Machine Learning Engineer - TikTok Short Video Content Understanding/Multimodal Recommendation

Ellis Technologies, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 156,000 - 387,600; Full time

Job summary

Ellis Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer in San Jose to lead multimodal algorithm development for TikTok's short video content understanding. You will research and implement advanced technologies to enhance recommendation systems and drive model stability in production environments.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in multimodal content understanding and LLMs, strong skills in frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow, and a proactive mindset for effective collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in multimodal content understanding.
• Expertise in large language models (LLMs).
• Strong technical foundation in deep learning frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead multimodal algorithm development for TikTok’s short-video business.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in multimodal and MLLM technologies.
• Drive engineering deployment ensuring model stability and efficiency.

Skills

Multimodal content understanding

Large language models (LLMs)

Deep learning frameworks

Collaboration skills

Proactive mindset

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Machine Learning Engineer - TikTok Short Video Content Understanding/Multimodal Recommendation

Location: San Jose

Employment Type: Regular

Job Code: A42257

Responsibilities

• Lead multimodal algorithm development for TikTok’s short-video business, explore applications of multimodal technologies in recommendation systems and other scenarios to improve key business metrics.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in multimodal and MLLM technologies, design advanced algorithms to solve business requirements while achieving technical breakthroughs.
• Drive engineering deployment and implementation, ensuring model stability, scalability, and efficiency in production environments.
• Focus on key areas including (but not limited to):
  • General AI platform design and development, including few-shot/zero-shot on MLLM, AI-labeling, auto prompting, active-learning, continue pretraining and RL.
  • Integration of content understanding with recommendation systems (e.g., UGC ecosystems, cold start, interest exploration, comment understanding).
  • Leveraging multimodal techniques to develop next-generation recommendation systems, such as generative models and end-to-end approaches.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Proven experience in multimodal content understanding, with expertise in large language models (LLMs) and familiarity with cutting-edge progress in the field.
• Strong technical foundation in at least one major deep learning framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Proactive mindset, strong sense of ownership, excellent communication skills, and ability to collaborate across teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience deploying content understanding solutions in search, advertising, recommendation, or related domains.

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $156000 - $387600 annually.

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:

• 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;
• Exercising sound judgment.