Senior Economist

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 will 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 will 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 will 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.
• 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.

#LI-MC1

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.

Expedia Group is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to support employees and their families, including medical/dental/vision, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program. To fuel each employee’s passion for travel, we offer wellness and travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and an International Airlines Travel Agent (IATAN) membership. View our full list of benefits.

Accommodation requests

If you need assistance with any part of the application or recruiting process due to a disability, or other physical or mental health conditions, please reach out to our Recruiting Accommodations Team through the Accommodation Request.

EEO statement

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.

Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is careers.expediagroup.com/jobs.