Principal ML Scientist

Principal Machine Learning Scientist, GenAI Position within Expedia’s Traveler & Partner Service Platform (TPSP) Product & Technology organization, which builds the core capabilities and experiences that power customer service across the Expedia ecosystem. Responsibilities Define and lead the ML strategy for one or more complex product or platform areas (e.g., personalization, search & recommendations, pricing, fraud/risk, or generative AI–powered experiences). Formulate ill‑defined business problems into well‑posed ML problems, selecting appropriate modeling approaches and success metrics. Design and implement state‑of-the‑art ML models (e.g., deep learning, representation learning, causal inference, bandits, LLM/GenAI where appropriate) and own them through production. Partner closely with engineering to productionize models, improve data and feature pipelines, and ensure reliability, latency, and scalability requirements are met. Lead experiment design and evaluation, including A/B tests and offline evaluations; drive decisions with rigorous statistical analysis. Proactively identify opportunities where ML can unlock new customer and business value, build business cases, and influence product and leadership roadmaps. Establish and champion best practices for model development, evaluation, monitoring, and responsible AI (fairness, robustness, privacy, and safety). Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other ML scientists, data scientists, and ML engineers through design reviews, pairing, and informal coaching. Communicate complex technical topics in clear, concise ways to executives, product leaders, and non‑technical stakeholders, influencing direction across teams and organizations. Collaborate with platform and infra teams to evolve ML tools, feature stores, experimentation platforms, and model monitoring capabilities. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience). 10+ years of experience in applied ML / data science, including significant experience owning production models in complex domains. Deep expertise in machine learning algorithms and statistical modeling, such as gradient‑boosted trees, deep learning, representation learning, or similar. Strong Python skills and experience with major ML libraries and frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, scikit‑learn) and data tools (e.g., Spark, SQL). Proven track record of shipping production ML systems at scale and driving measurable product or business impact. Experience designing and interpreting experiments (A/B tests), with solid grounding in statistics (estimation, hypothesis testing, causal inference basics). Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives with product, engineering, and business partners, without formal authority. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex ML concepts to diverse audiences and drive alignment. Preferred Qualifications Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field. Experience in one or more relevant domains, such as personalization, search & recommendations, ranking or relevance; marketplace optimization, pricing, or yield management; fraud/risk modeling, anomaly detection; natural language processing / LLMs / generative AI. Experience architecting end‑to‑end ML systems: data/feature pipelines, model training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring in distributed environments. Demonstrated impact in technical leadership: setting standards, influencing roadmaps across teams, and mentoring senior ICs. Familiarity with MLOps practices and platforms (feature stores, CI/CD for models, model monitoring & alerting). Publications in top‑tier ML/AI conferences or journals, or equivalent evidence of thought leadership (talks, patents, open‑source). Salary The total cash range for this position in Seattle is $231,000.00 to $323,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $369,500.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role. Starting pay will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future. Benefits Medical, dental, and vision coverage. Paid time off and other vacation benefits. Employee Assistance Program. Wellness and travel reimbursement. Travel discounts and International Airlines Travel Agent (IATAN) membership. Accommodation Requests If you need assistance due to a disability or other health conditions, please reach out to our Recruiting Accommodations Team through the Accommodation Request portal. EEO Statement Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This employer participates in E‑Verify. #J-18808-Ljbffr 11105 Expedia, Inc.