Download Role: Data Scientist (either full-time or project

Role: Data Scientist (either full-time or project-based)
Salary: Market Rate
Based: Cheadle, South Manchester
Key Skills
- Using multiple data sets and sources to develop algorithms for marketing optimisation (regression, machine
learning, etc.)
- Excellent analytical programming skills (SQL, Matlab, Python, Visual Basic, etc.)
- Evidence of designing and completing projects
Role Summary
If you're interested in working with talented people in one of the fastest growing ecommerce categories, join
On the Beach. As an award-winning online travel agent, we are laser-focused on providing our customers with
value for money beach holidays. We floated on the London Stock Market in September 2015 and we’re
expanding rapidly within our core UK market and also internationally. At On the Beach, we mix creativity and
analytics in order to optimise existing marketing channels and find new, profitable ways of acquiring and
retaining customers.
The marketing team at On the Beach is responsible for identifying and driving significant traffic and conversion
growth, and is one of the fastest growing teams in the business. Data science is a function within the
marketing team and was established towards the end of 2014. This team and position offer an unparalleled
opportunity to get exposure to multiple areas of the business significantly impacting On the Beach’s future. As
a team we are responsible for traffic generation, website analytics, merchandising, website hypothesis testing,
personalisation and attribution (cross-channel and cross-device), with the express goal of using advanced
analytics and data to inform decision-making and ultimately improve the efficiency and performance of our
marketing spend.
As a data scientist, you will work alongside our current data scientist on challenging business problems, aiming
to maximise On the Beach’s profitability through in-depth data analysis and predictive techniques. You will be
responsible for your own projects, which will include initiatives to help us better understand our customer’s
online buying behaviours, and developing algorithms to improve the efficiency our online marketing spend. As
the team and the business continue to grow, you will be expected to ensure that insight and data sit at the
heart of all decision-making.
Core Responsibilities
-
Develop new algorithms and methods for optimising online spend
Extract insights and actionable recommendations from large data sets
Leverage data mining and machine learning approaches to model and predict customer behaviour
Use a systematic approach to designing projects for answering business problems
Communicate conclusions and recommendations to project stakeholders
Inspire the adoption of advanced analytics and data science across different teams and functions
Essential Skills and Experience
- Ph.D. or Masters Degree in a relevant research area (applied statistics, data mining and/or related
quantitative engineering/mathematics field)
- Knowledge of statistics including regression and machine learning
- Evidence of designing and completing own projects whilst adhering to deadlines
- Fluency with at least one scripting language such as Python, Matlab or similar
- Knowledge of another language (Visual Basic, C#, C++, Java or similar)
Desired Skills and Experience
-
Experience with big data technologies such as Hadoop, MapReduce, Mahout, Hive, Pig, etc.
Hands-on experience using business intelligence and statistical analysis tools such as SQL, R, etc.
Willingness to learn and master new languages and technologies
Ability to quickly understand business problems, finding patterns and insights within structured and
unstructured data
- Ability to clearly communicate results to technical and non-technical audiences
On the Beach Overview & Background
Working with On the Beach is all about inspiration, challenge, collaboration and having a say in what you do.
On the Beach has got the energy of a start-up but the stability of being part of the one of the largest online
travel businesses in the UK. As part of our culture, we are passionate about helping our customers find the
best holiday deals and we’re constantly talking to them to understand how we can create better experiences.
We thrive on delivering solutions in an agile, open and fun work environment. Our employees are given
opportunities to focus on their career development and we have a very progressive approach to annual
reviews and staff performance.
On the Beach is the UK’s largest online retailer of beach holidays, providing consumers with a huge selection of
flights and hotels from which to build their own holiday online. The website is www.onthebeach.co.uk and
m.onthebeach.co.uk and over the last 12 months we have attracted more than 50m unique visitors. We are
an incredibly dynamic, agile and entrepreneurial business and we leverage our in-house technology to
maximise returns through continually optimising the customer experience.
The UK travel market has undergone significant structural change. Online distribution has broken the
stranglehold of large vertically integrated tour operators. On the Beach is able to aggregate a huge breadth of
hotel and flight content to present consumers with the ideal combination to match their search criteria. The
company also has a significant lower cost base than the vertically integrated operators and as a result is able to
offer outstanding value. This combination of value and control in the hands of the consumer in a fast growing
online travel market is compelling.
Established by the CEO Simon Cooper in 2004 and now a PLC on the London Stock Market, On the Beach has
grown rapidly to become a leading player in the online travel market and is already experiencing significant
levels of repeat business from its satisfied customer base.