Machine Learning Engineer Graduate (E-Commerce Risk Control) - 2027 Start (PhD)

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 388,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with company match

Parental leave

Disability & life insurance

RSUs

Job summary

ByteDance seeks a PhD-level researcher to develop and implement AI-native risk intelligence systems for its products and platforms in San Jose. You will prototype and validate new ML approaches, collaborating with Product and Tech teams to strengthen automation and risk defense infrastructure.

The role emphasizes building scalable data querying capabilities, defining risk metrics, and communicating insights through clear documentation and presentations. Onboarding by year-end is expected.

Qualifications

• Candidates completing or recently completed a PhD in CS/CE or related field.
• Strong foundation in ML theories and applications including ensemble methods and deep learning.
• Experience with Python, SQL/Hive, and Hadoop; solid data structures/algorithms knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement ML algorithms to manage business risks in TikTok products.
• Prototype novel solutions, run experiments, and provide insights to product/tech teams.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to enhance automation processes.
• Build data querying infrastructure for real-time and offline analysis.
• Define risk metrics and align teams to numeric risk targets.
• Document processes and communicate results via writing, visuals, and presentations.

Skills

Ensemble methods

Deep neural networks

Reinforcement learning

Graph theory

Unsupervised learning

Python

SQL/Hive

Hadoop

Data structures & algorithms

Problem solving

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related

Tools

Python

SQL/Hive

Hadoop

Job description

Responsibilities

Our team is building the next generation of AI-native risk intelligence systems to address emerging challenges driven by large-scale AIGC content production.

As Content Creation Becomes Automated And Adversaries Adopt Systematic Experimentation (e.g., Large-scale Template Variation And Rapid Iteration), Traditional Rule-based And Single-model Approaches Are No Longer Sufficient. We Are Transitioning From Monolithic LLM Applications To a Structured Multi-agent Architecture That Emphasizes:

• Tool-augmented reasoning (ReAct-style systems)
• Modular skill composition
• Execution traceability and observability
• Feedback-driven system evolution
• Cross-domain risk reasoning

We are looking for talented individuals to join our team. As a graduate, you will get opportunities to pursue bold ideas, tackle complex challenges, and unlock limitless growth.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to an onboarding date by the end of the year. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement innovative machine learning algorithms to manage business risks in TikTok's products and platforms.
• Prototype and explore novel solutions, conduct experiments to validate hypotheses, and provide insights to Product and Tech teams.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to enhance current automation processes.
• Build efficient data querying infrastructure for real-time and offline analysis. Identify opportunities to strengthen risk defense solutions.
• Define risk control metrics and promote data-driven practices. Align teams and stakeholders on numeric goals for risk control.
• Document technical processes and effectively communicate results through writing, visualizations, and presentations.

Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a related discipline.
• Proficiency in modern machine learning theories and applications, including ensemble trees, deep neural networks, transfer/multi-task learning, reinforcement learning, graph theory, and unsupervised learning.
• Experience with Python, SQL/Hive, and Hadoop
• Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms, with excellent problem-solving ability
• Detail oriented, effective time management, and strong analytical skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated software engineering experience from previous internship, work experience, coding competitions, or publications
• Internship experience or research experience, especially in e-commerce, risk control domian
• Curiosity towards new technologies and entrepreneurship
• High levels of creativity and quick problem-solving capabilities

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $162000 - $387600 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.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

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

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are 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 enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, 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. 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

ByteDance 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 ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. 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.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance 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/RA-request