What are the responsibilities and job description for the Baseball Sciences Associate position at Boston Red Sox?
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
The Baseball Sciences department leverages cutting-edge research, data, and technology to enhance player performance, development, and overall team success. By integrating principles from biomechanics, sports science, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, the department plays a critical role in driving innovation on and off the field. The team works closely with coaches, medical staff, strength & conditioning experts, and front-office personnel to develop and implement evidence-based strategies that maximize athletic potential, improve player health, and optimize in-game performance. The Baseball Sciences department is committed to pushing the boundaries of sports science in baseball, putting the Red Sox at the forefront of technological and analytical advancements in the sport.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Red Sox are seeking a forward-thinking Baseball Sciences Associate for the 2025 season to drive the development and application of innovative solutions aimed at improving on-field performance and injury risk mitigation. The role will support the processing, analysis, and application of various relevant data sources, including motion capture data, force plates, wearable sensors, and computer vision analysis. These efforts will drive the implementation of evidence-based strategies across the organization in collaboration with stakeholders in Strength & Conditioning, Sports Medical Services, and Player Development.
The position will run throughout the 2025 season. Preference will be given to candidates available from February to October, though flexibility in dates will be considered for the right candidate. The anticipated location for this position is Fort Myers, FL. However, candidates with strong biomechanics modeling and musculoskeletal simulation expertise may be based in Boston, MA, to enable closer collaboration with our Boston-based Lead Biomechanist.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop, test, and iterate upon custom software tools and data pipelines using languages such as Python, R, and SQL to automate data processing, analysis, and reporting.
- Design statistical and machine learning models to develop frameworks that allow coaches, coordinators, analysts, and office personnel to effectively leverage baseball sciences data sources for decision making throughout the organization.
- Support the day-to-day operations of the biomechanics lab, ensuring proper data storage and processing protocols are followed.
- Other projects and related duties as directed by the Director of Baseball Sciences, Lead Biomechanist, and other members of Baseball Operations leadership.
COMPETENCIES:
- Understanding of modern statistical and machine learning methods and proficiency with popular data science languages and libraries.
- Practical understanding of how to approach research questions to drive actionable insights.
- Able to visualize, present, and disseminate analyses to a diverse group of stakeholders (leadership, coaches, players, scouts, etc.) in a clean, intuitive, and engaging way.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate or advanced degree (i.e., MS, MA, Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as data science, computer science, computer vision, biomechanics, engineering, statistics, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, or operations research.
- Proficiency with modern database technologies including SQL.
- Demonstrated experience with programming languages R and/or Python for data manipulation, analysis, and reporting.
- Prior experience/exposure to biomechanical data.
- Experience with computer vision or OpenSim is a plus.
In addition to the above requirements, all roles within Baseball Operations are expected to effectively demonstrate our universal competencies related to problem solving, teamwork, clarity of communication, and time management, along with embodying our culture of honesty, humility, relentlessness, and commitment to DEIB.
