Machine Learning Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Office, Rakuten Travel – Full-time

Job Description:

Department Overview

Rakuten Travel is a leading online travel service in Japan, dedicated to “Making People Happy with Travel”.

https://travel.rakuten.com/

Since our founding in 1997, we have consistently led the industry, challenging the norms and fostering innovation. With growing aspirations to expand beyond borders as a Global Innovation Company, we are not confined to Japan but continue to strive daily to become the world’s premier travel reservation service.

At the forefront of the Commerce & Marketing Company, Travel Development Department (TDD) is distinctive for overseeing the entire spectrum of Rakuten Travel’s development and operations. We primarily focus on the following key areas:

1. Globalization of Rakuten Travel to compete in global markets

2. Continuous improvement and strengthening Rakuten Travel’s presence in Japan to increase customer satisfaction

We are seeking like-minded individuals who resonate with our purpose. Join us at Rakuten Travel, propose new forms of travel to people around the world, and strive to be pioneers shaping the future of travel. Your passion and creativity will breathe new life into the travel industry, filled with infinite possibilities. We eagerly await your application and potentially invite you to take on challenges in a diverse environment in collaboration with new peers.

Why We Hire

In recent years, the demand for the industrial application of machine learning technology has surged. At Rakuten Travel, we’ve embraced this trend, deploying machine learning across various aspects of our operations.

However, as machine learning libraries have become more prevalent, it’s no longer enough to just apply the technology. It’s become crucial to stand out from the crowd and differentiate us from our competitors.

With this in mind, we’re on the lookout for standout machine learning engineers. We need individuals who not only excel in implementing machine learning technologies but can also strategically plan their application.

The ideal candidate will contribute to our company’s competitive edge by leveraging the vast quantities of data held by Rakuten, one of Japan’s leading platforms. If you’re passionate about using data to drive innovation and competitive advantage, we’d love to hear from you.

Position Details

In this role, you’ll be at the forefront of machine learning technology development, tackling challenges that cannot be addressed with existing technologies or their combinations. You’ll be a problem solver, taking on tasks that push the boundaries of what’s currently possible in the machine learning field.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Researching existing studies: You’ll delve deep into academic papers and keep your knowledge current, staying on top of the latest developments and breakthroughs in machine learning.
• Developing machine learning technology: Based on business requirements, you’ll design and build cutting-edge machine learning technologies that can drive our operations forward.
• Implementing machine learning technology: You’ll bring your developed machine learning technologies to life by coding them into our systems.
• Writing academic papers: You’ll contribute to the global machine learning discourse by writing papers on your work and submitting them to international conferences.

If you’re passionate about machine learning and excited to make a significant contribution in this field, we’d love to hear from you.

Mandatory Qualifications

We’re on the lookout for someone who has:

• Master’s degree or equivalent work experience in machine learning, computer science, statistics, mathematics, physics, or a related field such as robotics, autonomous driving, or bioinformatics.
• Your passion and curiosity for machine learning will be essential in this role, as you’ll be immersed in this field, constantly learning and innovating.
• If you’ve had the opportunity to present on machine learning technology at international conferences, that’s a big plus! This experience demonstrates your ability to share complex ideas and showcase your expertise in this field.
• Familiarity with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch and TensorFlow is crucial for this role, as you’ll be using these on a regular basis.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is also highly desirable, as our tech stack heavily relies on this platform.
• Lastly, if you’ve worked or studied in an English-speaking country, that’s great! We value the ability to communicate effectively in English, as it is our main language of communication.

Desired Qualifications

• Over 3 years of industry experience in building machine learning/deep learning models, including image processing and natural language processing (NLP), as well as experience in designing, developing, and operating systems.
• Experience in developing machine learning systems within a corporate setting.
• Experience in creating requirement specifications, system specifications, and test specifications.
• More than 3 years of development experience in Python.
• Able to work in a cross-functional team environment and effectively collaborate with other teams.

Languages:
English (Overall – 4 – Fluent)