At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead machine learning strategy for a core discovery engine impacting millions of users.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Tripadvisor Group, shaping the future of travel tech.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, flexible work options, tuition assistance, and travel perks.
- Other info: Mentor fellow scientists and foster a culture of technical excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on user experiences while working with cutting-edge AI technologies.
- Qualifications: Ph.D. or Master’s in a quantitative field with 8+ years of ML experience.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
About the role
As a Principal Machine Learning Scientist, you will be the technical anchor for our core discovery engine. You will lead the machine learning strategy and execution that powers how millions of users search for, discover, and organize their complex travel itineraries. This is a high-impact role bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI research and production-grade engineering, directly influencing multi-objective business outcomes like user engagement and booking conversion.
What you'll do
- Technical Leadership & Execution: Drive the technical roadmap for Search, Retrieval, Ranking, and Recommendation systems within the Trips vertical. Translate high-level business goals into concrete ML architectures and scalable production systems.
- Advanced Algorithm Innovation: Design, prototype, and scale next-generation recommendation and ranking models. Solve complex, non-linear travel journeys by utilizing sequential recommenders, representation learning, and deep multi-objective frameworks.
- System Architecture & Scalability: Oversee the deployment of low-latency, high-throughput retrieval and ranking pipelines (e.g. multi-stage retrieval, vector search) capable of processing billions of travel data points (reviews, photos, bookings, user intent) in real-time.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Data Science peers to optimize multi-task business objectives simultaneously. Act as the primary technical authority for ML initiatives within the Trips vertical.
- Talent Multiplier: Mentor and coach senior and mid-level ML scientists. Foster a culture of technical excellence, driving best practices for MLOps, rigorous A/B testing, data privacy, and code quality.
Skills & Experience
- Education: Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a highly quantitative field.
- Experience: 8+ years of industry experience developing and deploying large-scale ML models in a production environment, with a proven track record of shipping systems at the scale of millions of active users.
- Core Technical Expertise: Deep theoretical and practical knowledge in the following areas: SOTA Retrieval & Ranking; Sequential & Temporal Modeling; Advanced Representation Learning.
- Technical Stack: Mastery of Python and deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) alongside hands-on experience with distributed computing (Spark, Ray) and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP).
Desired
- Graph Neural Networks (GNNs): Strong experience applying GNNs, knowledge graphs, or graph embeddings to map complex relations between travel entities.
- Agentic AI & Generative AI: Familiarity with Agentic AI frameworks, LLM-driven reasoning, or autonomous planning agents to enhance conversational search and automated itinerary generation.
- Experience working in E-commerce, Travel Tech, or Two-Sided Marketplaces, specifically handling non-linear user journeys and highly constrained inventory.
- A strong track record of academic or industry contributions, including publications in top-tier AI/IR conferences or open-source ML contributions.
What We Offer
- Competitive compensation packages, including base salary and annual bonuses.
- Work-your-way with flexibility to suit your lifestyle.
- Flexible schedule and work-life balance.
- Donation matching for qualifying charitable donations annually.
- Tuition assistance for qualified programs.
- Lifestyle benefit to spend on yourself.
- Travel perks including discounts.
- Employee assistance program with resources and programs to help you through life's challenges.
- Health benefits with great coverage and competitive premiums.
- Generous referral scheme for referring successful candidates.
Principal Machine Learning Scientist employer: Tripadvisor
At Tripadvisor Group, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. As a Principal Machine Learning Scientist, you'll enjoy competitive compensation, flexible working arrangements, and numerous employee growth opportunities, including tuition assistance and lifestyle benefits. Our commitment to work-life balance and employee well-being, combined with the chance to make a significant impact in the travel tech industry, makes us an attractive choice for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Machine Learning Scientist
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or conferences related to machine learning and travel tech. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those involving ML models and systems you've built. Share it on platforms like GitHub or your personal website. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and how you think!
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your algorithms and system design skills. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely. Remember, they want to see how you approach problems, not just the final answer!
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don't forget to apply directly through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Machine Learning Scientist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Principal Machine Learning Scientist role. Highlight your experience with ML models, especially those that have impacted user engagement and booking conversion. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about machine learning and how you can contribute to our core discovery engine. Be sure to mention any relevant projects or achievements that showcase your expertise.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In your application, don't forget to highlight your technical skills, especially in Python, TensorFlow, and PyTorch. We love seeing hands-on experience with distributed computing and cloud infrastructure, so make sure to include that too!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s super easy, and you’ll be able to keep track of your application status. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect with us directly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Tripadvisor
✨Know Your ML Fundamentals
Make sure you brush up on your machine learning fundamentals, especially in areas like retrieval and ranking systems. Be prepared to discuss your experience with multi-task learning and how you've applied it in real-world scenarios.
✨Showcase Your Technical Leadership
Highlight your experience in leading technical projects and mentoring others. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've driven a technical roadmap or influenced business outcomes through your ML strategies.
✨Prepare for System Architecture Questions
Expect questions about system architecture and scalability. Think about how you've designed low-latency, high-throughput systems in the past, and be ready to explain your approach to handling large-scale data processing.
✨Collaborate and Communicate
Demonstrate your ability to work cross-functionally. Prepare to discuss how you've partnered with product managers and engineering teams to achieve multi-objective goals, and be ready to showcase your communication skills.
