Data Scientist/ML Engineer

RTL; Hilversum; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RTL seeks a Netherlands-based Data Scientist to own end-to-end data science projects. You will work on diverse challenges from subtitles to churn forecasting, collaborating with stakeholders and a team of seven data scientists. The tech stack centers on Python, Databricks, PyTorch, Transformers, and Azure, deploying via Docker and Kubernetes.

You will take ownership, translate business needs into data-driven solutions, and contribute to a positive data culture across RTL's Data Unit.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience building data science or machine learning solutions.
• Strong Python proficiency.
• Experience with modern data/ML tooling (Docker, Databricks, MLflow, or similar MLOps).
• Interest in media, video, or multimodal content (text, images, video).
• Ability to work with stakeholders to understand needs.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects.
• Based in the Netherlands and permitted to work there.

Responsibilities

• Work on a range of problems across RTL, including subtitles, forecasting, marketing mix, churn.
• Identify opportunities and drive projects with stakeholders.
• Turn problems into data science solutions with end-to-end ownership.
• Analyze data, build models, prototype, experiment with new approaches.
• Put models into production and maintain them over time.
• Collaborate with teammates and researchers; pair programming when applicable.

Skills

Independent worker

Ownership mindset

Stakeholder collaboration

Team player

Education

Degree in data science / AI / statistics

Tools

Python

Databricks

Kubernetes

MLflow

Docker

Azure

PySpark

Airflow

Snowflake

Job description

Want to build data products that directly impact millions of viewers daily? From selecting Videoland thumbnails to optimizing search and forecasting churn, our Data Science team solves diverse, high-impact challenges. We’re looking for a Netherlands-based Data Scientist with 3+ years of experience in Python, modern MLOps (Databricks, Kubernetes), and end-to-end project ownership. Join our team of 7 and turn big ideas into production models!

Your profile

• You have a background in data science, AI, statistics, or a related field

• You have at least 3 years of experience building data science or machine learning solutions

• You are comfortable working in Python

• You have experience with modern data/ML tooling (e.g. Docker, Databricks, MLflow, or similar MLOps platforms)

• You are interested in media, video, or multimodal content (text, images, video)

• You are curious and enjoy exploring new ideas

• You enjoy working with others, but are also comfortable working independently

• You like taking ownership and driving your own projects

• You like working directly with stakeholders and understanding their needs

• You enjoy helping others and contributing to a positive team culture

• You are comfortable speaking up, sharing your ideas, and staying open to input from others

• You are based in the Netherlands and allowed to work here

Your tasks

• Work on a wide range of problems across the company (e.g. subtitles, forecasting, marketing mix, thumbnails, churn)

• Identify and prioritize opportunities for data science, shape them into projects, and drive them forward with stakeholders

• Work with stakeholders to understand problems and turn them into data science solutions

• Analyze data, build models, create prototypes, experiment with new approaches

• Put models into production and keep them running over time

• Take ownership of projects from idea to real impact

• Work closely with teammates (typically in pairs), support interns, and collaborate with researchers

• Bring energy to the team and those around us: share ideas, help others, and contribute to a positive team environment

Your team

We are a team of 7 data scientists and a data science manager, looking for one more colleague.

We build data products that have a direct impact on our consumers, advertisers, and employees. We work on a wide range of problems. One day, you might build a model to select the most appealing thumbnail for Videoland. Another day, you might help decide what movie to show on RTL 7. The next, you might be fixing a production issue in our search system. No day is the same.

The Data Science team is part of the Data Unit, where we work closely with data engineers, analysts, and other specialists.

Our tech stack is centered around Python (Pandas, PyTorch, Transformers) and Azure. We work with tools like PySpark, Airflow, MLflow, and Databricks, and deploy our solutions using Docker and Kubernetes. Most of our data comes from Snowflake and Azure Event Hub.

The interview process

Our interview process is designed to give you a good sense of the team, the work, and how we collaborate. It also helps us understand how you think and approach problems.

This is what a typical process looks like (we may adapt it along the way if needed):

Intro call (1h): get to know each other and learn more about the team

Experience interview (1h): discuss your past work and how you approach problems

Technical exercise (1h): work on a real data science problem and walk us through your thinking

We’re mainly interested in how you think, communicate, and collaborate — not in perfect answers. You should also use these conversations to decide if this is a team you’d enjoy working in.