Applied Research Scientist

| San Francisco
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The Opportunity:

Flexport is looking for a creative, technically-minded Applied Research Scientist (ARS) who is motivated to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems in global trade.  

Data is at the heart of our business, and as an Applied Research Scientist, you will work to evaluate and provide insights into our physical and digital products. In collaboration with multidisciplinary product, engineering, and business/operations teams, you will apply advanced quantitative methods to deliver data-driven insights and automated decision-making in Flexport’s freight forwarding products. 

Our business, product, and engineering teams collaborate closely with our Applied Research Scientists to share domain knowledge, test hypotheses at scale, and develop promising solutions that can be quickly and widely deployed. We are passionate about providing effortlessly accessible intelligence and actionable insights to our end users. Our ideal candidate is: self-motivated, highly analytical, technically excellent at writing code, and passionate about delivering cutting-edge solutions.  

You Will:

  • Work collaboratively with product, engineering, and business to:
    • find opportunities to improve and enhance our technology products, 
    • understand Flexport’s business and operations processes to identify impact opportunities, and
    • translate ambiguous business requirements into the right technical/quantitative solution.
  • Perform requirements gathering and data gathering & analysis.  
  • Research prior work to inform and develop models and algorithms and quantify appropriate metrics & targets.
  • Perform R&D of new models/algorithms and refactor ML/OR solutions to support scalable production deployment. 
  • Deliver compelling data-driven solutions to support automated decision-making at scale.
  • Work with large and complex data sets. Solve difficult data analysis problems by applying advanced analytical methods as needed. 
  • Develop prototype data analyses and data assets iteratively as needed to generate actionable insights. 
  • Communicate findings to technical collaborators and business stakeholders. 
  • Drive and hands-on contribute to model/algorithmic development.  

You Should Have:

Minimum Qualifications

  • Ph.D. (or equivalent industry or research experience) in quantitative fields, such as Operations Research, Computer Science, Mathematics, etc. 
  • 3+ years of hands-on experience in predictive and quantitative modeling and analysis.
  • Experience and a strong background in algorithm design, engineering, and implementation.
  • Experience and a strong background in optimization methods for solving linear, mixed-integer, and dynamic programs.
  • Experience in business analytics, forecasting, or supply chain planning, emphasizing quantitative modeling and analysis.
  • Understanding of MIP strategies to customize/leverage commercial/open-source solvers. 
  • Software development experience using general-purpose programming languages like Python, Java, or C/++, C#
  • Experience working with large data sets and knowledge of tools for big data analytics (e.g., SQL, Python, Perl, or Ruby).

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advance knowledge of decomposition/iterative methods for solving large-scale optimization problems.
  • Expertise in designing and implementing optimization models and algorithms for large-scale discrete/combinatorial problems (e.g., vehicle routing, inventory planning, scheduling, network design, scheduling, and facility location) 
  • Expertise in developing metaheuristics and matheuristics algorithms for extreme-scale combinatorial optimization.
  • Proven object-oriented design and implementation skills (Python, Java, and C++)
  • Some experience in machine learning and statistical techniques such as classification, clustering, regression, statistical inference, collaborative filtering, and experimental design.
  • Some experience in business analytics, forecasting, or supply chain planning, emphasizes quantitative modeling and analysis.
  • Strong research track record with contributions to research communities via publications in top conferences and journals and code contributions in open source communities such as COIN-OR, scikit-learn, CLTK, NLTK, etc.


About Flexport

We believe trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global trade easy for everyone. Flexport is building the platform for global logistics, empowering buyers, sellers and their logistics partners with the technology and services to grow and innovate. Today, companies of all sizes—from emerging brands to Fortune 500s—use Flexport technology to move more than $10B of merchandise across 112 countries every year.

Worried about not having any logistics experience? 

Don’t be! Our mission is to make global trade easy for everyone. That’s why it’s important to bring people from diverse backgrounds and experiences together with our industry veterans to help move the global logistics industry forward.

