Principal Machine Learning Scientist (Travel)

TL;DR

Principal Machine Learning Scientist (Travel): Leading the machine learning strategy and execution for core discovery engines with an accent on deep multi-task ranking, sequential user modeling, and graph-based recommendations. Focus on bridging cutting-edge AI research with production-grade engineering to optimize multi-objective business outcomes at scale.

Location: Must be based in the UK or able to work within the European region (Hybrid/Remote flexibility offered).

Company

A global leader in travel guidance and experiences, connecting millions of users with partners through a portfolio of trusted travel brands.

What you will do

• Drive the technical roadmap for search, retrieval, ranking, and recommendation systems.
• Design and scale next-generation recommendation models using deep multi-objective frameworks.
• Oversee the deployment of low-latency, high-throughput retrieval pipelines.
• Partner with product and engineering leads to align ML initiatives with business objectives.
• Mentor senior and mid-level scientists while fostering technical excellence and MLOps best practices.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a quantitative field.
• 8+ years of industry experience in developing and deploying large-scale ML models.
• Deep expertise in multi-task learning, sequential modeling, and representation learning.
• Mastery of Python, deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow/PyTorch), and distributed computing (Spark/Ray).
• Proven track record of shipping production systems at the scale of millions of users.

Nice to have

• Experience with Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and knowledge graphs.
• Familiarity with Agentic AI, LLM-driven reasoning, or autonomous planning agents.
• Background in E-commerce, Travel Tech, or Two-Sided Marketplaces.
• Strong record of academic contributions or publications in top-tier AI/IR conferences.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive compensation with annual bonuses.
• Flexible work-life balance with a remote-friendly approach.
• Annual lifestyle benefit for travel or wellness.
• Tuition assistance for professional development.
• Comprehensive health benefits and employee assistance programs.