The posting
Who We Are
At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers.
We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun.
Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!
What You Will Work On
In this role, you shape data science solutions that support enterprise real estate decisions and strategic investment choices. Your work helps leaders understand new store sales potential, market opportunity, cannibalization, customer demand, portfolio performance, risk, and return on investment. By connecting analytical outputs to measurable business outcomes, you help the organization prioritize growth opportunities and tradeoffs across physical and digital channels.
Working across the full analytics lifecycle, you frame business problems, prepare and integrate diverse enterprise data, develop and validate models, and support deployment, monitoring, and adoption. You will build and operationalize predictive models, analyze customer demand and market dynamics, and turn findings into executive-ready recommendations, dashboards, narratives, and decision aids. You will also provide technical guidance, peer review, and mentorship to junior data scientists while contributing to a collaborative and innovative team environment.
Who You Will Work With
You will partner closely with Real Estate, Finance, Marketing, and business stakeholders to evaluate revenue potential, risk, sales transfer, market saturation, portfolio performance, and ROI implications. This collaboration brings together business context and analytical rigor so leaders can make informed strategic investment decisions.
Across the data science team, you will work independently and alongside others, sharing technical guidance and reviewing analytical work. You will help junior data scientists strengthen their approach while supporting a team environment centered on practical problem-solving, clear communication, and responsible adoption of new analytical and generative AI capabilities.
What You Bring
Bring your energy, your ideas, and your love for sports and the outdoors.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems/Sciences, Business Analytics, Machine Learning, Information Technology Management or relevant field of study required
- Master’s degree preferred
- 4+ years of experience in data science, predictive modeling, machine learning, statistical analysis, experimentation, or business analytics required
- Experience supporting enterprise decision-making in real estate, finance, store growth, customer analytics, or related business functions preferred
- Retail or omnichannel experience preferred, with exposure to store, digital, customer, market, and financial data
- Proficiency in Python for model development and analysis, including pandas and spatial workflows
- Advanced capability in statistical methods, forecasting, causal inference, experimentation/A/B testing, segmentation, geospatial analysis, and predictive modeling
- Ability to work with large structured and unstructured datasets, including transactional, customer, store, lease/site, market, demographic, competitive, and financial data
- Advanced SQL skills required; Google BigQuery experience preferred with broader cloud data platform exposure
- Ability to translate ambiguous business problems and complex analysis into clear, executive-ready recommendations through concise data storytelling
- Strong business acumen with the ability to connect analytical outputs to measurable enterprise outcomes
- Self-motivated and able to work independently and within a team setting
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills with a bias toward practical business application
- Familiarity with practical generative AI use cases, including prompt engineering, AI-assisted coding, automation, and responsible adoption to improve productivity and business outcomes
- Ability to remain organized, pay strict attention to detail, and meet critical deadlines within a high-volume, fast-paced environment
- A team-first attitude; while your core duties are your priority, you're happy to step in wherever you're needed
Work Style & Physical Requirements
- Ability to remain organized, pay strict attention to detail, and meet critical deadlines within a high-volume, fast-paced environment
- Ability to work independently and within a team setting
- Duties may change; team members may be required to perform other duties as assigned
- Regular in-office attendance is required
- Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties
- Ability to adhere to company policies and professional standards
Key Skills
Strategic Analytics, Forecasting Planning, Analysis and Reporting, Communicating Results, Technical Oversight
Equal Employment Opportunity
Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.
