AI Security & Process Engineer

TikTok USDS Joint Venture; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 132,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is seeking an AI and Security Process Engineer focused on Agentic Systems within the USDS FUSE Intelligence program. You will design, build, and deploy advanced AI agents that reason, plan, and execute tasks to support security operations and protect user data.

Proficiency with LLMs, agentic frameworks, and RAG is essential. The role emphasizes integrating AI/automation into security workflows, evaluating agent performance, and collaborating with product managers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a software engineering or machine learning role.
• Demonstrable experience building and deploying solutions using agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex, AutoGen) and a strong portfolio of projects to showcase this work.
• Deep understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs), transformer architectures, and modern NLP techniques, including prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and RAG.
• Solid software engineering fundamentals in Python, including experience building and deploying production-level APIs and using common ML libraries (e.g., PyTorch, Hugging Face, Scikit-learn).
• Solid software engineering fundamentals, including experience with APIs, databases, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).

Responsibilities

• Design and Develop AI Agents: Architect, build, and deploy robust, multi-step AI agents capable of complex reasoning, tool use, and decision-making using frameworks like LangChain, AutoGen, or CrewAI.
• RAG: End-to-end design of chunking and hybrid retrieval strategies for domain data and implementing agentic patterns.
• Workflow and Process Design: Translate user needs into autonomous workflows that can reason, plan, and execute actions.
• Integrate Tools and Data Sources: Enable agents to interact with external systems via APIs, databases, etc.
• Implement Agentic Architectures: Develop patterns like ReAct, plan-and-execute, and multi-agent collaboration.
• Optimize and Evaluate Performance: Establish metrics and iterate on design, prompting, and model choice.
• LLM Customization: Fine-tune LLMs and implement Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines.
• Collaboration: Work with product managers, data scientists, and engineers to integrate agentic solutions.
• Stay Current: Keep up-to-date with advancements in agentic AI and autonomous systems.

Skills

Python

APIs

LLMs/NLP

Software engineering

Agentic AI experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/AI/ML

Tools

LangChain

LlamaIndex

AutoGen

PyTorch

Hugging Face

Scikit-learn

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Responsibilities

About the Team

This role resides within the USDS FUSE Intelligence program, an all-hazards team that develops products and services with action-based outcomes to reduce and identify risk to TikTok USDS.

About the Role

As an AI and Security Process Engineer focused on Agentic Systems on the USDS FUSE Intelligence team, you will be at the forefront of designing, building, and deploying sophisticated AI agents that can reason, plan, and execute complex tasks in support of a security organization defending the data of millions of TikTok users. You will work with Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic frameworks to build solutions that automate workflows, solve intricate security problems, and interact with digital environments dynamically. This role requires a unique blend of strong software engineering skills, deep LLM knowledge, and a creative vision for building autonomous systems that support complex security and analytic processes.

The ideal candidate will possess the skills to execute the roles and responsibilities described below and would optimally have either experience working in a cyber security operations space or familiarity with systems integration, business process development, or other experience developing AI or automation enabled solutions to complex analytic and process problems.

Responsibilities

• Design and Develop AI Agents: Architect, build, and deploy robust, multi-step AI agents capable of complex reasoning, tool use, and decision-making using frameworks like LangChain, AutoGen, or CrewAI. Develop and integrate agentic systems using LLMs, RAG, and tool-use/function-calling frameworks to automate or accelerate complex tasks for end-users.
• RAG: Deep, practical experience with the end-to-end RAG lifecycle, from designing chunking and hybrid retrieval strategies for domain-specific data to implementing agentic design patterns.
• Workflow and Process Design: Translate user needs into robust, autonomous workflows that can reason, plan, and execute actions.
• Integrate Tools and Data Sources: Equip agents with the ability to interact with external systems by integrating APIs, databases, and other data sources to enable real-world action and information retrieval.
• Implement Agentic Architectures: Develop and implement advanced agentic patterns such as ReAct (Reasoning and Acting), plan-and-execute, and multi-agent collaboration to solve complex, open-ended problems.
• Optimize and Evaluate Performance: Establish rigorous metrics to evaluate agent performance, reliability, and efficiency. Continuously iterate on agent design, prompting strategies, and model choice to improve outcomes.
• LLM Customization: Fine-tune and adapt foundational LLMs to enhance their capabilities for specific agentic tasks and domains. Implement and refine Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines to provide agents with relevant, up-to-date context. Proven experience building and shipping applications powered by Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, data scientists, and other engineers to define requirements, identify opportunities for automation, and integrate agentic solutions into our core products and internal workflows.
• Stay Current: Keep up-to-date with the latest advancements in agentic AI, LLMs, and autonomous systems, and champion the adoption of new techniques and technologies within the team.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a software engineering or machine learning role.
• Demonstrable experience building and deploying solutions using agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex, AutoGen) and a strong portfolio of projects to showcase this work.
• Deep understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs), transformer architectures, and modern NLP techniques, including prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and RAG.
• Solid software engineering fundamentals in Python, including experience building and deploying production-level APIs and using common ML libraries (e.g., PyTorch, Hugging Face, Scikit-learn).
• Solid software engineering fundamentals, including experience with APIs, databases, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and building multi-agent systems where agents collaborate or compete.
• Published research in AI/ML conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).
• Experience with MLOps practices and tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines) for deploying and monitoring AI systems.
• A strong passion for the potential of autonomous agents and a creative mindset for finding novel applications.
• Experience building automated tools in Java, C or PowerShell as well as Experience with SQL or other query languages.

About USDS

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision‑making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.

On‑site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real‑time decision‑making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in‑person schedule up to 5 days a week.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.

We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an “Always Day 1” mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

USDS Reasonable Accommodation

USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】 Compensation Description (Annually) - Washington, DC

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $ 132480 - $ 242820 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.