Machine Learning/Research Engineer Graduate (Ads Core Global) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)
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 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 TikTok.
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.
Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.
Responsibilities:
1. Research and develop a cutting-edge global advertising delivery system using advanced technologies, including ML/DL, RL, LLM, and scaling laws in ad recommendation.
2. Optimize efficiency across the entire advertising funnel, focusing on Recall & Rough-sort, Fine-sort (CTR/CVR), format/creative personalization, and system resource allocation.
3. Design and establish system frameworks and standards to continuously enhance modeling efficiency.
4. Build and manage the delivery pipeline, encompassing modeling, bidding, traffic strategy, and optimizing organic video recommendation systems to meet diverse vertical business needs.
5. Drive the influence of user experience and revenue targets, establishing the team as a core pillar within the organization.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Final year or recent graduate with a background in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
2. Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.
3. Solid programming skills, proficient in C/C++ and Python. Familiar with basic data structure and algorithms. Familiar with Linux development environment.
4. Good theoretical grounding in machine learning/deep learning/algorithm concepts and techniques.
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5. Familiar with architecture and implementation of at least one mainstream machine learning programming framework (TensorFlow/Pytorch/MXNet), familiar with its architecture and implementation mechanism.
6. Good analytical thinking and critical thinking capabilities.
Preferred Qualifications:
1. Participation in national math/coding competitions (e.g., ACM, Hacker Cup, Hash Code, USACO, IOI, CCPC, etc.).
2. 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.
3. Experience with resource management and task scheduling in large-scale distributed software environments (e.g., Spark, TensorFlow).
4. Published papers/citations or conducted paper reviews in areas such as NLP, CV, and Recommender Systems (e.g., RecSys, KDD, ICML, CVPR, NeurIPS).
5. Familiarity with advanced techniques like LLM, reinforcement learning, transfer learning, and counterfactual optimization is a plus.
By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $115200 - $231000 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.
Perks and Benefits
Health and Wellness
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- HSA
- Life Insurance
- Fitness Subsidies
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
- On-Site Gym
- Mental Health Benefits
- Virtual Fitness Classes
Parental Benefits
- Fertility Benefits
- Adoption Assistance Program
- Family Support Resources
Work Flexibility
- Flexible Work Hours
- Hybrid Work Opportunities
Office Life and Perks
- Casual Dress
- Snacks
- Pet-friendly Office
- Happy Hours
- Some Meals Provided
- Company Outings
- On-Site Cafeteria
- Holiday Events
Vacation and Time Off
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Personal/Sick Days
- Leave of Absence
Financial and Retirement
- 401(K) With Company Matching
- Performance Bonus
- Company Equity
Professional Development
- Promote From Within
- Access to Online Courses
- Leadership Training Program
- Associate or Rotational Training Program
- Mentor Program
Diversity and Inclusion
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
- Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
Company Videos
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