Lead Data Scientist at StepOut · Bengaluru (Bangalore) · 3 - 6 years · ₹10L - ₹18L / yr · Profitable · Posted 29 Jun 2026

Job Title: Lead Data Scientist
Department: Data Science
Location: Bengaluru
About StepOut
Sports have an access problem. For decades, elite performance intelligence, tactical analysis, and scouting infrastructure have been accessible only to the top clubs. Everyone else has been left behind. StepOut is changing that.
We are building an AI-powered football intelligence platform that transforms raw match footage into structured performance data, tactical insights, and scouting intelligence using proprietary computer vision and machine learning.
We are building this from India, while our technology is being used by clubs like Real Madrid and AFC Ajax, along with leading football ecosystems across 29 countries globally.
If football means something to you beyond entertainment, this might be your place.
The Role
We’re looking for a Lead Data Scientist to help build intelligent systems that understand football at scale.
This is not a research-only role. This is not a notebook-only role.
This is an innovative builder’s role.
You will create production-grade machine learning systems that directly influence how clubs, coaches, scouts, and players make decisions.
As a lead, your role goes beyond building models. You will define technical direction, shape the data science function, mentor talent, and help create the foundations of what this team becomes.
What You’ll Do
- Build and deploy end-to-end ML systems for football intelligence products
- Translate football concepts into scalable data models, metrics, and decision systems
- Own the full ML lifecycle: experimentation, deployment, monitoring, and iteration
- Work closely with Product, Engineering, and Computer Vision teams to solve real-world problems
- Debug messy, imperfect data and design reliable analytical pipelines
- Define technical direction for the data science function
- Mentor junior team members and raise engineering and analytical standards
- Help hire and shape the future data science team
- Drive prioritization and decision-making in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
- Constantly engage in learning new and upcoming research topics and subjects in sports analytics
- Obtain a deep and implementational level understanding of established advanced analytical research areas and models
Must-Haves
- Strong ML fundamentals across supervised and unsupervised learning, experimentation, and model evaluation
- Strong Python, SQL, data analysis, and production engineering mindset
- Experience taking ML systems from idea to production
- Strong ownership, judgment, and decision-making ability
- Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and business stakeholders
Football Passion (Mandatory)
- You must actively follow football and genuinely understand the game.
- Formations, tactical systems, player roles, match flow, performance context - these should feel natural to you.
Good to Have
- Computer vision experience (YOLO, tracking, PyTorch, TensorFlow)
- Sports analytics experience
- LLM or agentic AI experience
- Public ML or football analytics work (GitHub, blogs, research)
Who Will Thrive Here
This role is for someone who sees football as more than just a sport.
Someone who debates tactics, spots patterns others miss, and gets excited by the idea of building technology that changes how the game is understood.
You’ll thrive here if you:
- Love football deeply, not casually
- Love building from scratch
- Thrive in ambiguity and move fast without waiting for perfect instructions
- Want ownership, accountability, and meaningful impact
- Get excited by the idea of your work being used by elite football organizations
- Believe technology can fundamentally reshape sport
- Want to be part of something bigger than just another job
Why StepOut
Because opportunities like this are rare.
Where else can you:
- Build cutting-edge AI for football
- Solve hard problems at the intersection of sport and technology
- Create products used by elite clubs globally
- Build a global company from India
- Shape an entire function from the ground up
- Contribute to a mission bigger than business
We are building from a country ranked 142nd in world football, with the belief that world-class football infrastructure can be built from here.
But this is bigger than software.
Our long-term dream is to help build the infrastructure that contributes to India playing in a FIFA World Cup.
If that sounds unrealistic, even better.
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
At StepOut, we are building technology that sits at the cutting edge of football and artificial intelligence. If you are ready to contribute your precision and curiosity to a team that is reshaping how the game is understood — this is your opportunity⚽

Similar jobs (10)
Sr.Data Scientist,Python, AI ML
We are looking for a skilled Data Scientist to analyze complex datasets, develop predictive models, and generate actionable insights that support business decisions. The ideal candidate should have strong statistical, analytical, and programming skills, along with hands-on experience in machine learning.
Description
We’re seeking a highly skilled, execution-focused Senior Data Scientist with a minimum of 5 years of experience. This role demands hands-on expertise in building, deploying, and optimizing machine learning models at scale, while working with big data technologies and modern cloud platforms. You will be responsible for driving data-driven solutions from experimentation to production, leveraging advanced tools and frameworks across Python, SQL, Spark, and AWS. The role requires strong technical depth, problem-solving ability, and ownership in delivering business impact through data science.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and deploy scalable machine learning models into production systems.
