About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Cruise Line / Travel & Hospitality (Confidential Client).

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is looking for an Associate Data Scientist to help translate business questions into production-ready analytics, models, and decision workflows for a cruise-line client. You'll work across ML, optimization, and GenAI use cases and partner closely with product, operations, AI engineering, and data teams to deliver measurable business value.

• Frame high-impact problems with clear decision owners, baseline metrics, and adoption paths.
• Build predictive models (forecasting, propensity, classification, ranking) using Python, scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost and Databricks feature workflows.
• Design prescriptive and decisioning solutions (recommendation, simulation, MILP, heuristics, dynamic programming).
• Develop GenAI workflows (GPT-class models, Azure AI Foundry, RAG, embeddings, prompt engineering, evaluation).
• Design and analyze experiments (A/B tests, quasi-experiments, causal analysis, bootstrap and non-parametric methods).
• Produce explainable results for stakeholders using SHAP, sensitivity analysis, diagnostics, and targeted error analysis.
• Partner with AI Engineering to deploy via Databricks, Azure ML, MLflow, APIs or containerized services and ensure robust handoffs.
• Monitor production performance (accuracy, drift, bias, latency, cost, adoption) and trigger retraining or process changes as needed.
• Translate model outputs into operational workflows, incentives, dashboards and measurable adoption.

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Qualifications / Knowledge / Skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Data Science, Statistics, CS, Operations Research, Engineering, Economics, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated delivery experience (entry-level scope) producing ML, optimization, experimentation, or GenAI solutions that moved into production or decision use.
• Strong Python skills and experience with scikit-learn, XGBoost/LightGBM/CatBoost; experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow where appropriate.
• Experience with Databricks, Spark, SQL, feature pipelines, and reproducible analytical workflows at scale.
• Familiarity with MLOps tools and practices (MLflow, Azure ML, model registries, CI/CD, monitoring and retraining).
• Optimization experience (MILP solvers, simulation, heuristics, dynamic programming) applied to real business problems.
• Experience with GenAI platforms and safe use (Azure AI Foundry, GPT-class models, RAG, embeddings, prompt engineering and evaluation).
• Strong engineering practices: version control (Git), testing, packaging, notebooks-to-production discipline, and collaboration on APIs/deployment.
• Clear communicator able to explain model logic, tradeoffs, uncertainty, risks and recommended decisions to business stakeholders.

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Physical Demands

The role typically requires standard office and occasional shipboard activity: sitting and standing, using a PC, typing and reviewing reports, and occasional lifting/moving up to 10–15 lbs. May involve domestic and international travel and walking on dock or shipboard areas. Reasonable accommodations will be considered.

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Work Environment

Work occurs in office and shipboard environments and may involve travel to other offices or vessels. Noise and variable conditions are possible when visiting shipboard or offsite locations.

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Benefits & Perks

Confidential Client provides competitive benefits including medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA options, a 401(k) plan with company match (subject to plan terms), paid time off, paid holidays, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering counseling, financial and legal services, and coaching.

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Compensation & Pay Disclaimer

An external estimate shown for similar roles is approximately $163,027 per year. This is an estimate, not a guarantee. Actual compensation offered will depend on job responsibilities, experience, education, skills, internal equity, and applicable laws.

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Application Timeline

Application Deadline: October 23rd, 2026

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.