MARKETING DATA SCIENTIST

ABOUT US Hostelworld Group PLC is a ground-breaking social network powered OTA focused on the hostel market, with a clear mission to help travellers find people to hang out with. Founded in 1999, we’re a well-known trusted brand with 240 teammates across 11 countries; hostel partners in 180 countries; and a strong commitment to building a better world in all that we do. In particular, our focus in the last few years has been on improving the sustainability of the hostelling industry, through our membership of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC); our active involvement in the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI); our partnerships with Bureau Veritas to establish emissions benchmarks for the hostelling industry; and our recent partnership with the South Pole to offset all our greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 and 2022. You can read more about our story here: Hostelworld site. Hostelworld is listed on the London Stock Exchange, Dublin Euronext and is an Investors in Diversity accredited employer. LOCATION This role is based in Portugal. We have a co-working space in Porto for those who prefer a hybrid model where you can spend time with colleagues in-person. If necessary, the role can be remote within Portugal with coming together for team meetings as needed. WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH ‍‍ You will play a key role in a diverse, highly-talented Analytics & Insights team providing insights across a number of growth units including paid marketing, customer analytics and app analytics to support decision making at C and senior management level. The Marketing Decision Scientist will play a pivotal role in driving data-informed marketing strategies and decisions, with a particular emphasis on managing and optimising Google Ads bidding algorithms. As a key member of the Analytics and Insights team, this role will involve close collaboration with paid marketing, app marketing, and data teams to uncover insights, optimise campaigns, and contribute to business growth. WHAT YOU'LL DO ‍ You will hone and develop a wide range of technical skills in managing our data analytics and data science products. The paid analytics team require a person who is flexible, adaptable and able to translate business needs into measurable results. It’s a rewarding experience with exciting diverse work: Develop, manage, and optimise bidding algorithms for Google Ads campaigns (Google search results and Google Hotel Price Ads) using Python scripts. Translate business objectives into functional code, ensuring that the bidding logic aligns with marketing goals and maximises the return on advertising spend (ROAS). Optimise budget allocation across channels and campaigns to improve profitability. Continuously monitor and analyse performance of the campaigns, identify areas of inefficiency, and develop strategies to enhance bidding logic. Provide data-driven recommendations for optimising marketing spend, customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value. Design, implement, and analyse A/B tests and other experimental methodologies to assess the impact of marketing initiatives. Serve as a subject matter expert on data science best practices within the Analytics & Insights team. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Experience & Qualifications: Minimum 2 years of experience in a Data Analytics or Data Science role, preferably within a marketing department. Advanced skills in SQL, Python, R, or similar programming languages. Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Communicate clearly and with purpose, working effectively with team members and stakeholders across the organisation. Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment. Essential Skills: Competency in Python/R. SQL (preferably BigQuery, Snowflake). Strong proficiency in statistical analysis, machine learning, and predictive modelling techniques. Desirable Skills: Understanding of digital marketing metrics, SEO, SEM, and customer journey analysis. Experience with data visualisation tools such as Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or similar platforms. Familiarity with orchestration and ETL/ELT tools (e.g., Apache Airflow, dbt) is a plus. Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git). WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & benefits Enhanced annual leave plus 3 Wellbeing Days per year Paid family leave (maternity, paternity, surrogacy & adoption) Agile working (plus a Working from Abroad Policy!) Support for your ongoing growth & development Inclusive people policies (sickness, menopause, compassionate and fertility leave) A chance to give back to your local community with 5 paid volunteering days OUR BEHAVIOURS Grow others - We fundamentally believe that investing in growing others benefits everyone, whether it's helping them develop hard or soft skills. We want learning and growing to be part of our DNA to help makes us a better team, together. Master it - We are obsessed with our area of expertise and enjoy developing our skills. We rarely take things at face value; we investigate, interrogate, and always look for ‘the why,’ and wherever possible, we use data to find the best solution. Collaborate - We are in it together, for the tough stuff and the celebrations too. To achieve the best results, we need expertise from all areas of the organisation, and we wholeheartedly welcome diverse thinking. Adapt - We work fluidly, adapting to new information and the evolving environment while staying committed to our goals. Innovation and experimentation fuel our projects and we’re never afraid to pivot. Deliver - Our focus is always on the end result; we value outcomes over activity. We collaborate to deliver work at speed without dropping any of our other behaviours. Our people are key to our success. Our talented and diverse teams reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities in which we operate. Everyone brings different perspectives and experiences; you don’t have to meet all the requirements listed above to apply for this role.