- Develop advanced analytics and predictive models using Python, SQL, and popular ML/DL frameworks (Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
- Leverage Databricks, Apache Spark, and Hadoop for large-scale data processing and model training.
- Implement workflows and pipelines using Airflow and AWS EMR for automation and orchestration.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate models into cloud-based applications on AWS.
- Optimize query performance, storage usage, and data pipelines for efficiency.
- Conduct end-to-end experiments, including data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, validation, and deployment.
- Drive initiatives independently with high ownership and accountability.
- Stay up to date with industry best practices in machine learning, big data, and cloud-native deployments.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of experience in Data Science or Applied Machine Learning.
- Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and ML libraries (Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
- Proven expertise in deploying ML models into production systems.
- Experience with big data platforms (Hadoop, Spark) and distributed data processing.
- Hands-on experience with Databricks, Airflow, and AWS EMR.
- Strong knowledge of AWS cloud services (S3, Lambda, SageMaker, EC2, etc.).
- Solid understanding of query optimization, storage systems, and data pipelines.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to design scalable solutions.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills to work in cross-functional teams.
Benefits
- Best-in-class salary: We hire strong talent and compensate accordingly.
- Proximity Talks: Meet and learn from designers, engineers, product leaders, and AI practitioners.
- Continuous learning: Work with a world-class team and stay close to the latest in AI, engineering, and product development.
- High-impact work: Build AI-first systems and products used at scale by global clients.
About Us
Proximity is the trusted technology, design, and consulting partner for some of the biggest Sports, Media, and Entertainment companies in the world. We’re headquartered in San Francisco and have offices in Palo Alto, Dubai, Mumbai, and Bangalore.
Since 2019, Proximity has built high-impact, scalable products used by millions of users every day. Today, we are a global team of engineers, designers, product managers, and experts solving complex problems and building cutting-edge technology at scale.
🚀 We’re Hiring | Data Scientist 🧠📊
Ready to turn data into real-world intelligence? Join us and work on exciting AI/ML & data-driven solutions!
🔹 Experience: 8+ Years
🔹 Must-Have Skills:
🐍 Python | 🤖 Machine Learning | ☁️ Cloud | 🧠 NLP | 📊 Data Visualization
📍 Location: Pune
💼 Work Mode: Work from Office
If you're passionate about Data Science, AI & solving complex business problems, we’d love to hear from you!
📩 Interested? Kindly text
#Hiring #DataScientist #DataScience #MachineLearning #Python #NLP #AI #Cloud #DataVisualization #TechJobs #HiringNow
Key Responsibilities
Strong understanding of Machine Learning algorithms (supervised and unsupervised)
Hands-on experience with Deep Learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar)
Experience in NLP techniques and libraries (NLTK, spaCy, Hugging Face, etc.)
Solid knowledge of Statistics, probability, and data analysis methods
Proficiency in SQL for querying relational databases
Strong programming skills in Python (or similar languages)
Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex concepts simply
Required Qualifications
3+ years of hands-on experience as a Data Scientist or in a similar role.
Strong expertise in classical machine learning and regression modeling.
Solid understanding of statistics, including probability, distributions, hypothesis testing,
and correlation analysis.
Proficiency in Python with libraries such as: scikit-learn pandas NumPy
Experience working with structured/tabular data.
Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking skills.
Ability to clearly explain models and results to non-technical stakeholders.
Job Description – Data Scientist (Machine Learning & Forecasting)
About the Role
We are looking for a highly skilled Data Scientist with strong expertise in Machine Learning, Traditional Statistical Modelling, Forecasting, and Predictive Analytics. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience building and deploying end-to-end ML solutions, working with large datasets, and translating business problems into scalable data science solutions.
The role requires a strong foundation in statistics, predictive modelling, feature engineering, model evaluation, and time-series forecasting, along with the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver business impact.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and deploy Machine Learning models for business-critical use cases.
- Build and optimize traditional ML models such as:
- Linear Regression
- Logistic Regression
- Decision Trees
- Random Forest
- Gradient Boosting (XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost)
- Support Vector Machines
- Clustering Algorithms
- Develop forecasting solutions using:
- ARIMA / SARIMA
- Prophet
- Exponential Smoothing
- Time-Series Regression Models
- Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA), feature engineering, and data validation.
