Contract Football Data and Tactics Writer (London)

About Us

The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About This Role

We are looking for a driven, enthusiastic and personable writer to be part of our tactics and data journalism team for the summer transfer window at The Athletic UK. 

Our ideal candidate will be able to generate ideas, have a deep understanding of football tactics and player attributes, will ideally have strong data analysis and coding skills, and be comfortable collaborating with other writers on features and analysis pieces.

You will be expected to serve a wide audience in the UK and abroad, have clever takes on the big stories and transfers in the game and to work with our editorial, audio and social media staff to produce original, detailed and high-quality content.

This is a hybrid role for candidates based in the United Kingdom. This is a short term contract for the duration between June and September 2024.

Please note this is a freelance role and there are no Company benefits included contrary to the Company Information below.

Responsibilities

Work as part of a football transfers team to deliver intelligent analysis of the biggest stories. Work closely with the editorial team to produce unique analysis individually and alongside other writers across multiple formats. Work under tight deadlines. Work with other writers on collaborative projects. Maintain an understanding of subscription and engagement metrics. Contribute to discussions on The Athletic, promote work on social media and take part in podcasts and Tifo videos when required.

Requirements

High level of professionalism; driven and motivated. Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal). High-end knowledge of European football, specifically data and tactics. Ability to work effectively with colleagues. Creative thinking skills. Flexible and understanding that the job involves some evening and weekend work.

Preferred Requirements

Understanding of programming languages (preferable experience with R or Python) to analyse and visualise data. Producing data visualisations to support other writers and guide them on how to use data and best approaches. Additional information - Please note this is a freelance role and there are no Company benefits included contrary to the Company Information below

The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:

- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.

- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.

- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.

- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.

The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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