LA Galaxy, Associate Data Scientist - Soccer Operations

Company Information
For more than 20 years, AEG has played a pivotal role in transforming sports and live entertainment. Annually, we host more than 160 million guests, promote more than 10,000 shows and present more than 22,000 events around the world. We are committed to innovation, artistry, and community, and leverage the power of our 300+ venues, leading sports franchises, marquee music brands, integrated entertainment districts, premier ticketing platform and global sponsorship activations, to create memorable moments that give the world reason to cheer.

Our business is interwoven with the human mind and heart, and we strive to build a diverse and inclusive company that reflects the artists, athletes, and fans that we host; reach beyond traditional boundaries to support the communities in which we operate; and minimize our impact on the environment by adopting sustainable practices throughout our business operations.

If you want to be challenged to up your game and make a difference, then join us in giving the world reason to cheer!

Job Summary
The Associate Data Scientist supports the LA Galaxy's Soccer Operations department by contributing to analytical projects that inform player recruitment, tactical preparation, and performance evaluation. Working under the guidance of senior staff, this role assists in building datasets, developing baseline models, and producing reports that help coaches, scouts, and technical leadership make data-informed decisions. The Associate Data Scientist collaborates with analysts, coaches, and data engineering to ensure data pipelines, metrics, and tools are accurate, reliable, and aligned with the club's sporting objectives.

Essential Functions

Player Recruitment & Valuation Modeling

*Assist in preparing datasets and exploratory analyses that support player evaluation and recruitment decisions.

*Contribute to the development and testing of basic statistical or machine learning models used to compare players and identify potential targets.

*Build simple tools and visualizations that help the recruitment team interpret player performance across leagues and contexts.

Team & Player Performance Analytics

*Support the creation of performance metrics and KPIs in collaboration with senior analysts and technical staff.

*Produce recurring reports and dashboards that track team and player trends over time.

*Help surface insights that inform coaching decisions and player development pathways.

Tactical & Opposition Intelligence

*Assist in analyzing opponent tendencies, structures, and patterns using established workflows.

*Prepare summary reports and visualizations that contribute to match preparation and tactical planning.

Model Deployment & Maintenance

*Work with data engineering to validate datasets, monitor model outputs, and ensure analytical tools remain accurate and up to date.

*Support documentation, testing, and quality checks for production workflows.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

*Participate in meetings with Pro Analytics, Soccer Operations, and Performance teams to understand priorities and contribute to ongoing projects.

*Share analytical findings in a clear, concise manner and incorporate feedback from technical staff.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS Degree (4-year) (Advanced Degree Preferred)- Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics
• 1-2 years
  
  
  
  • Hands-on modeling and data engineering experience working with sports data, preferably soccer-specific datasets.
  • Experience building statistical models and applying machine learning techniques.
  • Experience managing production-grade ML workflows
  • Experience with Azure DevOps/Git
  • Exposure to sports analytics or soccer-specific data is preferred but not required.
  
  
  
  
• Proficiency in Python and SQL, with the ability to write clean, production-quality code.
• Experience managing model development using tools such as MLflow or Azure AI, with the ability to maintain a production-grade ML workspace.
• Strong statistical modeling foundation, including Bayesian methods, time series analysis, and spatial statistics.
• Demonstrated experience working with sports tracking data
• Fluency with soccer data specifications from providers such as Opta, StatsBomb, TRACAB, and SkillCorner.
• Experience building soccer-specific models, including player similarity, match prediction, and tactical analysis.
• Strong understanding of possession value frameworks and pitch control concepts, and their application in performance evaluation.
• Published research or conference presentations in sports analytics, or a publicly available portfolio showcasing soccer or sports analytics work.
• Experience with UI/UX concepts and familiarity with front-end frameworks such as React preferred Payscale:$71,000 - $91,000

Bonus:This position is eligible for a bonus under the current bonus plan requirements.

Benefits:We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, paid holidays, vacation and sick time, company paid basic life insurance, voluntary life insurance, parental leave, 401k Plan (with a current employer match of 3%), flexible spending and health savings account options, and wellness offerings.

AEG reserves the right to change or modify the employee's job description whether orally or in writing, at any time during the employment relationship. AEG may require an employee to perform duties outside their normal description.

AEG's policy is to hire the most qualified applicants, and we comply with all applicable federal, state and local employment laws in making hiring and employee decisions. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, marital status, disability, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected status recognized by applicable federal, state or local law.

Employer does not offer work visa sponsorship for this position.