Director of Baseball Data Science

About Us

The Colorado Rockies Baseball Club is embracing the climb, committed to building a championship-caliber organization on the field, in the clubhouse, and throughout our business operations. Playing at altitude presents unique competitive challenges and opportunities, and we embrace innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based practices to support elite performance. Rooted in the traditions of America's pastime, we operate with integrity, service, quality, and trust while striving to create an exceptional experience for our players, staff, and fans.

Position Summary

The Director of Baseball Data Science leads the Data Science function within the Baseball Insights group and sets the strategic and technical direction for modeling across Player Personnel, Player Development, Health & Performance, and Major League strategy.

This role defines how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive models are built, validated, and applied to measure player performance, skill, and value. As the technical leader of the team, the Director establishes standards for analytical rigor, modeling quality, and methodological excellence, ensuring clarity around what the data indicates and where uncertainty remains.

The Director will build and execute a multi-year roadmap to advance data science capabilities, grow team expertise, and sequence investments in models, tools, and AI to support long-term competitive success. While providing strategic leadership, this role remains hands-on in model development and research, particularly as capabilities scale.

Key Responsibilities

Modeling & Research Leadership

• Establish and maintain consistent definitions for core performance metrics across the organization.
• Set the modeling philosophy and technical standards for Baseball Data Science.
• Lead the design, validation, documentation, and continuous improvement of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive models.
• Develop models that measure and explain player performance, skill development, health, and strategic outcomes.
• Serve as the senior technical reviewer for core models and analytical methodologies.
• Contribute directly to high-impact modeling initiatives.

Strategy & Decision Support

• Establish research priorities aligned with organizational and competitive objectives.
• Guide the progression from foundational descriptive insights to advanced predictive and prescriptive capabilities.
• Partner with Baseball Operations leadership to translate analytical findings into actionable insights.
• Develop and maintain a clear multi-year roadmap for advancing data science capabilities.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Research & Development, Baseball Systems, and Baseball Operations to ensure models are understood, trusted, and effectively applied.
• Provide guidance on model assumptions, interpretation, and limitations.
• Partner on data infrastructure needs to support scalable and reliable modeling environments.
• Incorporate applied feedback to continuously refine models and analytical frameworks.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Data Scientists.
• Build a high-performance culture grounded in rigor, collaboration, and innovation.
• Assess skill gaps and implement development plans to deepen technical and baseball domain expertise.
• Recruit top analytical talent and help position the organization as a leader in baseball analytics.
• Champion responsible and practical applications of AI to accelerate analysis, modeling, and decision support.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage the Baseball Data Science team, including Data Scientists responsible for model development and advanced statistical research.
• Partner cross-functionally while maintaining clear role definition between Data Scientists and applied analyst functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative discipline (Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Economics, Engineering, or related field) or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in baseball analytics, sports analytics, or data science, including leadership responsibility.
• Deep understanding of baseball decision-making across player evaluation, development, and game strategy.
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Demonstrated experience building, evaluating, and deploying analytical models in applied environments.
• Experience leveraging AI-enabled tools or methods within research or modeling workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in a quantitative discipline.
• Leadership experience within professional baseball or elite sports.
• Track record of building models that materially influenced organizational decisions.

Work Environment

This role requires flexibility consistent with a Major League Baseball environment, including extended hours, travel, and non-traditional schedules throughout Spring Training, the regular season, postseason, and off-season planning cycles.

Physical Job Requirements

• Ability to work in a fast-paced professional baseball environment, including offices,…