Sr. Machine Learning Engineer Operations

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How does a jar of peanut butter make its way to the shelf at your local Albert Heijn? Does that question get you thinking about suppliers, pallets, distribution centers, trucks, and delivery routes? Do you start visualizing the planning, algorithms, and optimizations that ensure these processes run efficiently and sustainably? If terms like knapsack problems, the traveling salesman, linear programming, and meta-heuristics come to mind, you might be the perfect fit for our team! We’re looking for curious, talented individuals to join and strengthen our Operations Analytics and Data Science team.

At Albert Heijn, we operate on a just-in-time logistics model, which means there’s no room for delays. Every optimization you help implement ensures our customers find their favorite products exactly when they need them. You’ll be at the heart of our business, driving innovations that keep our shelves stocked efficiently and sustainably.

As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer - Logistics Optimization, you will:

• Design, build, deploy and operate machine learning and optimization applications that are responsible for improving the supply chain and warehouse operations, such as: efficiently grouping of store orders, optimizing order picking, ensuring products are transported sustainably
• Work on high-impact and performance-critical applications that are at the heart of the Albert Heijn supply chain
• Use the Albert Heijn Azure cloud platform and tooling to deploy production-grade machine learning software
• Collaborate with (technical) stakeholders across the company to gather, document and transform requirements into practical solutions
• Work in multidisciplinary product teams to tackle real-world logistics challenges
• Share your expertise and coach other team members

We’re looking for candidates who have:

• A Master’s degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, or a related field (or equivalent relevant experience and interest)
• A strong understanding of Operations Research and Data Science algorithms, as well as their real-world applications in logistics, such as demand forecasting and route optimization
• A pragmatic, hands-on approach to problem-solving with a focus on getting things done
• A willingness to actively collaborate, for example through code reviews and knowledge-sharing sessions
• A willingness to proactively gather context from various stakeholders in the organization (business users, other data science teams, tech teams, etc.)
• A generalist mindset and a systems view of data science, with the ability to contribute across the entire stack, from data engineering to deployment
• Shipped, deployed, operated and maintained data science solutions in production in the cloud, ideally in performance-critical systems
• Proficiency in Python and the Python data science ecosystem
• 7+ years of relevant experience
• Working experience in at least one compiled language, preferably in a systems language like C++ or Rust

We find it important that you can be yourself at Albert Heijn in an environment that is open to different perspectives, an environment where we are curious and appreciate each other. For this position, we preferably seek someone who enhances the diversity in our team, in the broadest sense of the word. Someone who brings a different voice from their own background and personal characteristics, thereby being a good addition to our team.

Read more about the technical side of our work on our blog: https://blog.ah.technology/.

If you’re passionate about logistics, data science, and solving complex problems, join us to help shape the future of retail logistics!

Our offer

At AH Technology, we aim to grow, and that’s only possible if you grow with us. That’s why you get access to best-in-class guidance and inspiring training to shape your development and career. As we work together to build on our brand and your career, you can count on (based on 40 hours per week):

• An annual salary up to 106k including holiday allowance and a flexible bonus. Depending on your level of seniority and experience;  
• A minimum of 20 days paid vacation, optionally 12.5 days extra. Do you want to take that extra time off, or would you rather convert the extra days into discounts or sell them for cash? You’re the end boss!; 
• Flexible working hours; 
• Access to a challenging training curriculum – AH Tech Academy; 
• An excellent pension plan where we as an employer contribute 4,5 more than you as an employee;  
• A travel allowance or a NS-business card for traveling to and from Zaandam by train; 
• Attractive discounts on various insurance policies; 
• 10% staff discount on groceries in all Albert Heijn stores, to a maximum of €300 per year; 
• A free Mijn Albert Heijn Premium membership with many benefits;
• A company laptop and telephone.

We’re Albert Heijn, food retail reinventors. 🚀 
Albert Heijn goes way back. More than 135 years, to be exact. So for millions of people, food shopping is synonymous with the Albert Heijn brand. We didn’t achieve this with a complacent, ‘hey, if it works today, it’ll work tomorrow’ approach, but by continually rethinking our propositions and staying plugged in to customer demands. More than 125,000 colleagues? Check. Over 1,250 stores in the Netherlands and Flanders? Check. The leading online food retail platform? Check, we build, run and love it.   

Together we make eating better the easy choice. For everyone. 

The world around us has changed, and significantly at that. These changes have impact on the lives of our customers, colleagues and partners. And therefore, also on Albert Heijn. We’re moving towards a new world with new opportunities and challenges. Albert Heijn wants more people to eat fresher, healthier and more sustainable food. Eating brings us together, keeps us healthier and contributes positively to the world. Our mission is: Together we make eating better the easy choice. For everyone. 

Albert Heijn the Netherlands is B Corp certified. This underscores our purpose, through which we aim to contribute to a healthier, more social, and sustainable society. B Corp certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency. 

 
Ready to contribute to our mission? 

Do you want to play an active role in changing the food retail landscape as we know it? Then hop on board and join us on our expedition. Would you like to learn more first, before you apply to Albert Heijn? We’re happy to tell you everything about this vacancy! An assessment might be part of our selection process. 

We ask you not to send a standard motivation letter, but to formulate an answer to the following questions:

• Why do you think you will be successful in this position and what kind of technical skills do you bring with you for this role?
• What is one of your personal strengths and one skill you wish to improve or develop?

Want to know more before you apply for our role at AH Technology? Peter Dirks, Talent Acquisition Partner Data Science & Analytics, is happy to tell you everything about this vacancy via peter.dirks@ah.nl

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