Booking.com

Role Description

About Us: 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 make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

Leadership/Team Quote:

The opening is for the Benefits and Pricing Optimization team in Marketplace Data & AI. The team is responsible for building and enabling ML decisioning for price, discounts and promotions across the site, and taking a key role in the customer journey.

Role Description:

As a Machine Learning Scientist, you will design, build, and deploy advanced models that guide pricing and promotional optimization across Booking.com. You will work closely with other scientists, engineers, analysts, and product teams to translate complex business challenges into scalable, data-driven solutions that deliver measurable impact.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

• Develop and deploy models for causal inference, uplift estimation, and optimization to measure and maximize the incremental effect of price and promotion decisions.
• Design and improve dynamic pricing algorithms that balance competitiveness, conversion, and profitability.
• Contribute to the development of platform capabilities, enhancing experimentation, simulation, and decision-support capabilities.
• Partner with product and business stakeholders to translate scientific insights into actionable strategies.
• Stay up to date with the latest advances in machine learning, causal modeling, and pricing optimization, and apply them pragmatically at scale.

Qualifications & Skills:

• MSc or PhD (or equivalent experience) in a quantitative field such as Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Mathematics, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or Physics.
• Relevant professional or academic experience applying Machine Learning to business problems (typically MSc + 5 years, or PhD + 3 years).
• Proven track record designing and executing end-to-end research and development projects, and generating measurable impact through large-scale ML model development. Evidence such as peer-reviewed publications, patents, or open-source contributions is a plus.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in Causal Inference, Uplift Modeling, Reinforcement Learning, Active Learning, and/or Optimization.
• Strong proficiency in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, XGBoost).
• Experience working with large-scale data systems and production ML pipelines.
• Solid understanding of data analytics, A/B testing, and statistical experimentation.
• Experience with distributed computing and data technologies such as Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, and SQL.
• Familiarity with version control systems and software engineering best practices.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with developers, analysts, product managers, and UX specialists to deliver machine learning–driven products.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific and technical ideas clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• 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 - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion has 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 build an outstanding 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 ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process:

This section should provide:

• Let’s go places together: How we Hire
• This role does not come with relocation assistance.

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.