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Job Title: Head Researcher
Sports Interactive Overview
We are Sports Interactive 🎮 – the studio behind Football Manager.
Founded in 1994, we became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA Europe in 2006. Our team, based at the Here East technology hub in Stratford, East London, continues to grow as we bring our titles to an ever-expanding global audience across diverse platforms.
We are eager to connect with passionate, driven individuals to support our growth and help you realise your potential.
Position Overview
Contract Type: Freelance/Consultancy Location: Remote Reporting To: Research Team Lead
Sports Interactive is seeking enthusiastic freelance/consultant Head Researchers to support our women’s football research on a self-employed basis.
Working closely with the Head of Women’s Football Research, Head Researchers will provide in-depth expertise for specific leagues or footballing nations, significantly contributing to the development and support of our women’s football database and associated research network.
This is a paid freelance/consultancy opportunity, designed to be flexible, allowing helpful contributions during your spare time.
Theme: Global Focus
We welcome applications from passionate women’s football experts worldwide, particularly those with a focus on:
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
Payment will be agreed upfront, based on the scope, outputs, and quality standards.
Key Considerations:
- Time Commitment: Varies by league/location and agreed scope.
- Nature of Engagement: Not an employment relationship
- Freelancers manage their own taxation, insurance, and statutory compliance.
- Services can only be provided lawfully from the freelancer’s country of residence.
- Eligibility: Must be aligned with local legal, tax, and regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Collect, collate, and enter accurate footballing data in a timely manner.
- Create, maintain, and coordinate a network of voluntary researchers to ensure accurate data coverage for designated leagues/clubs/nations.
- Provide detailed competition rules for all required competitions to support realistic in-game coding.
- Quality-check data provided by others to improve Football Manager database accuracy.
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Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Essential
- Huge passion for football, particularly women’s football.
- Extensive knowledge of your designated league and women’s football in that nation.
- Strong communication and organisational skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Excellent verbal/written English.
- Ability to build and foster working relationships and networks.
Desirable
- Knowledge of Football Manager.
- Football scouting experience or qualifications.
- Football analyst experience or qualifications.
- Experience working on databases.
Benefits of Working With Sports Interactive
(Note: These benefits apply to current employees (full-time, non-freelancers). Freelancers manage benefits dictum.)
- Private healthcare and dental plans.
- Gym membership options through our benefits partners.
- Travel insurance for self and family.
- Subsidised mental health/therapy coaching.
- Free physical therapist/massage services (onsite).
- Free access to games released under the SEGA Europe umbrella.
- Contributory Pension Scheme (up to 7% of annual salary).
- Regular events in collaboration with partnered football clubs.
- Onsite evening bar at London HQ.
- Comprehensive breakfast facilities (cereals, fruits, teas, coffees).
- Clubs & societies (e.g., book club, art workshops).
- Custom team shirt upon passing probation.
- Trophies/gift cards for service milestones.
- Free cupcakes on your birthday!
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Working Here
Our approach: Driven by passion. Whether transforming football industries or addressing broader global challenges, we want to cultivate this ethos with everyone who joins us.
We value collaboration and teamwork—few things yield greater results than united effort. Attendance at the studio supports seamless collaboration and keeps us connected. Every role requires targeted participation. We invest in growth, create opportunities for individual ambition, and celebrate collective success.
Motivational Philosophy:
- Talent wins games. Teamwork wins titles.
- Always be improving.
- No fear to innovate—tactical adjustments and creativity produce better gaming experiences.
Our Commitment:
- Respects work/life balance.
- Supports impactful initiatives and societal growth.
- One of London’s leading Living Wage employers with historically low turnover.
Diversity & Inclusion: We proudly act as equal opportunities employers and encourage applications worldwide regardless of attributes like sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
SI as a Disability Confident Committed Employer: We ensure accessibility beyond basic standards and actively accommodate reasonable adjustments to support applicants during recruitment.
Our Values
- Keep collaborating: Ideas come from everywhere. Collective effort defines our success.
- Be flexible: We adapt to the ever-evolving sports and entertainment worlds with agility.
- Stay Tenacious: Attentive to the smallest details—they determine impact.
- Show Ambition: Fuel individual drive for collective growth—personal passion improves everyone’s performance.
- Bring the Passion: Have fun doing your thing (it's serious work for serious, engaged players).
- Consider the Bigger Picture: Keep focus on meaningful outcomes—not just results.
Let’s play (and create meaningful change) ⚽🎮.
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