Rahul Makhijani

Rahul Makhijani is a highly accomplished professional currently serving as a Senior Operations Research Scientist at Instacart.3 His career is characterized by a blend of academic excellence and industry experience.

Educational Background

Rahul holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Operations Research from Stanford University, which he completed between 2014 and 2019.3 During his time at Stanford, he also earned a Master's degree in Statistics (2015-2017).3 His academic journey began at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where he obtained a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) with Honors in Electrical Engineering (2009-2013).3

Professional Experience

Current Role:

• Senior Operations Research Scientist at Instacart (July 2021 - Present)3
• Lecturer at the University of California, Davis (January 2023 - Present)3

Previous Positions:

• Research Scientist in Core Data Science at Facebook (July 2019 - July 2021)3
• Applied Scientist Intern at Amazon (June 2018 - December 2018)3
• Machine Learning Intern at Stripe (June 2017 - September 2017)3
• Data Scientist Intern at Adobe's Big Data Lab (June 2015 - September 2015)3
• Quantitative Analyst in Foreign Exchange (FX) at Barclays Investment Bank (July 2013 - August 2014)3

Achievements and Expertise

At Instacart, Rahul works on matching algorithms in the logistics team, focusing on optimizing the matching of deliveries to shoppers.1 His work has resulted in significant cost savings for the company, with his algorithmic improvements helping to save $30 million.2

Rahul's research interests include designing algorithms for optimizing and clearing real-time marketplaces.1 He has contributed to various fields, including:

• Matching optimization
• Market design
• Algorithms
• Optimization under uncertainty

Awards and Recognitions

Throughout his academic career, Rahul received several prestigious awards:

• Randy and Chris Battat Fellowship23
• Dantzig Lieberman Operations Research fellowship23
• Narotam Sekhsaria Certificate of Merit2
• K.C. Mukherjee award for the Best Undergraduate Thesis in Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay3

Rahul Makhijani's diverse experience and expertise in operations research, data science, and machine learning have positioned him as a valuable asset in the field of algorithmic optimization and marketplace design.