Machine Learning Engineer II - GenAI

At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core and innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you make. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the food you sample. Through our products, partners and people, we can empower everyone to experience the world.

About The Team

The opening is for the GenAI team in the Central Tech department. The team is responsible for democratizing GenAI in Booking in addition to building and enabling ML decisioning for personalized recommendations, chatbots and other generated components utilizing the new and advanced GenAI and LLM technologies. In addition, you will play a key role in the new GenAI project - The AI Trip Planner. You’ll work with top notch engineers and data scientists from the team on bringing our GenAI solution to the next level and enabling optimal user experience. The work will focus on building, training and deploying GenAI solutions combining NLP services with internal models using the most sophisticated technologies and models.

Key Job Responsibilities And Duties

• Data pre-processing and analysis: Collaborate with data scientists and data engineers to collect, clean, pre-process, and transform large and wide datasets for model features and data monitoring. Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to uncover insights and identify patterns that boost the model performance.
• Model evaluation and optimization for end to end GenAI systems: Conduct detailed model evaluation metrics and validation to ensure accuracy, reliability, and scalability. Optimize system performance by fine-tuning hyperparameters, feature engineering, and applying techniques such as ensemble learning and continuous learning.
• Building ML models: Design, develop and deploy in collaboration with scientists, scalable ML models and algorithms that provide personalized recommendations to users.
• Deployment and integration: Work closely with software engineers to integrate ML models into production systems. Ensure flawless deployment and efficient model inference in real-time environments. Collaborate with DevOps to implement effective monitoring and maintenance strategies.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams: Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and analysts to understand business requirements and translate them into machine learning solutions. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior team members.
  
  

Role Qualifications And Requirements

We are looking for driven MLE’s who enjoy solving problems, who initiate solutions and discussions and who believe that any challenge can be scaled with the right mindset and tools.

We have found that people who match the following requirements are the ones who fit us best:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Machine Learning Engineer or a similar role, with a proven record of successfully delivering ML solutions.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python and Java.
• Experience with cloud frameworks like AWS sagemaker and training models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
• Experience with data at scale using MySQL, Pyspark, Snowflake and similar frameworks.
• Proficiency in data manipulation, analysis, and visualization using tools like NumPy, pandas, and matplotlib.
• Deep understanding of NLP/ LLM machine learning algorithms, statistical models, and data structures.
• Experience with experimental design, A/B testing, and evaluation metrics for ML models.
• Experience of working on products that impact a large customer base is an advantage
• Excellent communication in English; written and spoken
  
  

Benefits & Perks: Global Impact, Personal Relevance

Benefits

Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. Our Total Rewards strive to make it easier for you to experience all that life has to offer on your terms so that you can focus on what really matters. We offer competitive compensation as well as thoughtful, valuable, and even fun benefits which include:

• Headquarters located in one of the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in Europe: Amsterdam.
• Contribute to a high scale, sophisticated, world-class product and see the real time impact of your work on millions of travelers worldwide.
• Be part of a truly international fast paced environment and performance driven culture.
• Performance-based company that offers career advancement, and lucrative compensation, including bonuses and stock potential.
• Discount on Booking.com accommodations with the “Booking Deal” including other perks and benefits.
• Company-sponsored family and social activities to help our employees become integrated with each other and the company's culture.
• Diverse and creative colleagues from every corner of the world.
• Health, life, and disability insurance*
• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave.
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country).
• Industry leading product discounts for yourself, friends, and family, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and quarterly Booking.com wallet credit.
• Free access to online learning platforms, development and mentorship programs, and a complimentary Headspace membership
• On-site meals, coffee, and snacks, including healthy and vegan options, daily*
  
  

#ThinkInclusion: Wellbeing & Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Wellbeing and Volunteering (IDBWV) have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just create a unique workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustment to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Pre- Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.