- Evaluate model performance using appropriate statistical and business metrics.
- Work with structured and semi-structured datasets from multiple sources.
- Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into analytical solutions.
- Build scalable data pipelines and support model deployment in production environments.
- Monitor model performance, identify data drift, and implement model retraining strategies.
- Present insights and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
- 5+ years of hands-on experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, and Forecasting.
Technical Skills
Machine Learning
- Strong understanding of supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms.
- Experience with ensemble methods and advanced ML techniques.
- Expertise in model selection, hyperparameter tuning, and performance optimization.
Forecasting & Statistics
- Strong understanding of:
- Time-Series Analysis
- Forecasting Techniques
- Statistical Inference
- Hypothesis Testing
- Probability Distributions
- A/B Testing
Programming
- Advanced proficiency in Python.
- Experience with:
- Pandas
- NumPy
- Scikit-learn
- Statsmodels
- XGBoost / LightGBM
- Prophet
Data & SQL
- Strong SQL skills with experience in complex queries and performance optimization.
- Experience working with large-scale datasets.
Visualization
- Experience with Power BI, Tableau, Matplotlib, Seaborn, or Plotly.
- Cloud & MLOps (Preferred)
- Exposure to AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Understanding of Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and ML model deployment practices.
Key Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong business acumen and data-driven decision-making mindset.
We are looking for a Data Science & Machine Learning Senior Associate with 3–5 years of relevant experience in data science, machine learning, and analytics. The candidate will be responsible for developing predictive models, analyzing complex datasets, building scalable ML solutions, and supporting production-grade data science applications on cloud platforms.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement machine learning and predictive analytics models.
- Perform data analysis, statistical modeling, and optimization to solve business problems.
- Build demand forecasting and predictive models using time-series and other advanced techniques.
- Work with large datasets using Python, SQL, PySpark, and cloud-based data platforms.
- Develop and maintain scalable data pipelines for ML model development and deployment.
- Implement MLOps practices including model deployment, monitoring, retraining, and data-drift detection.
- Collaborate with software engineers, product teams, and business stakeholders to convert business requirements into analytical solutions.
- Validate models for accuracy, robustness, bias, and production readiness.
- Create meaningful visualizations and communicate analytical insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Required Skills
- Python
- SQL
- Data Science & Machine Learning
- Predictive Modeling
- Statistical Analysis
- Machine Learning Algorithms
- Optimization Techniques
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Dataproc
- Data Fusion
- Cloud SQL
- Airflow
- PySpark
- PostgreSQL
- Terraform
- Tekton
- APIs
- MLOps
Preferred Skill
- Java
Good to Have
- Demand Forecasting
- Time-Series Analysis
- Neural Networks
- Ensemble Methods
- Support Vector Machines (SVM)
- Regression and Cluster Analysis
- ML Model Testing
- Bias Detection and Data Drift Monitoring
- Production ML Deployment
- QlikSense
- Automotive or Supply Chain Analytics
Education
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related technical field.Master's degree in a relevant quantitative or technical field is preferred.
Role Overview
As a Data Scientist, you will work with business stakeholders, AI engineers, and domain experts to transform data into actionable insights and intelligent solutions. You will develop machine learning models, perform statistical analysis, and contribute to AI-driven products that create measurable business impact.
Key Responsibilities
Data Science & Machine Learning
- Analyze structured and unstructured data to identify patterns, trends, and business opportunities.
- Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA), feature engineering, and data preparation.
- Develop, evaluate, and optimize machine learning models for prediction, classification, clustering, and forecasting.
- Apply statistical techniques to solve business problems and validate model performance.
- Design and execute experiments to improve model accuracy and business outcomes.
AI Solution Development
- Collaborate with AI Engineers, Data Engineers, and domain experts to build AI-powered solutions.
- Translate business requirements into scalable data science approaches.
- Contribute to Generative AI and advanced analytics initiatives where applicable.
- Document methodologies, model performance, and key findings.
Required Technical Skills
- Strong programming skills in Python and SQL for data analysis, feature engineering, and machine learning.
- Strong understanding of Statistics, Probability, Linear Algebra, and Calculus as applied to machine learning and data science.
- Experience with Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), data preprocessing, feature engineering, feature selection, and handling missing or imbalanced data.
