Machine Learning Scientist 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 Recommendation Platform team in the Central Tech department. The team is responsible for building and enabling ML decisioning for personalized recommendations across the site, and taking 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 it to the next level and enabling optimal user experience. The work will focus on building, training and deploying personalized recommendation models using the most advanced technologies and models.

Key Job Responsibilities And Duties

• Data pre-processing and analysis: Collaborate with data engineers and machine learning 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 Building: Utilize the data to design, train and build advanced recommendation models for different disciplines in Booking combining neural networks, LLMs and other SOTA technologies.
• Model evaluation and optimization: Conduct detailed model evaluation metrics and validation to ensure accuracy, reliability, and scalability. Optimize model performance by fine-tuning hyper parameters, feature engineering, and applying techniques such as ensemble learning and continuous learning.
• Deployment and integration: Work closely with software engineers to integrate machine learning models into production systems. Ensure seamless deployment and efficient model inference in real-time environments.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams: Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and analysts from other teams 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 MLS’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:

• Masters, or equivalent experience in a quantitative field (Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, etc.)
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Machine Learning Scientist or a similar role, with a consistent record of successfully delivering ML solutions.
• Practical experience with RecSys algorithms & methods, delivering recommendation/Ranking models to production, preferably in a large scale multi-sided marketplace
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python.
• 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.
• 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.