Research Scientist Graduate (Security-Flow) - 2026 Start (PhD)

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 156,000 - 387,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

ByteDance seeks researchers focusing on AI safety and security for LLM-based products. The role involves designing secure LLM solutions, assessing risks, and guiding teams to implement robust protections.

The ideal candidate brings a PhD in AI or related fields, deep knowledge of LLMs, and strong communication skills to drive security initiatives across global initiatives.

Qualifications

• PhD candidates or recent graduates in AI, LLM, NLP, CV, Security or related technical discipline.
• Strong theory and practice in LLMs and machine learning.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for teamwork and progress.
• High levels of creativity and rapid problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and improve security solutions for LLMs and related AI systems.
• Perform security risk assessments and recommend mitigations for vulnerabilities in LLMs.
• Stay informed on AI risks to ensure security across AI projects.
• Monitor latest AI tech trends and identify opportunities to strengthen security.
• Collaborate with external organizations and experts on best practices in AI security.
• Evaluate and optimize internal AI security processes and procedures.
• Provide leadership to clients to help adopt secure AI practices.
• Develop and deliver training on secure AI principles and practices.

Skills

LLM theory

Communication

Creativity

Education

PhD in AI/LLM/NLP/CV/Security

Job description

Overview

Team Introduction: Nestled within ByteDance's Flow AI Organization, the AI safety and security team stands as a beacon of innovation, exploring cutting‑edge technology to enhance the security of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their applications serving ByteDance's global products. The team pioneers a new frontier in AI safety and security research, inviting talented individuals with a background in AI or security to join. Through collaboration and unwavering commitment, this dynamic team ensures a safe and secure digital experience for users worldwide while offering a stimulating environment for LLM enthusiasts to thrive and shape the future of AI safety and security.

We are looking for talented individuals to join our team in 2026. As a graduate, you will get opportunities to pursue bold ideas, tackle complex challenges, and unlock limitless growth. Launch your career where inspiration is infinite at ByteDance.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to an onboarding date by end of year 2026. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

Responsibilities

• Explore, design, and develop security solutions for Large Language Models (LLMs), such as techniques to enhance LLM robustness against potential threats like prompt injections and private information disclosure.
• Conduct comprehensive security risk assessments and provide actionable recommendations for mitigating potential vulnerabilities in LLMs.
• Stay well‑informed about existing AI risks to ensure the highest level of security across all AI projects.
• Keep abreast of the latest AI technologies and trends, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen the security of AI products.
• Foster strategic collaborations with external organizations and experts to remain at the forefront of best practices and advancements in AI security.
• Continuously evaluate and optimize internal processes and procedures related to AI security to maintain a robust and resilient framework.
• Provide leadership and guidance to clients, empowering them to understand and adopt secure AI practices seamlessly.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive training and educational programs on secure AI principles and best practices to team members, promoting a culture of AI security awareness and excellence.

Qualifications

• Individuals who are completing or have recently completed a PhD degree in AI, LLM, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Security, or a related technical discipline.
• Excellent knowledge of theory and practice of LLM and machine learning.
• Good communication and collaboration skills, able to explore new technologies with the team and promote technological progress.
• High levels of creativity and quick problem‑solving capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong publication record at leading conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, etc.).
• Demonstrated natural language processing, computer vision, or deep learning experience from previous internships, work experience, or coding competitions.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $156,000 – $387,600 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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. 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; and
• Exercising sound judgment.

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