Machine Learning Engineer, TikTok Lead Ads

TikTok Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 317,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok Inc. in San Jose, CA is hiring a Machine Learning Engineer for the Lead Ads team to drive large-scale online ads delivery and ranking enhancements. You will develop novel ML solutions, build scalable foundations, and launch products that improve lead ads efficiency.

Required: 3+ years in ML for ranking, strong Python/C++ coding, and experience with recommender systems and online experimentation. Collaboration with PMs, data scientists, and operations is expected.

Qualifications

• 3+ years applying ML methods for ranking.
• 3+ years software development experience with strong coding skills in Python/C++.
• Experience with recommender system projects.
• Familiarity with online experimentation methods and statistics.
• Curiosity toward new technologies and entrepreneurship.

Responsibilities

• Develop a large-scale online ads delivery system and improve its accuracy.
• Explore multi-stage ranking models, perform data analysis and feature engineering.
• Contribute to innovations in online ads systems using ML models and ranking algorithms.
• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists and operation teams to launch new Lead Ads products and features.

Skills

ML for ranking

Python

C++

Recommender systems

Statistics

Education

BS/MS in CS or related

Tools

TensorFlow / PyTorch / MXNet

Job description

Responsibilities

Our Lead Ads team empowers TikTok's global monetization (billion-dollar business) via efficiently delivering lead ads on TikTok. Our mission is to push the boundaries of large-scale ads delivery systems and lead the innovations of TikTok's personalized online advertising. Hence, you'll have a chance to get deeply involved in our large-scale distributed systems and state-of-the‑art machine learning algorithms. As a Machine Learning Engineer on the Lead Ads team, you will make efforts to develop novel machine learning solutions for ranking, build scalable foundations and launch various products that maximize the efficiency of lead ads delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Work on the development of a large-scale online ads delivery system and improve its accuracy.
• Explore multi-stage ranking models, conduct data analysis, develop feature engineering.
• Participate in the innovations of online ads systems using machine learning models, ranking algorithms, etc.
• Partner with product managers, data scientists and product strategy & operation team to launch new Lead Ads products and features.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification(s)

• BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or other relevant majors.
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience with applying machine learning methods for ranking.
• 3+ years of software development experience and strong coding skills, especially in Python/C++.
• Experience with recommender system projects.
• Familiarity with online experimentation methods and analytics. Essential knowledge and skills in statistics.
• Curiosity toward new technologies and entrepreneurship.

Preferred Qualification(s)

• Experience with Tensorflow/PyTorch/MXNet.

Job Information

Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $162000 - $316800 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

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

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.