Machine Learning Manager (GenAI Foundation Models)

• The team is at the forefront of Generative AI innovation, driving solutions for travel-related chatbots, text generation and summarization applications, Q&A systems, and free-text search
• The team you are applying to is spearheading a research effort to develop leading LLMs, specifically designed for the travel domain
• This pioneering initiative combines cutting-edge AI research with practical applications, focusing on creating tailored solutions that redefine how travelers plan, book, and experience their journeys
• In this role, you will lead a team of Machine Learning Scientists and Engineers dedicated to building, training, and deploying cutting-edge Generative AI models. This includes developing foundation models trained on Booking.com’s extensive textual data and creating fine-tuned models designed to tackle complex travel-related tasks. Your leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing the application of AI to transform the travel experience for millions of customers
• As a technical manager, you should be passionate about GenAI technology, keep up to date with recent breakthroughs in the field, define and shape the team’s ML 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 should have experience in developing people. You will mentor and coach your team while working closely with a Product Manager
• Leadership in LLM Development- Build, Guide and mentor a team of ML scientists and ML engineers in the development, fine-tuning, and deployment of large language models (LLMs) tailored for the travel domain
• Expertise in the engineering aspects of deploying LLMs at scale with minimal latency. This includes optimizing model performance, scalability, and efficiency to meet the demands of real-time, high-traffic applications
• Define and communicate the technical vision and strategy for LLM-related initiatives, ensuring alignment with company goals and customer needs
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the team
• Prioritize work in collaboration with Product Managers, depending on business needs and keeping stakeholders aligned at all times
• Translate machine learning vision and strategy into planning and execution, and ensure timely delivery of their plans
• Develop innovative ML models, algorithms, and engineering approaches or identify existing ones, with the potential to impact our business
• Design and execute applied research plans to understand, apply, test, evolve, and generalize these technologies into reusable frameworks
• Translate business problems into viable, reliable and robust ML and AI solutions, accounting for constraints of the production environment
• Monitor product health, performance and business impact and act accordingly when requirements are not met
• Identify underlying issues and opportunities across domains and situations that are not obviously related through application of structured thinking and logic
• Solve issues by applying methods and insights gained from a variety of disciplines, navigating a variety of environments
• Make things happen by maintaining motivation and conveying a sense of urgency, focusing on outcomes and accomplishments, while respecting the need to balance long- and short-term goals, by applying influencing techniques and decision making skills
• Drive, coach and mentor others through evidence and clear communication, explaining advanced technical concepts in simpler terms
• Continuously evolve your craft. Keep up to date with industry and academic standard methodologies, periodically explore new technologies, introduce them to the machine learning community and promote their application in areas where they can generate impact
• Actively contribute to Machine Learning at Booking.com through training, exploration of new technologies, interviewing, onboarding and mentoring colleagues
• Push for improvements, scaling and extending machine learning tooling and infrastructure, collaborating with central teams

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