Expedia to Cut 58 Roles, Many in Data Science and Machine Learning

Expedia filed a WARN notice in Washington state announcing plans to eliminate 58 roles in Seattle, with separation dates set between November 21 and December 1. The company says the changes mostly relate to simplifying its Global Finance organization. The WARN list, however, shows the layoffs extend well beyond traditional finance headcount.

The reductions also include senior roles. Named or identified positions on the list include an SVP for Book-to-Trip, a VP of finance, a VP of operations and services, and five director-level roles. Skift identified at least two cuts outside Washington: a senior data scientist based in Illinois, and Julie Kyse, who led hotel global partnerships in Florida and had been with Expedia for 15 years.

Expedia issued a statement saying the moves are part of efforts to "simplify how we work," and that the Global Finance team is changing its structure. The statement said some employees will move to new roles or locations while some roles are being eliminated, and that the company is committed to supporting affected employees.

These cuts follow an organizational shift announced in August, when Expedia said it would move to "small end-to-end squads," consolidate its data, AI, and agentic platforms, and link changes to AI. CEO Ariane Gorin, speaking remotely at Skift Global Forum 2026, described priorities as running the company more efficiently under a "make every dollar matter" approach. Gorin cited 20 straight quarters of double-digit B2B growth and free cash flow that has more than doubled since she became CEO in 2024.

The mix of technical and senior roles suggests the reorganization goes beyond straightforward finance trimming. Data science and machine learning positions support revenue-facing systems—loyalty, payments, sponsored listings and booking analytics—areas that affect product, partnerships, and monetization. Eliminating such roles can change how analytics and modeling work gets done, whether by reassigning responsibilities, consolidating platforms, or altering project priorities.

The inclusion of senior leaders and long-tenured staff signals the reorganization touches decision-making layers as well as execution. Cuts in multiple states indicate the changes are not limited to a single office or team.

• How many affected employees move to new roles versus departing. The company said some people will be reassigned.

• Whether responsibilities for the eliminated data science and machine learning roles are absorbed by remaining teams, consolidated into new platforms, or reduced.

• Any public details on severance, relocation support, or transition assistance for impacted staff.

Expedia is reducing headcount in a targeted set of finance-related and technical roles, including a heavy share of data science and machine learning positions and several senior jobs. The company frames the move as simplification inside Global Finance, but the role mix and cross-state cuts show broader operational changes after an August reorganization that tied structural changes to consolidated data and AI platforms.