Machine Learning Engineering Manager

• The Ranking & Recommendations track is tasked with creating machine learning solutions to personalize and optimize the customer experience at Booking.com
• This includes powering the ML for critical customer touch points like search results ranking and property/destination recommendations across the funnel
• Additionally, the track is responsible for optimizing UI elements such as the ranking of filters/sorters, banners appearance & position
• As a Machine Learning Engineering Manager, you will lead a team focused on the foundational ML & Data layers to power the ranking & recommendation systems in scope
• You will drive the development of robust data & ML pipelines at scale, lead the implementation of the tools for ML scientists to test and productionize advanced ML RecSys solutions
• As a technical manager of Machine Learning Engineers and Data engineers, you should be passionate about technology, keep up to date with recent breakthroughs in the field, define and shape the team’s ML 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 motivate and inspire them to reach outstanding success!
• You will mentor and coach your team while working closely with a Product Manager
• Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering individual growth and collaboration
• Manage and mentor ML engineers and Data engineers, ensuring their professional development and effectiveness
• Develop scalable ML infrastructure and pipelines for efficient data processing and evaluations deployment
• Evaluate architecture solutions based on cost, business needs, and emerging technologies
• 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 team

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Free access to Headspace for you and your loved ones
• Global Employee Assistance Program
• Meditation and Breastfeeding rooms at the office
• Booking Cares - 2 days per year to volunteer and learn
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Pension plan
• Annual paid time off
• Parental leave - 22 weeks
• Grandparent leave - 10 days
• Care leave - 10 days
• Bereavement leave - up to 4 weeks
• Anniversary leave
• Working from Home Furniture and Ergonomic Support
• Working from Abroad - up to 20 days per year
• Discounts & Wallet credits to spend on our products
• Upgrade to Booking.com Genius Level 3
• Friends & Family Booking.com discount vouchers
• Free access to online learning platforms
• Development and mentorship programs to support career growth
• Access to trainings and workshops
• Team development opportunities
• Local discount programs
• Game rooms in offices
• On-site meals, coffee and snacks including vegan options- Strong knowledge in areas like e.g. Recommender Systems, Deep Learning, Information Retrieval, Causal Inference, scaling ML models, etc
• 3+ years leading an ML engineering team of a minimum of 4 people in a fast-paced production environment
• Masters degree, PhD or equivalent experience in a quantitative field (e.g. Computer Science, Engineering Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Physics, etc.)
• Experience designing and executing end-to-end solutions for deploying different ML models
• 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
• Demonstrable experience with MySQL, Cassandra, DynamoDB or similar relational/NoSQL database systems
• Experience with big data processing frameworks such, Pyspark, Apache Flink, Snowflake or similar frameworks
• Strong working knowledge of Python, Java, Kafka, Hadoop, SQL, and Spark or similar technologies. Working experience with version control 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.)
• Experience with cloud frameworks like AWS sagemaker for training, evaluation and serving models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn
• 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
• 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