Senior Software Engineer I

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.

The opening is for the Ranking Platform team in the Central Tech department.

About The Team

The mission of the Ranking Team is to continuously refine and improve Booking.com's ranking algorithm, which serves as a cornerstone of our main funnel. Our primary goal is to build a highly personalized travel experience for each of our customers, all while accommodating the unique business constraints that make Booking.com the industry leader it is today.

What We Do

• Algorithm Enhancement: We're at the forefront of improving our ranking algorithm. Our team thrives on the challenge of making it smarter, more efficient, and capable of understanding and adapting to the diverse needs of our users.
• Diversifying Use Cases: We're not just about accommodations. We're expanding the scope of our ranking algorithm to support a wide range of use cases beyond the main funnel, ensuring that our technology powers an ever-growing array of customer needs.
• Scaling for Millions: Every day, millions of customers rely on our ranking algorithm to find their perfect travel match. Our team is responsible for the robustness, scalability, and reliability of this critical component.
  
  

Key Job Responsibilities And Duties

• Building software applications by using relevant development languages and applying knowledge of systems, services and tools appropriate for the business area and guide more junior members of the team in this topic
• Being responsible for a service end to end by actively monitoring application health and performance, setting and monitoring relevant metrics and act accordingly when violated
• Identify and resolve live production issues by mitigating the customer impact within SLA
• Evaluating possible architecture solutions by taking into account cost, business requirements, technology requirements and new technologies
• Finding opportunities for process, system and structural improvements (i.e performance gains) by examining and evaluating current process flows, methods and standards
• Delivering clear, well-structured, and significant information to a target audience by using suitable communication mediums and language tailored to the audience
  
  

Role Qualifications And Requirements

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

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

• Minimum of 5 years software development experience; using 2 or more server side programming languages. Java is a must have, other preferred languages are Python, Scala, C#, etc.
• Previous experience with distributed systems, such as Hadoop
• Demonstrable experience with MySQL or similar relational databases
• Hands on experience of developing in and contributing to open source data technologies
• Experience of working on products that impact a large customer base is an advantage
• Preferably a university degree in Mathematics or Software Engineering
• Excellent communication; 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 companiy'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.

This employer is a corporate member of myGwork - LGBTQ+ professionals, the business community for LGBTQ+ professionals, students, inclusive employers & anyone who believes in workplace equality.