Senior Game Data Analyst
Sony Interactive Entertainment · United Kingdom
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $156,100 / year
- United Kingdom
Job highlights
- Analyze player behavior and game performance.
- Partner with game development and publishing teams.
- Translate complex questions into clear insights.
- Utilize SQL and large behavioral datasets.
- Contribute to influential PlayStation franchises.
About the role
About Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. We are an entertainment leader with beloved IPs and a technology company delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to over 100 million people. We create and nurture experiences under the PlayStation brand, synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity. SIE is not just the Best Place to Play, but also the Best Place to Work.About PlayStation Game Analytics
In Games and Publishing Analytics, we collaborate with legendary studios behind PlayStation franchises like Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, and Helldivers 2. We provide end-to-end analytics for PlayStation Studios, empowering teams to understand players, evaluate game systems, and make data-informed decisions from development through launch.The Opportunity: Senior Game Data Analyst
We are seeking a Senior Game Data Analyst with strong analytical fundamentals, a passion for games, and the ability to translate complex questions into actionable insights.What You Will Be Doing
As a Senior Game Data Analyst, you will partner with game teams and publishing stakeholders to address critical questions concerning player behavior, feature performance, commercial outcomes, and long-term game health. Your responsibilities will include:- Leading analysis across player behavior, feature and content performance, monetization, and overall game health.
- Transforming ambiguous design, product, and publishing questions into clear analytical plans and recommendations.
- Developing proxy metrics for player-experience goals such as pacing, challenge, friction, agency, and build diversity.
- Combining telemetry, playtests, surveys, sentiment, and product context to evaluate feature reception.
- Applying judgment to imperfect evidence, including small samples, pre-launch tests, incomplete telemetry, noisy signals, and bias.
- Supporting commercial questions related to launch, acquisition, segmentation, campaigns, and franchise health.
- Building dashboards and analytical frameworks to enable consistent decision-making.
- Communicating insights effectively to cross-functional teams including design, product, publishing, research, engineering, data science, and leadership.
What We Are Looking For
- Strong SQL skills and experience with large behavioral datasets, particularly event-level gameplay data.
- Proficiency in exploratory analysis and deriving clear insights from raw gameplay data.
- Experience analyzing player behavior and game systems (e.g., progression, combat, economy, difficulty, matchmaking, feature adoption, engagement, retention, segmentation).
- Proven experience partnering directly with designers, producers, product managers, researchers, engineers, or game leadership.
- Ability to differentiate nuanced behavioral signals (e.g., challenge vs. frustration, friction vs. intentional difficulty).
- Excellent communication skills, capable of articulating data-supported conclusions, uncertainties, and next steps.
- A background in statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, or another applied quantitative discipline.
Domain Experience
- 4+ years of analytics experience in the games industry, preferably supporting game development, live operations, player behavior analysis, feature evaluation, or gameplay systems.
- 2+ years of experience working on a shipped game, live service game, or game team operating through rapid development cycles (playtests, launch, live events, content releases).
- Familiarity with the realities of game development, including shifting priorities, incomplete information, telemetry gaps, cross-functional dependencies, and time-sensitive decisions.
Bonus Points If You Have
- Experience with Python, R, or statistical tooling for experimentation, causal inference, metric validation, forecasting, or behavioral modeling.
- Experience with BI tools such as Looker, Power BI, MicroStrategy, or Tableau.
- Familiarity with Git or other reproducible analysis workflows.
- Experience with live service games or games featuring complex progression, economy, combat, content, or social systems.
- Familiarity with publishing or commercial analytics, including acquisition, launch performance, campaign impact, monetization, forecasting, or franchise health.
