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Application Engineer - Job Opportunity at lastminute.com

Chiasso, Switzerland
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: July 23, 2025
Hybrid
CHF 85,000 - CHF 110,000 annually. Swiss technology salaries are notably higher than EU averages, and the combination of AI/chatbot expertise with travel industry experience commands premium compensation. The 36-hour work week effectively increases the hourly value proposition significantly.

Benefits

Shortened 36-hour work week providing superior work-life balance compared to standard 40-hour positions
Flexible working hours with core collaboration time from 10am-4pm, allowing for personalized productivity optimization
Hybrid work model with annual remote work allowances exceeding many traditional employers
Half-day Fridays dedicated to professional development and deep work, a progressive approach to employee growth
Comprehensive learning ecosystem including access to premium platforms like O'Reilly, Udemy, and Coursera
Two additional paid volunteer days annually, supporting corporate social responsibility and personal fulfillment
Travel industry perks including exclusive staff fares and industry discounts
Enhanced leave policies covering major life events beyond statutory minimums
International work environment fostering global perspective and cultural competency
Regular social events and team building activities strengthening professional networks

Key Responsibilities

Lead the strategic design and implementation of advanced chatbot and contact center solutions that directly impact customer satisfaction scores and operational efficiency across multiple touchpoints
Establish and enforce enterprise-level system standards as part of continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring scalability and reliability for millions of user interactions
Execute critical incident response and root cause analysis, implementing preventive measures that maintain system uptime and protect revenue-generating customer journeys
Partner directly with Business Product Owners to translate customer experience requirements into technical solutions that drive engagement and conversion metrics
Drive proactive system performance monitoring and optimization initiatives, identifying opportunities for efficiency gains and cost reduction before issues impact business operations

Requirements

Experience

At least 5 years of professional experience in a similar role

Required Skills

Proven experience as a Technical Engineer with expertise in omnichannel customer care solutions Hands-on experience in designing and troubleshooting complex conversational flows that leverage Large Language Models (OpenAI) and sophisticated prompts and tools to automate customer request management Strong software development background: MySQL, MongoDB, Javascript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Python, Node.js Knowledge of AWS infrastructure/services and GITLAB pipelines Basic understanding of Natural Language Processing (NLP), including TTS and ASR engines Fluent English (written and spoken) Strong problem-solving and analytical skills Ability to work both independently and in a team Adaptability, communication skills, and stress management On-call availability, with sporadic international travel required
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The travel technology sector is experiencing unprecedented growth in AI-powered customer service solutions, with companies investing heavily in conversational AI to handle the surge in post-pandemic travel demand while managing operational costs. This trend is driving significant demand for engineers who can bridge the gap between traditional customer service and modern AI implementations. European travel-tech companies are increasingly focusing on dynamic packaging and personalization technologies to compete with global giants like Booking.com and Expedia, creating a competitive landscape where customer experience engineering becomes a critical differentiator. The integration of Large Language Models into customer service workflows represents a paradigm shift in the industry, with early adopters gaining significant competitive advantages through improved response times, multilingual support, and 24/7 availability.

Role Significance

Likely part of a 6-12 person Applications Engineering team within the broader technology organization, with direct collaboration across product, customer service, and infrastructure teams spanning multiple countries and time zones.
This role represents a mid-to-senior individual contributor position with significant technical ownership and business impact. The direct collaboration with Product Owners and responsibility for system standards indicates a role with substantial influence on product direction and technical architecture decisions.

Key Projects

Implementation of next-generation AI-powered chatbot systems capable of handling complex travel booking scenarios and customer inquiries across multiple languages and channels Migration and optimization of legacy customer service systems to modern cloud-based architectures that can scale with seasonal travel demand fluctuations Development of predictive analytics systems that proactively identify and resolve customer service issues before they impact the user experience

Success Factors

Mastery of conversational AI design patterns and prompt engineering techniques that can handle the complex, multi-step nature of travel booking and customer service scenarios Deep understanding of travel industry workflows and customer journey mapping, enabling the creation of contextually aware automated solutions Strong system reliability and performance optimization skills, critical for handling peak travel season traffic spikes and maintaining high availability Cross-functional collaboration abilities to work effectively with international teams across different time zones and cultural contexts Continuous learning mindset to stay current with rapidly evolving AI technologies and their practical applications in customer service

Market Demand

High demand with limited qualified candidates. The specific combination of conversational AI expertise, travel industry knowledge, and full-stack development skills creates a seller's market for qualified professionals.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Conversational AI and LLM integration expertise is absolutely essential as this represents the core technology differentiator for modern travel customer service. The ability to design sophisticated prompts and manage complex conversational flows directly impacts customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Full-stack development capabilities across the specified technology stack (MySQL, MongoDB, JavaScript, Python, etc.) are crucial for maintaining and enhancing the existing platform architecture while implementing new AI-powered features. AWS infrastructure knowledge is vital for ensuring scalable, reliable deployment of customer-facing systems that must handle significant traffic variations and maintain high availability standards. Travel industry customer service understanding is critical for designing AI systems that can handle the complex, often emotional nature of travel-related customer inquiries and booking modifications.

Beneficial Skills

Advanced machine learning and data science skills would enhance the ability to optimize conversational AI performance and develop predictive customer service capabilities International business and cross-cultural communication skills are valuable given the global nature of the travel industry and the international team structure DevOps and automation expertise would be beneficial for streamlining deployment processes and improving system reliability Mobile development experience could be valuable as travel customer interactions increasingly shift to mobile platforms

Unique Aspects

The combination of travel industry domain expertise with cutting-edge conversational AI technology creates a unique specialization that's highly valuable in the current market
Working in the dynamic travel industry provides exposure to complex seasonal demand patterns, multi-currency transactions, and international regulatory requirements
The 36-hour work week with dedicated learning time on Fridays represents a progressive approach to employee development that's uncommon in the technology sector
Direct involvement in customer experience optimization for millions of holidaymakers provides tangible impact visibility and meaningful work satisfaction

Career Growth

2-4 years for progression to senior technical roles, 3-5 years for transition to management or product leadership positions, with accelerated timelines possible given the high-growth nature of the travel-tech sector

Potential Next Roles

Senior Application Engineer or Technical Lead positions with expanded team leadership responsibilities and architectural decision-making authority Product Owner or Technical Product Manager roles leveraging the combination of technical depth and customer experience focus AI/ML Engineering specialist roles focusing specifically on conversational AI and natural language processing applications Engineering Manager positions overseeing customer experience technology teams in travel-tech or related industries

Company Overview

lastminute.com

lastminute.com operates as a leading European travel technology company specializing in dynamic holiday packages and last-minute travel deals. The company has established itself as a significant player in the European travel market through technology-driven solutions that enable spontaneous travel planning and booking.

Strong regional presence in Europe with a focus on technology innovation in the travel sector. The company competes in the highly competitive online travel agency space, differentiating through dynamic packaging technology and customer experience optimization.
The Chiasso location represents a strategic position in the Swiss-Italian border region, providing access to both Swiss talent markets and Italian operational advantages, while maintaining proximity to major European travel markets and technology hubs.
International and diverse work environment with 48+ nationalities represented, indicating a globally-minded culture that values diverse perspectives. The progressive work policies suggest a modern, employee-centric approach that prioritizes work-life balance and professional development.
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