Machine Learning Manager - Performance Marketing

Join Booking.com as a Machine Learning Manager in Performance Marketing

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

About the team: The Performance Marketing team builds and optimizes large‑scale ML models for online bidding across all major OTAs, owning one of the industry’s largest performance and auction strategies to keep Booking.com competitive. We run end‑to‑end research‑to‑production cycles—from POCs and modeling to large‑scale A/B testing—driving measurable impact by optimizing auction levers at scale.

Role Description: This is a key leadership role in the Booking.com Performance Marketing department. You will lead a team of experienced Machine Learning Scientists, accountable for driving the next strategic directions for optimizing Booking.com’s online bidding strategy on top of the most prominent online travel agencies. You will manage one of the largest performance marketing budgets in the industry and ensure Booking.com’s competitive edge in the complex dynamics of the bidding marketplace and online auction mechanisms. This role requires a unique combination of deep theoretical expertise in optimization methodologies, auction theory, and state-of-the-art machine learning, together with extensive experience in driving solutions for real-world large-scale optimization problems and business products.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

• Lead, coach, and mentor a team of machine learning scientists in a fast-paced environment focused on innovation and the development of machine learning and optimization algorithms tailored to the performance marketing domain.
• Drive the development of next strategic solutions and business impact for bidding and optimization of Booking ads on leading online travel agencies.
• Manage the innovation cycle, including POC, model development, and large-scale AB testing phases, to drive customer engagement and maximize the efficiency of performance marketing spend.
• Continuously drive measurable business impact by fully utilizing various optimization levers in the bidding and optimization space.
• Foster a culture of protagonism, ownership, and craft excellence within the team, and promote close collaboration with the larger organization.
• Grow and develop team talent, facilitating ways of working that enable the team to deliver business impact.
• Work extensively with senior management to align on business objectives and financial goals.

Role Qualifications and Requirements:

• Proven record in leading applicative research teams responsible for developing innovative machine learning and optimization solutions for large-scale domains.
• Proficiency in large-scale optimization methodologies and auction mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain a culture of high-pace innovation and team development.
• Track record of delivering measurable business value through the development and implementation of large-scale machine learning models.
• Strong working knowledge of Python, SQL/BigQuery, and Spark.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Master’s degree or PhD required in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Physics, or a related field.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

• Annual paid time off and a generous paid leave scheme, including parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave.
• Hybrid working, including flexible 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.
• Opportunity to live and work in Amsterdam, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe.
• Contribute to a high-scale, complex, world-renowned product and see the real-time impact of your work on millions of travelers worldwide.
• Work in a fast-paced and performance-driven culture.
• Utilize your technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and entrepreneurial spirit.
• Promote and drive impactful and innovative engineering solutions.
• Advance your technical, behavioral, and interpersonal competencies through on-the-job opportunities, experimental projects, hackathons, conferences, and active community participation.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package, with additional perks of working in the home city of Booking.com.

Pre-Employment Screening:

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education, and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.