Machine Learning/Research Engineer Graduate (Monetization Technology-Ads Core Global) - 2027 St[...]

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with match

Parental leave

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

Paid holidays

Paid sick days

Paid personal time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking a Machine Learning/Research Engineer Graduate for Monetization Technology-Ads Core Global, starting in 2027. You will be part of the Ads Core ML Team to develop and optimize ad delivery using ML, DL, RL, and LLM techniques.

Applicants should hold a PhD and be proficient in C/C++ and Python, with experience in TensorFlow/PyTorch/MXNet. You’ll help advance ad ranking, bidding, and ROI strategies while tackling bold ideas.

Qualifications

• PhD completed or near completion in a technical field (CS/SE).
• Strong programming in C/C++ and Python; solid data structures/algorithms.
• Solid ML/DL theory and techniques; knowledge of ML frameworks.
• Experience with Linux development environment.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop a cutting-edge global ads delivery system using ML/DL, RL, LLM.
• Optimize ads recall, sorting, and format personalization across the funnel.
• Design system frameworks to improve modeling efficiency.
• Build delivery pipelines covering modeling, bidding, and traffic strategy.
• Impact user experience and revenue goals as part of the Ads Core team.

Skills

PhD in CS or related

C/C++

Python

ML/DL concepts

TensorFlow

PyTorch

MXNet

Education

PhD in Software Development / Computer Science

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

MXNet

Job description

Discover a career that energizes and excites you every day.

@2026 TikTok

Technology

Machine Learning/Research Engineer Graduate (Monetization Technology-Ads Core Global) - 2027 Start (PhD)

Location:

San Jose

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Code:

A24339

Responsibilities

We are Ads Core ML Team from TikTok Global Monetization Technology. Our core mission is to generate revenue and optimize the user experience on the world's leading short-form video platform.Within the global monetization and advertising landscape, we are responsible for accelerating TikTok revenue growth through advanced machine learning technology and delivering optimal user experience solutions.You will be part of a team that's optimizing ads format and ranking strategies, and you will be responsible for bringing a better return on investment for advertisers.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.

• Research and develop a cutting-edge global advertising delivery system using advanced technologies, including ML/DL, RL, LLM, and scaling laws in ad recommendation.
• Optimize efficiency across the entire advertising funnel, focusing on Recall & Rough-sort, Fine-sort (CTR/CVR), format/creative personalization, and system resource allocation.
• Design and establish system frameworks and standards to continuously enhance modeling efficiency.
• Build and manage the delivery pipeline, encompassing modeling, bidding, traffic strategy, and optimizing organic video recommendation systems to meet diverse vertical business needs.
• Drive the influence of user experience and revenue targets, establishing the team as a core pillar within the organization.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Solid programming skills, proficient in C/C++ and Python. Familiar with basic data structure and algorithms. Familiar with Linux development environment.
• Good theoretical grounding in machine learning/deep learning/algorithm concepts and techniques.
• Familiar with architecture and implementation of at least one mainstream machine learning programming framework (TensorFlow/Pytorch/MXNet), familiar with its architecture and implementation mechanism.
• Good analytical thinking and critical thinking capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Participation in national math/coding competitions (e.g., ACM, Hacker Cup, Hash Code, USACO, IOI, CCPC, etc.).
• Strong understanding of key domains in online advertising systems, including ads bidding & auction, ads quality control, and related concepts such as CPC/CPM, CTR/CVR, Ranking/Targeting, Conversion/Budget, Campaign/Creative, Demand/Inventory, DSP/RTB.
• Experience with resource management and task scheduling in large-scale distributed software environments (e.g., Spark, TensorFlow).
• Published papers/citations or conducted paper reviews in areas such as NLP, CV, and Recommender Systems (e.g., RecSys, KDD, ICML, CVPR, NeurIPS).
• Familiarity with advanced techniques like LLM, reinforcement learning, transfer learning, and counterfactual optimization is a plus.

Job Information

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;
3. Exercising sound judgment.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

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.

TikTok Accommodation

TikTok 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