Senior Data Scientist (Availability)

About Emerging Travel Group: Emerging Travel Group (ETG) is an ambitious, fast-growing global travel technology leader and e-commerce innovator operating prominent tourism platforms across the globe. Driven by a passion for connecting travelers with seamless accommodations and experiences, we cultivate a highly supportive, virtual-first environment that values ownership, technical innovation, and continuous personal progression. With thousands of global users navigating our platforms, ETG operates across 30+ countries, blending data-driven operations with consumer hospitality to unlock the future of smart travel engineering.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly technical, end-to-end Senior Data Scientist to spearhead our machine learning and inventory optimization tracks within the “Availability” platform group. In this hands-on engineering seat, you will hold complete accountability for the full machine learning lifecycle—transforming complex business objectives into production-ready architectures, setting database requirements, and designing robust testing frameworks. Moving far beyond abstract model training, you will build and deploy classic ML systems alongside deep learning embeddings, manage cross-functional A/B experimentations, write clean production services in Python, and engineer telemetry dashboards to combat model performance drift.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End ML Project Management: Own the complete machine learning loop from initial task setting and dataset assembly through to solution design, production releases, and long-term maintenance.
• Deep Learning & Embeddings Design: Develop, train, and optimize predictive models utilizing **PyTorch or TensorFlow**, constructing high-signal solution matrices for multi-modal text and image embeddings.
• Algorithmic Ranking & Forecasting: Deploy classic machine learning algorithms and advanced ranking approaches (**pointwise and pairwise methodologies**) paired with time-series analysis to optimize inventory visibility.
• A/B Testing & Statistical Evaluation: Partner with Data Analysts to design, execute, and interpret A/B tests, configuring clear user splits, validating metrics tracking, and delivering data-backed rollout recommendations.
• Production Service Integration: Package machine learning model artifacts into production-quality, readable Python service structures backed by comprehensive unit tests for critical components.
• Model Telemetry & Churn Monitoring: Set up automated ML observability frameworks to track system quality metrics, build real-time diagnostic alerts, and run intervention plans against data degradation or feature drift.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 4+ years of verified professional history running Data Science portfolios, machine learning system design, or predictive statistical modeling tracks.
• Proven background managing end-to-end ML projects natively inside live production environments (from conceptual scoping through deployment and support).
• Advanced operational command over Deep Learning frameworks (such as PyTorch or TensorFlow), with a clear grasp of model fine-tuning and resource-optimized inference setups.
• Strong programming proficiency writing clean, production-grade Python code backed by structured validation test suites.
• Deep understanding of ML monitoring frameworks, error analysis, model interpretability tracking, and data drift diagnostics.
• Advanced SQL capabilities, with a proven capacity to write complex query blocks, joins, and window functions for independent dataset assembly.
• Familiarity with modern experiment tracking and data versioning architectures (such as MLflow, Weight & Biases (W&B), or DVC).
• Language Skills: Conversational English business communication skills are required.
• Location Context: 100% remote-first full-time operational framework restricted exclusively to qualified professionals permanently located within: Serbia, Cyprus, Portugal, Montenegro, or Bulgaria.

Preferred Strategic Indicators (Nice to Have)

• Prior experience operating natively inside high-volume travel technology platforms, global hospitality marketplaces, or e-commerce booking systems.
• Advanced conceptual familiarity with ranking optimizations or complex time-series forecasting datasets.

What We Offer

• The exceptional technical runway to build, own, and optimize the machine learning algorithms driving availability logistics for a global travel tech titan.
• A fully flexible remote-work schedule tailored entirely around outcome delivery and personal autonomy.
• Complete independence to choose your ideal working format, offering options to work fully from home, utilize corporate offices, or run a hybrid model.
• Comprehensive internal adaptation programs, individualized soft-skill training, and leadership development paths.
• Financial support and partial compensation packages for participating in external technology training, hackathons, and industry conferences.
• Organized group and individual language lessons alongside global speaking clubs to support your personal English learning goals.
• Exclusive corporate travel prices, hotel booking discounts, and a dedicated “MyTime Day Off” extra holiday allocation for mental recharge and physical well-being.