EXPEDIA GROUP TECHNOLOGY — DATA
Data Scientist at Expedia Group: Neeraj Bhadani
Learn how Expedia Group’s focus on continuous learning allowed Neeraj to transition into Data Scientist role
Neeraj is a Data Scientist at Expedia Group™. He has more than a decade of experience building software and is currently working in AI & Data Science team at Expedia Group™. He has delivered various training and workshops both internally and externally. Prior to Expedia Group™, he worked on various Big Data projects, dealt directly with clients as a Technical specialist and migrated various ETL pipelines to Apache Spark. He also received a Gold Medal for securing first place in his batch during his undergraduate days.
How does your typical day look?
I am working as a Data Scientist in AI & Data Science team which is spread across the globe. On a regular basis, I write ETL jobs and build machine learning models to solve business problems. I am based out of London and some of my team members are in the US as well. So we usually have catch up in our stand-up to understand what we have done and share the knowledge across. I am also part of EG Platform Academy and deliver training/workshops for my fellow Expedians which helps up-skilling and introducing new concepts and technologies. Working with the world leader in the travel industry is really an honor for me and I am happy that I am able to make contributions within the company.
What do you enjoy most about coming to work each day?
Solving some real-world travel problems which makes travel easy and bringing the world within reach of everyone. Working with the latest tools and technology is always fun and challenging. At Expedia Group™, there are lots of new learning opportunities to grow your technical skills and then contribute back to the success of the organization. I have also written a few technical blogs which you can find here and some of them are listed below:
- Start Your Journey with Apache Spark
- Deep Dive into Apache Spark DateTime Functions
- Profiling your GCP Account with Forseti Security
What work accomplishment are you most proud of?
Receiving great feedback from my stakeholders, management, and peers is always a proud moment. Along with my primary responsibilities, I was able to complete a number of training workshops in Big Data and Data Science space. I also delivered a Data Science workshop at Women of Silicon RoundAbout which is one of the largest women in tech conference in 2019 which I am very proud of.
What’s so special about your team?
Everyone in my team is very dynamic, helpful and kind. My team has people from different background and places. Prior to working with the Data Science Team, I was working in Big Data Platform (BDP) team where I was supporting the data platform. As part of BDP Team, we have improved the performance and user experience for the platform. Also, we reduced costs of running the platform, thereby saving dollars for the company. I would like to thank my manager for providing me learning and growth opportunities within Expedia.
Why are you so passionate about travel?
I love traveling to different places and exploring the world. Traveling refreshes my energy. We should get away from our regular daily life from time to time. I feel rejuvenated when I am close to nature. Some of the memorable moments of my travels are scuba diving in Andaman and Nicobar Island (at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea) and visit Shatrunjaya temple in Palitana (Gujarat, India) which is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world according to Wikipedia.
What makes Expedia Group™ a unique employer?
I started working as a Big Data Engineer with Expedia and received a lot of opportunities to grow myself. Also, I wanted to up-skill myself in Data Science. And guess what, I have started working with my manager towards the journey to becoming Data Scientist and recently I joined Expedia AI & Data Science team. Expedia Group™ is a world leader in the travel industry with its diversified travel portfolio. It has great people and culture to work with. I feel really happy to be a part of a company that is changing the travel industry and making the world within reach for everyone. Expedia also believes in giving back to society and recently I got an opportunity to contribute to one of the schools in India and spend quality time with students.
Come and work with us
If you’re passionate about travel, love to work in a dynamic, challenging environment, latest tech stack, and looking for a career change? We have many exciting roles across our global offices. Find out more by looking through our job opportunities here.
