Machine Learning Engineer - Ads Pangle - USDS San Jose Regular R&D Job ID: A146630A

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

10 holidays per year

10 sick days per year

Paid personal time

Job summary

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is seeking a skilled ML engineer in San Jose to build and optimize ad delivery algorithms, including CTR/CVR models, for large-scale systems. The role emphasizes real-time optimization, attribution accuracy, and monetization improvements within a rapidly growing U.S.

market. The team handles state-of-the-art advertising tech, requiring strong CS fundamentals, ML expertise, and leadership in ML projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS or related technical discipline.
• 1+ years of hands-on experience building and training complex scalable ML systems.
• Strong CS fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, software design).
• Strong coding skills and understanding of ML algorithms, including deep learning and ranking models.
• Experience leading or driving ML projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize bidding algorithms and strategies across ad delivery systems.
• Improve large-scale online-learning–based deep models for real-time ads.
• Enhance attribution accuracy, delivery quality, and ecosystem sustainability; drive innovations.
• Design, build, and iterate on core ad prediction models such as CTR and CVR.

Skills

Machine learning

Deep learning

Ranking models

Project leadership

Algorithms

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

San Jose Regular R&D Job ID: A146630A

About the Team

Pangle is the ad network of TikTok for Business, helping mobile developers accelerate growth, deliver engaging ad experiences, and maximize revenue by accessing TikTok's global advertising demand. Operating in more than 36 countries and regions, Pangle has built a strong reputation for driving measurable results for app partners worldwide. As Pangle expands into the U.S. market, we're building our advertising platform from the ground up — tackling exciting new challenges in large-scale systems, optimization, and machine learning. Join us to shape the future of mobile monetization and grow your career in a fast-moving, global team.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize bidding algorithms and strategies across Pangle's ad delivery systems, including targeting, retrieval, ranking, and bidding models, with a focus on improving monetization efficiency and overall ad ROI.
• Improve the performance and efficiency of large-scale, online-learning–based deep models for real-time advertising applications.
• Apply advanced modeling techniques and strategic thinking to enhance attribution accuracy, delivery quality, and long-term ecosystem sustainability. Identify and drive innovative commercialization technologies and product solutions.
• Design, build, and iterate on core ad prediction models such as CTR (Click-Through Rate) and CVR (Conversion Rate) models.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical disciplines.
• 1+ years of hands-on experience with building and training complex and scalable machine learning systems.
• Strong Computer Science fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, software design) and problem-solving skills.
• Strong coding skills and a solid understanding of machine learning algorithms, particularly deep learning and ranking models.
• Experience leading or driving machine learning projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong theoretical background in machine learning and deep learning, with proficiency in at least one major framework (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Demonstrated experience optimizing large-scale advertising systems, including bidding algorithms and delivery strategies. Familiarity with OCPC, OCPM, and AEO bidding models, and understanding of ad delivery mechanisms.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills, with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to move projects forward independently.
• Strong business and data intuition, passion for tackling complex problems, and proven ability in abstraction, project execution, and innovation.

Job Information

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $136800 - $259200 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.

Eligibility & Compliance

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.

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