Director Basketball Writer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Ochsner Sports Performance Center, 5800 Airline Drive, Metairie, Louisiana, United States of America

Posted Monday, August 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM

The New Orleans Saints and Pelicans proudly represent both the NFL and NBA, using our platform to uplift the Gulf Coast and create lasting community impact. Rooted in the vibrant spirit of New Orleans, we celebrate diversity, embrace culture, and unite people through the power of sports. Guided by our core values—community, teamwork, celebrating individuality, people first, integrity, and excellence, we foster an inclusive culture and seek people who share these values to help strengthen the bond between our teams and the city we call home.

The Basketball Analyst will work within the Pelicans Basketball Operations department, reporting to the Director, Basketball Analytics, and is responsible for research, model development, and analytical support for Coaching, Player Personnel / Scouting, Player Development, Health & Performance and Salary Cap Management.

• Own basketball research initiatives end to end, translating ambiguous questions from basketball staff into defined research designs, models, and clear recommendations.
• Build, validate, deploy, and monitor models that evaluate players, teams, lineups, tactics, and roster and strategy decisions, including feature development and ongoing performance review.
• Work across large and complex basketball datasets — optical tracking and spatiotemporal data, play‑by‑play and event data, lineup and personnel data, and scouting inputs — using statistical modeling, machine learning, and exploratory analysis.
• Support the Director, Basketball Analytics on projects spanning on‑court strategy, player acquisition, injury monitoring, and player development.
• Deliver recurring in‑season reporting for coaching and front office use.
• Work alongside front office, strategy, coaching, scouting, player development, G League, and health & performance staff to keep analysis connected to live basketball decisions.
• Communicate findings through clear written reports, visualizations, and presentations, applying basketball judgment to state limitations and practical next steps alongside results.
• Build internal tools, dashboards, and repeatable workflows that put analysis directly in the hands of basketball staff.
• Leverage proprietary data and internal context to produce insights that cannot be replicated externally, and evaluate new methods and data sources worth bringing in‑house.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, or equivalent field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience applying statistical modeling and machine learning to large, complex datasets. Experience gained through coursework or personal projects qualify.
• Proficiency in R or Python.
• Proficiency in SQL, including writing and optimizing queries against large relational databases.
• Demonstrated ability to build, validate, and maintain predictive models.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical results to non‑technical audiences through writing, visualization, and presentation.
• Experience with Git or similar version control software.
• Strong knowledge of NBA rules, regulations, and standards.
• Willing and able to provide after‑hours and weekend support.
• Ability to problem solve and learn new technologies quickly.
• Ability to work independently or collaboratively with a small team.
• Ability to multi‑task efficiently to meet aggressive deadlines.

• Experience working with optical tracking or other spatiotemporal data.
• Experience working with play‑by‑play and event‑level sports data.
• Experience deploying and monitoring models in a production environment.
• Experience building dashboards or internal tools that put analysis in front of non‑technical users.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Prior experience in professional or collegiate basketball.

• Commitment to community and a people-first mindset
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
• Ability to celebrate individuality and value diverse perspectives
• High integrity and a proactive, solutions-oriented “winning” mindset

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance options
• 401K with employer contributions
• Paid parental leave
• PTO and paid holidays
• Wellness Program

The New Orleans Pelicans are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for candidates and employees regardless of their membership in any protected classifications. The Pelicans will not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and pregnancy), religion, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, and/or any other legally protected class under applicable federal, state, or local laws. This anti-discrimination policy applies with respect to all employment decisions, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, discipline, and discharge. The Pelicans are committed to equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in compliance with the Americans Disabilities Act and state law. If you feel you need an accommodation for a disability, please inform us. Requests for accommodation will be evaluated on a case‑based basis. If you request an accommodation, it is essential that you participate fully in the interactive process.

Ochsner Sports Performance Center, 5800 Airline Drive, Metairie, Louisiana, United States of America