Distinguished Scientist (Personalization)

TL;DR

Distinguished Scientist (Personalization): Setting scientific direction and leading applied research for personalization across hirify.global, focusing on improving customer outcomes and business performance through AI-driven traveler profiles and real-time decision services. Focus on developing advanced recommender systems, sequential modeling, foundation models, and multi-objective optimization for large-scale, privacy-forward personalization.

Location: Flexible work model, with offices in Seattle, Austin, and San Francisco, United States. Must have US work authorization (E-Verify participant).

Salary: For Seattle & Austin: $296,000.00–$414,500.00 USD. For San Francisco: $323,000.00–$452,500.00 USD.

Company

hirify.global builds innovative products, services, and tools to power global travel experiences for everyone, everywhere, and create groundbreaking solutions for its partners.

What you will do

• Shape the long-term vision and scientific agenda for personalization across hirify.global.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior product, engineering, and platform leaders.
• Define the decisioning and modeling strategy across key personalization domains.
• Lead applied research and innovation in areas such as recommender systems and foundation models.
• Build prototypes, design experiments, and work with engineering teams on end-to-end systems.
• Define and champion a rigorous multi-metric success framework and elevate data quality and observability.
• Represent hirify.global as a recognized internal and external authority in personalization and applied ML.

Requirements

• MS in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 15+ years of experience in applied ML/AI roles at scale.
• Deep expertise in large-scale personalization, recommendation systems, and ranking.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver large, complex ML/AI projects from concept to production.
• Strong experience with experimentation and measurement, including segment-aware testing and LTV frameworks.
• Proficiency in one major ML programming language (e.g., Python).
• Demonstrated ability to define best practices at a department or organizational level.

Nice to have

• Proven track record as a recognized industry leader in personalization and applied ML.
• An entrepreneurial mindset with a history of converting proofs-of-concept into high-impact solutions.
• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field.
• Broad and deep understanding of machine learning theory and practice.
• Experience designing real-time/streaming personalization decision services and optimizing performance.
• Strong grounding in privacy-forward data and AI practices.
• Experience working in e-commerce or two-sided marketplaces.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible work model (with some offices available) and a full benefits package.
• Exciting travel perks, generous time-off, and parental leave.
• Career development resources to fuel passion for travel and ensure a rewarding career journey.
• Wellness & travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and an International Airlines Travel Agent (IATAN) membership.
• Open, diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community that fosters an open culture where everyone belongs.
• Committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce.