What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Sports Scientist position at San Antonio Spurs?
At Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), we work in service of something bigger than ourselves.
To us it is so much more than just a game or concert. It takes all the members of our Spurs team to harness the power of sports and entertainment to create moments that excite, memories that endure, and connections that strengthen our community. SS&E owns and operates the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), Austin Spurs (NBA G-League), and the San Antonio FC (USL), and manages day-to-day operations of the Frost Bank Center, Toyota Field and STAR Complex.
We know that our people are our greatest asset as an organization. We aspire to provide our teams with meaningful work, to live our values -Integrity, Success & Caring – day-to-day in what we do and foster an inclusive culture for our 1K employee workforce.
The Senior Sports Scientist will design and manage data collection, storage, and reporting systems to optimize development, performance, rehabilitation, and talent identification processes. This role requires strong coding skills and expertise in sports and medical data management, automation, and visualization to develop decision-support tools. This is a full-time, on-site position in San Antonio, Texas, working daily with the San Antonio Spurs (NBA) and supporting the Austin Spurs (G-League).
The Senior Sports Scientist will mentor and oversee the Athletic Performance Assistants (QAAs) within the Player Performance & Wellness department, in San Antonio (NBA) and in Austin (G-League), ensuring their development and integration into performance initiatives.
This role also manages external sports science projects, collaborating with consultants, research institutions, and tech partners, while holding vendors accountable through clear benchmarks, communication protocols, and regular reviews to optimize technology integration.
What You’ll Do:
- Design, implement, and maintain robust data collection and storage systems for medical and performance technologies, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility.
- Automate and streamline data collection while leading the processing, analysis, and visualization of performance, medical, coaching, and talent identification data to deliver actionable insights to coaching, medical, performance, and scouting staff.
- Ensure data quality, integrity, and security by developing and enforcing best practices for data governance, validation, and compliance across all sports science platforms.
- Assess, implement, and integrate new sports science technologies to enhance performance workflows and ensure seamless adoption across departments.
- Collaborate with coaching, medical, and scouting departments to develop data-driven workload optimization, recovery strategies, player profiling, and talent evaluation tools.
- Continuously advance the field of sports science by researching, innovating, and applying cutting-edge methodologies in data science and performance analytics.
- Mentor and develop junior staff by providing structured training and guidance in data analysis, technology use, and applied sports science methodologies while also educating senior staff across departments and players on how to effectively interpret and apply sports science insights.
Who You Are:
- Master’s or PhD in Data Science, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, or related field.
- 5 years of experience in elite sport with a focus on sports data management and analysis.
- Proficiency in R (preferred), Python, and SQL for data processing and visualization.
- Experience with athlete monitoring systems, tracking data, force plates, motion capture systems, physiological biomarkers, etc.
- Strong collaboration skills, working effectively with performance, medical, coaching, and scouting staff.
- CSCS certification is beneficial.
Physical Requirements:
The Senior Sports Scientist must be able to lift and transport equipment weighing up to 50 pounds and work in varied environments, including training facilities, game venues, and research labs. This role requires a non-traditional schedule, including evenings, weekends, and extensive travel as needed to support team operations and performance initiatives.
In every position, each employee is expected to: demonstrate alignment with SS&E’s core values and mission, collaborate with internal/external community members and demonstrate ongoing development.
If you don’t have experience in every single bullet above, no sweat – we still want to hear from you and encourage you to apply!
SS&E is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Nothing contained in this job description is intended to be a contract of employment, nor does any information contained here represent a guarantee of employment for a specific duration. Your employment with SS&E is “at will", which means that either you or SS&E may terminate the relationship at any time. Essential functions listed above must be performed with or without accommodations.
