Machine Learning Engineering Manager - Content Intelligence Team

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.

We’re looking for a ML Engineering Manager to join our Content Intelligence team in Tel Aviv.

About the team:

The Content Intelligence team builds the Content Intelligence Platform by consuming millions of images and textual inputs every day, and then enriching it with ML capabilities. Eventually, these will serve downstream applications and personalize our customers' experience (think of a way to choose and surface the right images and reviews when customers book their next vacation).

Moreover the team is taking a key role in building in-house LLMs for different needs- moderation, translation, AI trip planner chatbot, content generation and other GenAI applications.

About the role:

In this position, you will be responsible for the development of horizontal platform capabilities and standardize Content Intelligence (CI) infrastructure and tools to ensure high quality and efficiency across CI products. You will lead our Content Intelligence Platform and GenAI engineering aspects, including data management, monitoring, modernization, and horizontal ML engineering initiatives such as model retraining pipelines and evaluation pipelines.

As a technical manager of MLEs, you should be passionate about technology, keep up to date with recent breakthroughs in the field, define and shape the team’s ML engineering and platforms roadmap, and not be afraid to get your hands dirty with code when needed.

You are expected to be the focal point for all technical aspects, make sure your team members deliver on their tasks, and work together with other stakeholders to define and shape the roadmap of our products. You will work independently and will also be responsible for making technical decisions within your team.

When it comes to management, your expertise in handling people will empower and inspire them to reach outstanding success! You should have experience in developing people. You will mentor and coach your team while working closely with a Product Manager.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering individual growth and collaboration.
Manage and mentor ML engineers, ensuring their professional development and effectiveness.
Develop scalable ML infrastructure and pipelines for efficient data processing and model deployment.
Evaluate architecture solutions based on cost, business needs, and emerging technologies.
Contribute to generative AI development, including novel applications like GPT variants.
Collaborate closely with software engineers to ensure seamless deployment and model inference.
Monitor application health, set and track relevant metrics, and implement effective maintenance strategies.
Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into viable ML solutions.
Evaluate and integrate new ML technologies to enhance productivity and performance.
Drive continuous improvement through model retraining, performance monitoring, and optimization.
Develop robust ML and AI solutions that meet business objectives while considering production constraints.
Stay abreast of industry methodologies, explore new technologies, and champion their adoption within the team.
Actively contribute to Machine Learning at Booking.com through training, exploration of new technologies, and mentoring colleagues.
Advocate for improvements, scaling, and extension of ML tooling and infrastructure.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the ML engineering team.

Role Qualifications and Requirements:

3+ years leading an ML team of a minimum of 4 people in a fast-paced production environment.
Relevant work or academic experience (MSc + 5 years of working experience, or PhD + 3 years of working experience), involved in the application of Machine Learning to business problems.
Masters degree, PhD or equivalent experience in a quantitative field (e.g. Computer Science, Engineering Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Physics, etc.).
Advanced knowledge and experience in Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing, engineering aspects of developing ML and GenerativeAI models at scale.
Experience designing and executing end-to-end solutions for deploying different ML models.
Experience with cloud frameworks like AWS sagemaker for training, evaluation and serving models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
Experience with big data processing frameworks such, Pyspark, Apache Flink, Snowflake or similar frameworks.
Demonstrable experience with MySQL, Cassandra, DynamoDB or similar relational/NoSQL database systems.
Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms, statistical models, and data structures.
Experience collaborating cross functionally in the development of machine learning products (e.g. Developers, UX specialists, Product Managers, etc.).
Strong working knowledge of Python, Java, Kafka, Hadoop, SQL, and Spark or similar technologies. Working experience with version control systems.
Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal.
Successfully driving technical, business and people related initiatives that improve productivity, performance and quality while communicating with stakeholders at all levels
Leading by example, gaining respect through actions, not your title. Developing your team and motivating them to achieve their goals. Providing feedback timely and managing your key team performance indicators

Benefits & Perks: Global Impact, Personal Relevance

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.