Data Scientist – Recommendation Systems

About the role

KAYAK is seeking a mid‑level Data Scientist to design and ship recommendation systems that help travelers discover and choose travel options. The role is based in Zurich with a hybrid work model (3 days onsite per week).

Key responsibilities

• Translate product and business challenges into well‑defined modeling problems, hypotheses, and measurable objectives.
• Develop, test, and ship production‑ready, scalable machine‑learning solutions that impact user experience and key business metrics.
• Design and evaluate experiments, build rapid prototypes, assess results rigorously, and iterate on promising ideas.
• Collaborate with Data Science, Product, and Engineering teams, communicating findings and trade‑offs to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Required profile

• Strong technical foundation in statistics, machine learning, and programming with a proven track record of solving complex real‑world data‑science problems.
• Hands‑on experience developing ML models in business or production environments and clearly articulating impact.
• Ownership, sound judgment, analytical thinking, and the ability to work independently while knowing when to seek guidance.
• Curiosity, humility, collaborative mindset, and commitment to continuous learning.

Required skills

• Python programming
• Statistical analysis and machine‑learning techniques
• PyTorch
• Polars
• CometML
• Arize
• Docker
• Airflow
• Trino
• Git/GitHub

What we offer

• Hybrid work model with up to 20 days of remote work per year
• Company‑paid therapy sessions, HeadSpace subscription, and mental‑health focus
• Paid parental leave, volunteer time, and 5 weeks paid vacation plus a birthday day off
• Development dollars, leadership development, and access to thousands of e‑learning courses
• Travel discounts, free lunches twice a week, pension contributions, and health‑insurance subsidy
• Inclusive culture with employee resource groups and support for work‑life balance