Senior Economist

Traveltechessentialist; Washington; On-site; USD 173,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness reimbursement

Travel discounts

IATAN membership

Job summary

Expedia Group's Economics and Experimentation Science team is seeking a Senior Economist to drive causal inference and marketplace optimization at scale—impacting billions of dollars in transaction value across one of the world’s largest travel platforms. You’ll tackle high-stakes problems, including measuring incrementality and evaluating product changes that can’t be measured with standard A/B tests.

You’ll own end‑to‑end method development and collaborate with ML engineers, data scientists,

Qualifications

• PhD in Economics or related quantitative field.
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong microeconomic theory and applied econometrics.
• Experience applying econometric methods to business problems in tech/e‑commerce.
• Expertise in causal inference toolkit: IV, DiD, RDD, synthetic controls, panel data methods, experimental design, metalearners, doubleML, causal forests.
• Proficiency in Python or R with SQL to work with large-scale data.
• Track record influencing product strategy or business decisions through quantitative analysis.
• Excellent ability to explain econometric methodology to non-technical executives.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced business environment.

Responsibilities

• Build scalable econometric models (panel data methods, DiD, RDD, IV) to measure elasticity, changes in supplier behavior, and customer lifetime value in the presence of endogeneity, simultaneity, and platform dynamics
• Establish the technical roadmap for long‑term impact measurement, moving beyond short‑term experiment metrics to quantify sustained effects on customer retention, partner engagement, and marketplace equilibrium
• Design and execute causal measurement frameworks for marketplace interventions, including geo experiments, difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, and instrumental variable approaches, to isolate the true causal effect of product changes
• Partner with ML teams to integrate causal inference into production systems, informing ranking algorithms, pricing optimization, and recommendation engines with econometrically validated insights
• Translate complex econometric findings into clear executive narratives that drive multi‑million‑dollar product decisions, presenting to executive stakeholders with clarity and conviction
• Mentor data scientists and economists across the organization, elevating the rigor of causal reasoning and experimental design

Job description

At Expedia Group, we help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. As a global travel company powered by passionate people, trusted partnerships, and leading technology, we connect travelers, partners, and advertisers through our consumer brands, B2B network, and travel advertising business.

Here, you’ll do meaningful work that helps millions of people discover, book, and experience travel with more ease, confidence, and joy. Our five Behaviors-Traveler First, Think Big, Operate with Excellence, Ownership Mindset, and Succeed Together-help foster a supportive environment where people can grow their careers and have the flexibility, benefits, and support to do their best work. Join us and build for travelers everywhere.

Senior Economist

Expedia Group’s Economics and Experimentation Science team is looking for a Senior Economist to drive causal inference and marketplace optimization at scale—impacting billions of dollars in transaction value across one of the world’s largest travel platforms.

You’ll tackle high-stakes problems, including measuring incrementality in two-sided marketplaces, quantifying long-term value of customer behavior signals, and designing quasi-experimental methods to evaluate product changes that can’t be measured using A/B testing techniques. Your work will directly shape how Expedia Group balances traveler experience, partner economics, and platform health.

This is a senior individual contributor role with high autonomy. You’ll own end-to-end method development initiatives, influence product strategy at the executive level, and set technical standards for causal inference across the organization. You’ll collaborate closely with ML engineers, data scientists, analysts, and product leaders who value rigorous econometric thinking.

In this role, you will:

• Build scalable econometric models (panel data methods, DiD, RDD, IV) to measure elasticity, changes in supplier behavior, and customer lifetime value in the presence of endogeneity, simultaneity, and platform dynamics

• Establish the technical roadmap for long‑term impact measurement, moving beyond short‑term experiment metrics to quantify sustained effects on customer retention, partner engagement, and marketplace equilibrium

• Design and execute causal measurement frameworks for marketplace interventions, including geo experiments, difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, and instrumental variable approaches, to isolate the true causal effect of product changes

• Partner with ML teams to integrate causal inference into production systems, informing ranking algorithms, pricing optimization, and recommendation engines with econometrically validated insights

• Translate complex econometric findings into clear executive narratives that drive multi‑million‑dollar product decisions, presenting to executive stakeholders with clarity and conviction

• Mentor data scientists and economists across the organization, elevating the rigor of causal reasoning and experimental design

Experience and Qualifications:

• PhD in Economics, Applied Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, or a related quantitative field

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience

• Solid foundation in microeconomic theory and applied econometrics, with the ability to apply appropriate causal inference techniques

• Demonstrated experience applying econometric methods to real‑world business problems in tech, e‑commerce, or marketplace environments

• Deep expertise in the causal inference toolkit: IV, DiD, RDD, synthetic controls, panel data methods, experimental design, metalearners, doubleML, causal forests

• Proficiency in Python or R with strong SQL skills to work with large‑scale, noisy, real‑world data, including the ability to query and process data

• Track record of influencing product strategy or business decisions through rigorous quantitative analysis—ideally with examples of work that shipped to production

• Exceptional communication skills: ability to explain econometric methodology, identifying assumptions, and business implications to non‑technical executives

• Ability to work in a fast‑paced business environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Publications or working papers in applied economics, econometrics, or quantitative methods (academic or industry venues)

• Experience with marketplace or platform economics: two‑sided markets, network effects, dynamic pricing, or general equilibrium modeling

• Experience integrating causal models into ML pipelines or production systems

• Familiarity with modern AI/ML workflows and LLM‑assisted analysis tools

• Background in travel, e‑commerce, or large‑scale consumer marketplaces

Benefits and perks

Expedia Group offers benefits and perks designed to support employees and their families, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, wellness and travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership. Learn more about life at https://careers.expediagroup.com/life.

Accommodation requests

Expedia Group is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience. If you need an accommodation or adjustment due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please submit a request at https://expedia.service-now.com/askeg?id=job_accommodation.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group includes three flagship consumer brands - Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo - along with a leading B2B travel business and travel advertising offerings. Across our brands and business, we help travelers explore the world with confidence and ease.

Important notice

Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never share sensitive personal information unless you are confident of the recipient. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official place to find and apply for roles is https://careers.expediagroup.com/jobs/.

Equal Opportunity

Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee’s I-9 to confirm work authorization.

The total cash range for this position in Seattle is $173,000.00 to $242,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $277,000.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role.

Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future.