Optimization specialist

SITA; Barcelona; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flex Week

Flex Day

Flex-Location

Employee Wellbeing

Professional Development

Competitive Benefits

Job summary

SITA is hiring an Optimization Scientist in Barcelona to design and build disruption-recovery engines for airline operations. You will handle end-to-end solver development, translating complex airline rules into efficient optimization models and producing production-ready code.

The role emphasizes collaboration with engineering teams and domain growth, with a focus on scalable solutions. Ideal candidates bring strong mathematical optimization skills, experience with Gurobi/CPLEX/SCIP, and

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in mathematical optimization and operations research.
• Hands-on experience with commercial solvers (Gurobi/CPLEX/SCIP).
• Proficiency in Python and SQL, production-quality coding.
• Ability to translate complex business rules into algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Own disruption-recovery solver pipeline end-to-end—from formulation to production code.
• Translate airline rules into solver formulations (crew legality, routing, rebooking).
• Validate solver solutions against disruption cases with Solutions Experts.
• Monitor KPIs for solution quality and runtime; balance trade-offs.
• Extend solver capabilities and ship new optimization features as the product evolves.
• Collaborate with Back-End and Data Engineering to integrate outputs.
• Develop deep airline-operations domain knowledge for better formulations.

Skills

Mathematical optimization

Operations research

Linear programming

Mixed-integer programming

Network flow

Metaheuristics

Python

SQL

Git

Optimization libraries

Education

MSc or PhD in OR / Applied Mathematics / CS

Bachelor's degree in a related quantitative field

Tools

Gurobi

CPLEX

SCIP

Git

Job description

Overview

WELCOME TO SITA

At SITA, we keep airports moving, airlines flying smoothly, and borders open. Our technology and communication innovations power the success of the global air travel industry.

You'll find us in 95% of international airports, working closely with over 2,500 transportation and government clients. Each partnership brings unique challenges, and we thrive on delivering fresh solutions and cutting-edge tech to keep operations running like clockwork. We don't just move the world forward-we're proud to be recognized as a Great Place to Work® by 79% of our employees and certified in most of our growing locations. Here, we feel empowered, supported, and inspired to grow.

Are you ready to love your job?

The adventure begins right here, with you, at SITA.

As an Optimization Scientist, you will apply operations research and mathematical optimization to design and build the optimization engines that recover airline operations from disruption — turning hours of manual replanning into minutes of high-quality, automated recovery decisions.

You will be accountable for a disruption-recovery solver pipeline end-to-end: from mathematical formulation to production code running against real airline operations.

Reporting to the Head of Disruption Management Solutions (OCC Assistant Manager), you will be a part of the OCC Assistant Manager team responsible for OCC Assistant Manager, SITA’s AI-powered Operations Control Center solution that helps airlines manage and recover from operational disruptions. We are hiring two Optimization Scientists to grow the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own a disruption-recovery solver pipeline end-to-end — from mathematical formulation to production code
• Translate airline-specific rules and constraints (crew legality, aircraft routing, passenger reaccommodation) into solver formulations
• Validate solver solutions against real disruption cases, working side by side with our Solutions Experts
• Own solution-quality and runtime KPIs, driving the trade-off between solution quality and solve time
• Extend solver capabilities and ship new optimization functionality as the product evolves
• Collaborate with Back-End and Data Engineering teams to integrate your solver outputs into the live product
• Build deep airline-operations domain knowledge and turn it into better formulations

Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE

• You have a strong foundation in mathematical optimization and operations research, with depth in areas such as linear programming, mixed-integer programming, network flow algorithms, large-scale optimization techniques or metaheuristics
• You have hands-on experience with solvers such as Gurobi, CPLEX or SCIP
• You are proficient in Python and SQL, work fluently with Git and optimization libraries, and write code that is ready for production
• You can translate complex business rules into algorithms
• You work at the intersection of math and engineering, bridging OR theory and production code
• You are self-directed and ramp up new domain knowledge independently
• You are detail-oriented — debugging solver behavior requires precision
• You think in systems: you understand how formulation choices affect solver performance end-to-end
• You hold a degree in Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering or a related quantitative field. MSc or PhD is a plus.

About Your Skills

• You possess Airline Operations Management knowledge and understand the operational, commercial, and customer service challenges faced by airlines.

NICE-TO-HAVE

• Experience with column generation or decomposition methods
• C++ programming skills
• Familiarity with airline operations: IROPS/disruption management, crew legality rules, aircraft rotations or passenger rebooking

What We Offer

We're all about diversity. We operate in 200 countries and speak 60 different languages and cultures. We're really proud of our inclusive environment. Our offices are comfortable and fun places to work, and we make sure you get to work from home too. Find out what it's like to join our team and take a step closer to your best life ever.

Flex Week: Work from home up to 2 days/week (depending on your team's needs)

Flex Day: Make your workday suit your life and plans.

Flex-Location: Take up to 30 days a year to work from any location in the world.

Employee Wellbeing: We have got you covered with our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), for you and your dependents 24/7, 365 days/year. We also offer Champion Health - a personalized platform that supports a range of wellbeing needs.

Professional Development: At SITA, we believe growth fuels innovation. Our learning ecosystem offers access to world-class platforms and programs designed to help you thrive. From LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft's Enterprise Skills Initiative, and Airport Council International -available to all employees-to specialized solutions like Pluralsight for technology upskilling, Harvard Business Publishing for people leadership, Stanford for strategic development and many others, we align learning opportunities with your Development Plan and our business priorities. Your development journey is supported every step of the way.

Competitive Benefits: Competitive benefits that make sense with both your local market and employment status.

SITA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce. In support of our Employment Equity Program, we encourage women, aboriginal people, members of visible minorities, and/or persons with disabilities to apply and self-identify in the application process.