Director, Data Science

Company Overview Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform to ignite and harness the passions of fans and maximize the presence and reach for hundreds of partners globally. Optimizing these long-standing partnerships, a database of more than 80 million global consumers and a trusted, recognizable brand name, Fanatics is expanding beyond its position as a global leader for licensed sports merchandise to now becoming a next-gen digital sports platform, featuring an array of offerings for fans across the sports ecosystem. The Fanatics family of companies currently includes Fanatics Commerce, a vertically-integrated licensed merchandise business that has changed the way fans purchase their favorite team apparel, jerseys, headwear and hardgoods through a tech-infused approach to making and quickly distributing fan gear in today’s 24/7 mobile-first economy; Candy Digital, a digital collectibles company that is partnering with prominent sports properties, including MLB and MLBPA, to build an official NFT ecosystem; Fanatics Collectibles, through Topps as a cornerstone of the business, building a new model for the collectibles and trading cards hobby with top leagues and players association partners; and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a mobile betting, gaming and retail sportsbook platform. Fanatics’ partners include all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, PGA) and hundreds of collegiate and professional teams, which include several of the biggest global soccer clubs. As a market leader with more than 9,000 employees, and hundreds of partners, suppliers, and vendors worldwide, we take responsibility for driving toward more ethical and sustainable practices. We are committed to building an inclusive Fanatics community, reflecting and representing society at every level of the business, including our employees, vendors, partners and fans. Fanatics is also dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities where we all live, work, and play through strategic philanthropic initiatives. At Fanatics, we’re a diverse, passionate group of employees aiming to ignite pride and passion in the fans we outfit, celebrate and support.  We recognize that diversity helps drive and foster innovation, and through our IDEA program (inclusion, diversity, equality and advocacy) at Fanatics we provide employees with tools and resources to feel connected and engaged in who they are and what they do to support the ultimate fan experience. 
The Role:We are seeking a Director to build out and lead our Data Science group. This role reports to our VP of Data and is responsible for insights and data science within Fanatics Betting and Gaming. The leader who fits this role will be experienced at growing data science operations and will have sports industry expertise. Duties and responsibilities may include:●        Build out a best in class Data Science group, designed to support the organization's decision-making and develop competitive intellectual property●        Develop and communicate standards and procedures for the Data Science group●        Develop processes and forums to share insights to the company. This person embodies a “teaching” mentality and prioritizes relationships and information sharing●        Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including the executive leadership team, engineering, product, marketing, legal, ops and more●        Provide leadership and expertise within the data org.  Be a mentor and role model ●        Partner with engineering both within Data group and across other engineering domains What skills are important to us:●        Experience with growing & leading multiple large analytical teams, and partnering with data engineering to develop strategic data assets         ●        Expertise in data science methods and techniques including machine learning, and technical skills including production-grade architecture and model lifecycle management●        Strong strategic thinking, written and verbal communication, and resource prioritization skills●        Emphasis on trust-building and ability to quickly make decisions that usually turn out well●        Desire to build an operation from scratch in a fast-paced environmentEnsure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don’t fall victim to fraud.  Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants.  Fanatics recruiters will only reach out to applicants from an @fanatics.com or @fanatics.co.uk email address.  For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers
Tryouts are open at Fanatics! Our team is passionate, talented, unified, and charged with creating the fan experience of tomorrow. The ball is in your court now.
Fanatics is committed to responsible planning and purchasing (RPP) practices, working with its business partners across its global and multi-layered supply chain, to ensure that planning, sourcing, and purchasing decisions, along with other supporting processes, do not impede or conflict with the fulfillment of Fanatics’ fair labor practices.
NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS/APPLICANTS: In connection with your application, we collect information that identifies, reasonably relates to or describes you (“Personal Information”). The categories of Personal Information that we collect include your name, government issued identification number(s), email address, mailing address, other contact information, emergency contact information, employment history, educational history, criminal record, and demographic information.  We collect and use those categories of Personal Information about you for human resources and other business management purposes, including identifying and evaluating you as a candidate for potential or future employment or other types of positions, recordkeeping in relation to recruiting and hiring, conducting criminal background checks as permitted by law, conducting analytics, and ensuring compliance with applicable legal requirements and Company policies.