb, Hudl, Opta)
- Stay up to date with trends in football analytics, technology, and talent evaluation
What we are looking for
- Proven experience in a senior data analysis or scouting role in professional football
- Deep understanding of recruitment processes, performance metrics, and football data (e.g., xG, xA, defensive actions, etc.)
- Proficiency in data analysis tools: Python, R, SQL, Excel
- Experience building dashboards with Power BI, Tableau, or similar
- Experience working with football scouting software (e.g., Wyscout, Instat, Hudl)
- Strong leadership, communication, and presentation skills
- Passion for football and a nuanced understanding of Championship, League One/Two player markets as well as Scotland and abroad
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