We know this industry is complex. That’s why we invest in education starting day one with Flexport Academy, a one week intensive onboarding program designed specifically to set every new Flexport employee up for success. 

At Flexport, our ability to fulfill our mission of making global trade easy for everyone relies on having a diverse, dedicated and engaged workforce. That is why Flexport is committed to creating and nurturing an environment where anyone can be their authentic self. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, health status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.


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Technology we use

  • Engineering
  • Product
    • JavascriptLanguages
    • RubyLanguages
    • ReactLibraries
    • ReduxLibraries
    • Ruby on RailsFrameworks
    • LatitudeDesign
    • ConfluenceManagement
    • JIRAManagement
    • SmartsheetManagement

Location

We are located in the heart of downtown San Francisco with easy access to the office via public transportation.

An Insider's view of Flexport

What’s the vibe like in the office?

During pre-COVID times, the SF office was designed as a hub of innovation. You can feel the creativity from the openness of the space, the dry-erase walls, the sound of coffee in the morning, and the waves of silence broken by laughter and understanding. The office made me want to wake up every day and go to work.

Jim

Engineer Manager

How do you collaborate with other teams in the company?

Any change at scale can make a huge difference. Working with our business leaders we identify these improvements, work through solutions and evaluate their effectiveness. Always looking for ways to reduce complexity.

Raphael

Senior Product Designer

How does the company support your career growth?

Flexport has supported my career growth by continuously providing opportunities for me to explore my interests. Whether it be passion projects, internal leadership opportunities or just casual conversations, Flexport and my colleagues have invested in my long term professional development.

Natalie

Client Solutions Associate

How do your team's ideas influence the company's direction?

Flexport is growing very quickly, and so is our product -- we welcome questions and unique ideas. Our engineers are empowered to identify critical projects, strategically prioritize them, and execute them. You decide how to get us to where we want to go.

Geoff

Chief of Staff

What kinds of technical challenges do you and your team face?

Efficiency, predictability and visibility are the key ingredients missing from the industry today. Our vision guides us to identify the right steps to get there. And be the standard technology of global trade.

Yuko

VP, Product Leadership

What are Flexport Perks + Benefits

Flexport Benefits Overview

Flexport is an employee forward company. We know that life comes first and want you to take the time you need with our flexible paid time off program. We offer 100% covered health, vision, and dental insurance, 401K, performance bonuses, stock with a 10-year tax option, commuter benefits, a generous maternity (18 weeks with a phase back program that offers reduced hours and flexible schedule during their first month back) and paternity leave (8 weeks), free lunch and snacks, dog-friendly offices, pay equity, career advancement, and more.

Culture
Volunteer in local community
Partners with nonprofits
OKR operational model
Team based strategic planning
Open office floor plan
Flexible work schedule
Diversity
Dedicated diversity and inclusion staff
Mandated unconscious bias training
Diversity manifesto
Diversity employee resource groups
Health Insurance & Wellness Benefits
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Disability insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Health insurance
Life insurance
Wellness programs
Team workouts
Mental health benefits
Financial & Retirement
401(K)
Company equity
Performance bonus
Child Care & Parental Leave Benefits
Generous parental leave
Family medical leave
Adoption Assistance
Vacation & Time Off Benefits
Unlimited vacation policy
Paid volunteer time
Paid holidays
Paid sick days
Office Perks
Commuter benefits
Company-sponsored outings
Free daily meals
Free snacks and drinks
Company-sponsored happy hours
Pet friendly
Recreational clubs
Relocation assistance
Home-office stipend for remote employees
Professional Development Benefits
Job training & conferences
Lunch and learns
Promote from within
Mentorship program

Additional Perks + Benefits

We're proud that we collectively speak over 40 languages and live on 3 continents. We strive to create a workplace where candidates, employees, and all community members within Flexport’s ecosystem of connected organizations are encouraged to share their stories, celebrate their cultures, and learn from one another. Joining Flexport means joining a truly global community.

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