Compensation and Benefits
The estimated base pay range for this role is $124,900—$187,300 USD. This role is eligible for SIE’s comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program, and employee discounts on Sony products. A bonus package may also be available.Equal Opportunity Employer
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an inclusive environment. All individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer.Key Skills/Competency
Senior Game Data Analyst, Player Behavior Analysis, Game Systems Analysis, SQL, Exploratory Data Analysis, Feature Performance, Monetization Analysis, Game Health, Data-Informed Decisions, Communication SkillsSkills & topics
- Senior Game Data Analyst
- SQL
- Data Analysis
- Player Behavior
- Game Systems
- Telemetry
- Monetization
- Retention
- Engagement
- PlayStation
- Gaming Industry
- Python
- R
- Data Science
- Business Intelligence
- Quantitative Analysis
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 4+ years of games industry analytics experience, SQL proficiency, and experience with player behavior and game systems.
- Showcase your game curiosity: Emphasize your understanding of game development realities and ability to derive insights from imperfect data.
- Quantify your impact: Use specific examples to demonstrate how you've turned ambiguous questions into actionable recommendations and built analytical frameworks.
- Prepare for technical and behavioral questions: Be ready to discuss your SQL skills, analytical approach, and experience collaborating with cross-functional teams like designers and producers.
- Understand SIE's culture: Research PlayStation's commitment to innovation and excellence, and be prepared to discuss how your skills align with their values.
Technical preparation
Master SQL for complex behavioral datasets.,Practice exploratory analysis on game data.,Study player behavior metrics and game systems.,Familiarize with Python/R for statistical analysis.
Behavioral questions
How do you handle ambiguous questions?,Describe a time you used imperfect data.,How do you communicate complex findings?,How do you collaborate with game designers?
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of player data will I be working with as a Senior Game Data Analyst at Sony Interactive Entertainment?
- As a Senior Game Data Analyst at Sony Interactive Entertainment, you will work with large behavioral datasets, primarily focusing on event-level gameplay data. This includes telemetry, playtest results, survey responses, and sentiment analysis to evaluate player behavior, feature performance, and overall game health across beloved PlayStation franchises.
- What are the key differences between this Senior Game Data Analyst role and other data analyst positions?
- This Senior Game Data Analyst role at Sony Interactive Entertainment is unique due to its specific focus on the gaming industry and PlayStation Studios. You'll be analyzing player behavior within complex game systems, understanding game development cycles, and translating ambiguous game design and publishing questions into actionable insights for iconic game franchises.
- What technical skills are most important for the Senior Game Data Analyst role at SIE?
- Strong SQL skills and experience working with large behavioral datasets are paramount for this Senior Game Data Analyst role. Proficiency in exploratory analysis to derive clear insights from raw gameplay data is also crucial. Familiarity with Python, R, and BI tools like Looker is considered a bonus.
- How does Sony Interactive Entertainment handle the challenge of incomplete data in game analysis?
- Sony Interactive Entertainment values analytical judgment when dealing with imperfect evidence. As a Senior Game Data Analyst, you'll be expected to apply your skills to situations with small samples, pre-launch tests, incomplete telemetry, noisy signals, and bias, making data-informed decisions even when perfect data isn't available.
- What is the typical career progression for a Senior Game Data Analyst at SIE?
- While specific paths vary, a Senior Game Data Analyst at SIE can progress into leadership roles within the Games and Publishing Analytics team, specializing further in areas like player experience, monetization, or commercial analytics. Opportunities may also exist in broader data science or analytics roles within SIE.
- How important is a background in statistics for the Senior Game Data Analyst position?
- A background in statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, or another applied quantitative discipline is highly valued for the Senior Game Data Analyst role at Sony Interactive Entertainment. This educational foundation supports the analytical rigor needed to interpret complex game data and understand player behavior.
- What is the expected collaboration with game development teams for this Senior Game Data Analyst role?
- As a Senior Game Data Analyst, you will directly partner with game teams and publishing stakeholders. This includes collaborating with designers, producers, product managers, researchers, engineers, and game leadership to understand their questions and provide data-driven recommendations to enhance player experience and game success.