Kayak

Data Scientist

Berlin Office, Germany full-time Mid Salary not listed
full-time Mid level Technology & IT Curated
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About the role

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We're also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.
As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is at our core and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.
KAYAK is looking for a mid-level Data Scientist to build recommendation systems that improve how travelers discover and choose travel options.
You’ll translate product and business questions into measurable modeling problems, develop and test solutions with data and experimentation, and partner with researchers, engineers, and cross-functional teams to bring promising work into production. Your work will improve the traveler experience and key business metrics across KAYAK.
If you’re excited to solve challenging recommendation problems and make a measurable difference for travelers, we’d love to hear from you.
This role will be required to work from our Berlin office 3 days per week.

In this role, you will:
Translate product and business challenges into well-defined modeling problems, hypotheses, and measurable objectives.

Ship production-ready, scalable Machine Learning solutions with real-world impact on user experience and key business metrics.

Design and evaluate experiments, building rapid prototypes, assessing results rigorously, and iterating on promising ideas.

Collaborate across Data Science, Product, and Engineering, communicating findings, recommendations, and trade-offs clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Please apply if you have:
Strong technical foundations in statistics, machine learning, and programming, backed by a track record of solving complex, real-world data science problems. Demonstrated capability matters more than academic credentials.

Hands-on experience developing ML models in business or production environments, with the ability to clearly explain the problems addressed, your specific contributions, and the resulting impact.

Ownership, sound judgment, and analytical thinking, with the ability to navigate technical trade-offs, work independently, and recognize when to seek guidance.

Fluency with AI-assisted workflows, leveraging modern tools to improve productivity and quality while critically evaluating their outputs and limitations.

Curiosity, humility, and a collaborative mindset, with a commitment to continuous learning, sharing knowledge, and improving together.

Bonus qualifications
Hands-on experience with technologies relevant to KAYAK’s stack, such as PyTorch, Polars, CometML, Arize, Docker, Airflow, Trino and Git/Github.

Familiarity with Agile ways of working, such as sprint planning and team ceremonies.

Benefits and Perks:
Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year

Focus on mental health and well-being:
Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth

Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace

Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)

No meeting Fridays

Paid parental leave

Paid volunteer time

Focus on your career growth:
Development Dollars

Leadership development

Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings

Travel Discounts

Employee Resource Groups

6 weeks paid vacation + a day off for your birthday

Free lunch 2 days per week

Pension plan contributions

Public transportation subsidies

Bike leasing program

Monthly social events, Thursday happy hours, sports teams

An awesome office in Friedrichshain, Berlin
 

Inclusion
At KAYAK, we want everyone to have the space to grow, share ideas and do great work. That’s why we’re focused on hiring the best talent from all walks of life and experiences, supporting them well and making sure no one feels like they have to fit a mold to belong here.
Need any adjustments for the interview, application or on the job? No problem - just give us a heads-up. We’ve got you.
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Interview prep

Walk in with sharper answers.

Use this as a quick practice sheet before you speak with the employer.

Mid
Technology & IT Project Management SQL Data Scientist Technology Mid level

Likely questions

  1. Tell us about work you have done that is close to the Data Scientist role.
  2. How would you approach your first 30 days at Kayak?
  3. Which of Project Management, SQL and Data have you used recently, and what did it help you achieve?
  4. Describe a time you solved a problem without waiting to be told exactly what to do.
  5. How do you handle busy days, changing priorities, or pressure at work?

Prepare before the call

  • A recent example that proves your experience with Project Management, SQL and Data.
  • One short story with a problem, your action, and the result.
  • Two examples that show the strengths listed on your CV.
  • A clear reason why this role and company interest you.
  • Your availability, preferred work style, and salary expectations.

Ask them

  • What would success look like in the first 90 days?
  • What are the main problems this hire should help solve?
  • How does the team give feedback and measure good work?
  • What does a normal working week look like for this role?
Practice line

I am interested in the Data Scientist role because I can bring practical experience in Project Management, SQL and Data, learn the team quickly, and contribute to the outcomes Kayak needs from this hire.

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