- Good understanding of Supervised, Unsupervised, and Ensemble Machine Learning algorithms, including their assumptions, strengths, limitations, and appropriate use cases.
- Strong knowledge of Regression, Classification, Clustering, Time Series Forecasting, Dimensionality Reduction, Recommendation Systems, and Anomaly Detection techniques.
- Experience with Model Evaluation, Cross-Validation, Hyperparameter Optimization, Bias-Variance Trade-off, Feature Importance, Explainable AI (XAI), and Performance Metrics.
- Understanding of Statistical Inference, Hypothesis Testing, Probability Distributions, Sampling Techniques, Confidence Intervals, and A/B Testing.
- Experience translating business problems into analytical approaches and developing scalable, data-driven solutions.
- Working knowledge of Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Prompt Engineering, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field.
- 2–4 years of experience developing machine learning or data science solutions.
- Experience working on end-to-end data science projects in a business environment.
Nice to Have
- Exposure to Generative AI, LLMs, RAG, or Agentic AI.
- Experience with Computer Vision or Natural Language Processing (NLP).
- Familiarity with cloud-based AI platforms.
- Knowledge of construction, engineering, manufacturing, or industrial domains.
- Participation in hackathons, research, Kaggle competitions, or open-source projects.
Soft Skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, effective communication and collaboration, ownership mindset, adaptability, continuous learning, and a passion for innovation.
Hiring for Data Scientist / Senior Data Scientist
Exp : 4 - 12 yrs
Edu : BE/B.tech/MCA
Work Location : Pune
Notice Period : Immediate - 15 days
Skills :
4+ years of experience in data engineering, data science, or related domains.
Hands-on experience with SQL, Python, and distributed data systems.
Knowledge of machine learning techniques and statistical analysis.
Experience with cloud data platforms (Azure Data Factory, AWS Glue, GCP BigQuery).
Familiarity with DevOps practices and CI/CD for data pipelines.
Platforms & Operations Experience (Preferred)
- Experience working with Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud data tools.
Operational experience with data orchestration tools (Airflow, ADF, Glue).
Understanding of Kubernetes, Docker, or containerized environments.
Hands-on experience with data warehousing platforms (Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery).
Experience in monitoring, logging, and alerting operations for data workflows.

About the Role
We are looking for a highly skilled Data Scientist with strong expertise in Machine Learning, MLOps, and Generative AI. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in building scalable ML models, deploying them in production, and working with modern AI frameworks, including GenAI technologies.
Key Responsibilities
· Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models for real-world business problems
· Work on end-to-end ML lifecycle: data preprocessing, model building, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring
· Implement and manage MLOps pipelines for scalable and reproducible workflows
· Utilize tools like MLflow for experiment tracking, model versioning, and lifecycle management
· Develop and integrate Generative AI (GenAI) solutions such as LLM-based applications
· Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, product, business) to translate requirements into AI solutions
· Optimize model performance and ensure production stability
· Stay updated with the latest advancements in AI/ML and GenAI ecosystems
Required Skills & Qualifications
· 4+ years of experience in Data Science / Machine Learning
· Strong programming skills in Python
· Hands-on experience with ML modeling techniques (supervised, unsupervised, NLP, etc.)
· Solid understanding of MLOps practices and tools
· Experience with MLflow or similar model lifecycle tools
· Practical experience in Generative AI (GenAI), including working with LLMs
· Experience with libraries/frameworks like Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch
· Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and statistics
· Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure) is a plus
Good to Have
· Experience with LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, or RAG pipelines
· Exposure to Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines
· Knowledge of data engineering workflows
We are seeking a Senior Data Science & ML Associate with 4+ years of applied ML experience to build and ship models end-to-end from data prep and feature engineering to training, evaluation, and deployment driving measurable business impact.
Key Responsibilities
• Build, train, and evaluate ML and deep-learning models
• Engineer features and prepare data at scale
• Deploy models and monitor production performance
• Partner with stakeholders to frame problems and metrics
• Communicate results and drive decisions
• Iterate on models from business feedback
Mandatory Skills
• 4+ years applied machine learning
• Strong Python (Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn)
• Classical ML and deep learning (TensorFlow/PyTorch)
• Solid statistics and experiment design
• SQL and data wrangling at scale
• Model deployment / MLOps exposure
Nice to Have: NLP or computer vision; cloud ML (SageMaker, Azure ML)





