Machine Learning Engineer, Search Recommendation
Apr 7, 2026 San Jose
About us
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video and our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
- Size: 5,001 - 10,000 employees
- Industry: Entertainment & Gaming
Responsibilities
About the Team:
The Search Growth team is at the forefront of developing the search recommendation algorithm for TikTok's rapidly expanding global e-commerce enterprise. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning technology, advanced NLP, CV, recommendation, and multi-modal technology, we're shaping a pioneering engine within the industry. Our objective is to deliver the ultimate e-commerce search experience to over 1 billion active TikTok users worldwide. Our mission: to create a world where "there are no hard-to-sell, overpriced products."
Responsibilities - What You'Il Do
- Enhance search recommendation services and models for TikTok, driving increased search traffic on TikTok and TikTok Mall, while also improving user's search understanding.
- Optimize the recommender system based on hyperscale machine learning models, covering a range of tasks from recall/first-stage ranking to final-stage ranking in the end-to-end workflow.
- Explore the upper limits of short text recommendation and general recommendation technology, with a focus on the interaction between recommendation and NLP technology.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- 3+ years of work experience in machine learning. Good product sense with a focus on user experience.
- Bachelor or advanced degree in computer science or a related technical discipline.
- Excellent coding skills. Solid knowledge of data structure and algorithms.
- Excellent in analysis, modeling and problem-solving, and can see the essence of problems from complex data.
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $128000 - $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.
About the Team:
The Search Growth team is at the forefront of developing the search recommendation algorithm for TikTok's rapidly expanding global e-commerce enterprise. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning technology, advanced NLP, CV, recommendation, and multi-modal technology, we're shaping a pioneering engine within the industry. Our objective is to deliver the ultimate e-commerce search experience to over 1 billion active TikTok users worldwide. Our mission: to create a world where "there are no hard-to-sell, overpriced products."
Responsibilities - What You'Il Do
- Enhance search recommendation services and models for TikTok, driving increased search traffic on TikTok and TikTok Mall, while also improving user's search understanding.
- Optimize the recommender system based on hyperscale machine learning models, covering a range of tasks from recall/first-stage ranking to final-stage ranking in the end-to-end workflow.
- Explore the upper limits of short text recommendation and general recommendation technology, with a focus on the interaction between recommendation and NLP technology.
Minimum Qualifications
- 3+ years of work experience in machine learning. Good product sense with a focus on user experience.
- Bachelor or advanced degree in computer science or a related technical discipline.
- Excellent coding skills. Solid knowledge of data structure and algorithms.
- Excellent in analysis, modeling and problem-solving, and can see the essence of problems from complex data.
About the Team:
The Search Growth team is at the forefront of developing the search recommendation algorithm for TikTok's rapidly expanding global e-commerce enterprise. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning technology, advanced NLP, CV, recommendation, and multi-modal technology, we're shaping a pioneering engine within the industry. Our objective is to deliver the ultimate e-commerce search experience to over 1 billion active TikTok users worldwide. Our mission: to create a world where "there are no hard-to-sell, overpriced products."
Responsibilities - What You'Il Do
- Enhance search recommendation services and models for TikTok, driving increased search traffic on TikTok and TikTok Mall, while also improving user's search understanding.
- Optimize the recommender system based on hyperscale machine learning models, covering a range of tasks from recall/first-stage ranking to final-stage ranking in the end-to-end workflow.
- Explore the upper limits of short text recommendation and general recommendation technology, with a focus on the interaction between recommendation and NLP technology.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- 3+ years of work experience in machine learning. Good product sense with a focus on user experience.
- Bachelor or advanced degree in computer science or a related technical discipline.
- Excellent coding skills. Solid knowledge of data structure and algorithms.
- Excellent in analysis, modeling and problem-solving, and can see the essence of problems from complex data.
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $128000 - $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.
Responsibilities
ResponsibilitiesAbout the Team:
The Search Growth team is at the forefront of developing the search recommendation algorithm for TikTok's rapidly expanding global e-commerce enterprise. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning technology, advanced NLP, CV, recommendation, and multi-modal technology, we're shaping a pioneering engine within the industry. Our objective is to deliver the ultimate e-commerce search experience to over 1 billion active TikTok users worldwide. Our mission: to create a world where "there are no hard-to-sell, overpriced products."
Responsibilities - What You'Il Do
- Enhance search recommendation services and models for TikTok, driving increased search traffic on TikTok and TikTok Mall, while also improving user's search understanding.
- Optimize the recommender system based on hyperscale machine learning models, covering a range of tasks from recall/first-stage ranking to final-stage ranking in the end-to-end workflow.
- Explore the upper limits of short text recommendation and general recommendation technology, with a focus on the interaction between recommendation and NLP technology.
Qualifications
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications
- 3+ years of work experience in machine learning. Good product sense with a focus on user experience.
- Bachelor or advanced degree in computer science or a related technical discipline.
- Excellent coding skills. Solid knowledge of data structure and algorithms.
- Excellent in analysis, modeling and problem-solving, and can see the essence of problems from complex data.
Additional Information
- Salary: $128,000 – $316,800
- Posted: Apr 7, 2026